By Reducing the Number of Russians Classified as Handicapped, Moscow Frees Up Money for Other Uses, Including War, Experts Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jan. 23 – Since 2014, the Russian government has been working to restrict the number of people classified as handicapped and thus entitled to government benefits. As a result, it has held that number constant despite two developments – the COVID pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine – that have almost certainly boosted the number deserving that status.

            The primary reason, Russian experts say, is that the Kremlin wants to save money on the handicapped and use it for other purposes given that under current rules, the government spends a minimum of 120 billion rubles (1.53 billion US dollars) for each million people given handicapped status (https://www.svoboda.org/a/systema-invalidy/33657480.html).

            That means that if Moscow can prevent a rise in the number of those registered as handicapped by the government by two million or reduce the number of those already classified, it can save as much as 240 billion rubles (3.06 billion US dollars), it frees up funds for other purposes at a time of budgetary stringency – even though the handicapped will suffer.