Grieving families clash over Russia's war death benefits

Biełsat, drawing from its Russian-language portal Vot tak, informs that in courts across Russia, widows and in-laws, mothers, and estranged ex-husbands who left the family years ago are all battling for millions of rubles. Aunts and grandparents also join the fray, each eager to secure a portion of the money. This struggle is particularly acute among residents of small, impoverished villages, where the chance to improve one’s financial standing or clear debts is too tempting.

Oksana, for instance, filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband for 6 million rubles (around $80,300), while Evgenia, who lost both her father and stepfather in the war, pushed to amend the law. Thanks to her efforts and those of others in similar situations, adult children can now receive the one-time benefit of 5 million rubles (about $67,250).

Disputes among relatives over funeral benefits highlight a broader issue within Russian society. The government offers various payments to soldiers, including significant posthumous benefits for their families, which often trigger conflicts among surviving family members over who is entitled to receive them.

Evgenia, for example, fought for the right to her father's benefit, which was initially awarded to an aunt, her father's sister. Her successful campaign led to a change in regulations, ensuring adult children could claim their rightful share.

Many mothers also contest the eligibility of fathers who played no part in their sons' upbringing or failed to provide child support. Biełsat showcases Oksana's two-year legal battle against her ex-husband over the funds entitled to her son, who was killed in action.

Russian law specifies that upon a soldier’s death, the family receives insurance (3.123 million rubles – about $41,846) and a one-time benefit (5.5 million rubles – about $73,675), among other compensations. However, fathers can only be denied these benefits through court by proving their lack of involvement in child-rearing.

The distribution of state-provided funds following a soldier's death has been a hot topic on Russian social media platforms and discussion groups for soldiers' families for more than two years.

Notably, in March 2022, Vladimir Putin announced a decree for a 5 million ruble payment to family members of those killed in the war. By the beginning of 2024, this amount had increased by 5.5%. Payments are distributed equally among spouses, parents, guardians, and dependents of the deceased.

Initially, adult children, barring those still in full-time education or with a disability, were excluded from receiving funeral benefits. However, as of April 8, 2024, a new decree signed by Putin has extended eligibility to all children of the deceased, allowing them to claim the 5 million ruble funeral benefit in full or share it with other entitled family members.