Inheritance of grief: Russian families' legal battles over war benefits

Relatives of Russians who died in the war often find themselves embroiled in actual battles for the significant benefits entitled to families after a soldier's death, known as funeral benefits – reports Biełsat TV. "Funeral" benefits are a one-time payment of approximately 5 million rubles, or about CAD 88,500.

Biełsat reveals, citing findings from its Russian-language portal Vot tak in an article titled "The Battle for Funeral Benefits that in courts across Russia, widows grapple for millions of rubles with their in-laws and mothers with ex-husbands who left the family years ago. The money is eagerly divided even by aunts and grandparents. The authors highlight that many of these disputing relatives are from small villages, living on the brink of poverty, and nobody wants to miss the chance to become wealthier or at least settle debts.

Oksana sued her ex-husband for 6 million rubles (about CAD 105,600), and Evgenia, who lost her father and stepfather in the war, fought to change the law, enabling adult children to receive a one-time benefit of 5 million rubles (about CAD 88,500).

The Russian state encourages participation in the war through various payments for soldiers, including funeral benefits, which are substantial amounts for the relatives of soldiers after their deaths. For many Russian citizens, these sums are impossible to earn under normal conditions through honest work. Often, the possibility of receiving these benefits from the state leads to disputes among relatives.

Evgenia, along with others in similar situations, fought a legal battle to change the regulations that denied benefits to adult children of the deceased. She reported her father went to war to support her and her children financially, but the benefit was awarded to her aunt, her father's sister. Thanks to the efforts of Evgenia and others, the issue was "escalated," leading to a change in the regulations.

Meanwhile, many mothers of Russian soldiers are battling for the right to posthumous benefits not to be granted to fathers who didn't participate in raising their sons or even provide child support. Biełsat highlights the case of Oksana, who won after two years of litigation against her ex-husband for the money for her son killed in the war. However, unless the father has been legally stripped of parental rights, the right to the benefit can only be denied through court by proving he abandoned the child and did not participate in raising him.

According to Russian law, in the event of a soldier's death, the family is entitled to the sum of insurance (approximately CAD 55,230) and a one-time benefit (about CAD 97,135), compensation for the Order of Courage (five times the soldier's salary), and social benefits (pension supplement, utility, and medication allowances, etc.).

For over two years, the topic most frequently discussed on Russian internet groups and chats for soldiers' relatives has been the division of money received from the state after a death on the front: military salaries, insurance payouts, and "funeral" benefits.

In March 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on a one-time payment of about CAD 88,500 to the family members of those killed in the war. This amount was re-evaluated at the beginning of 2024 and increased by 5.5%. The money is distributed equally among spouses, parents, legal guardians, and dependents of the deceased.

Until recently, adult children (except for those studying full-time or with a disability status) were not eligible for "funeral" benefits. However, on April 8, 2024, Putin signed a decree under which all children of the deceased, without exception, will be able to claim the 5 million ruble "funeral" benefit—or part of it, if necessary, to share the amount with other family members.