At a press club meeting held on Thursday, November 4, dedicated to Social Sector Worker Day, the problems and prospects of social services were discussed. Thus, the head of the subsidies department of the city executive committee, Zoya Menshchykova, reported that the housing subsidies program was initiated in 1995 by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to help low-income families pay for housing and communal services. During this period, department employees processed 446.9 thousand citizen applications. Citizens were awarded subsidies totaling 116.3 million UAH, which are transferred to organizations providing housing and communal services. In the nine months of 2004, 17,888 citizen applications were registered in the subsidies department, and subsidies were awarded totaling 6,115.6 thousand UAH. Due to the increase in wages and the decrease in the number of unemployed citizens, the increase in pension amounts and the minimum wage, and the improvement of centralized control of information provided by citizens when submitting documents, a decrease in the number of subsidy recipients has been observed. Thus, the average monthly number of subsidy recipients was: in 1998 - 30,744 families, in the nine months of 2004 - 17,888. The current legislation on the assignment of subsidies is constantly changing and being improved. When assigning subsidies, emphasis is placed on providing social assistance to the most vulnerable segments of the population. Over the 9 months of the current year, 16,803 citizen applications were checked for compliance with current legislation in the assignment of housing subsidies, and an additional 8,710 were checked for previous years. Checks are conducted on the reliability and completeness of information regarding the property status of families, the presence of additional income, land plots, and shares. In accordance with the approved inspection schedule, checks are carried out on income certificates issued for the subsidies department by the accounting departments of city enterprises. The subsidies department calculates subsidies for residents of dormitories and departmental housing across 32 organizations. A database of subsidy users living in dormitories and departmental housing has been created in the "Our Home" software complex. Subsidies for liquefied gas and solid fuel were calculated in the amount of 10.0 thousand UAH. In accordance with the requirements of current legislation, taking into account the actual use of housing and communal services measured by metering devices, a final calculation of subsidies was carried out, which made it possible to reduce the department's accounts payable by 114.3 thousand UAH. Subsidies totaling 5.7 thousand UAH were returned to citizens for the use of natural gas. In addition to implementing the generally accepted State Housing Subsidies Program, the executive committee of the Lutsk City Council and the city mayor approved documents on the calculation of additional preferential subsidies, namely: - on assigning an additional subsidy for 10 sq. m. to citizens whose families consist exclusively of persons unable to work who have no other sources of income besides social payments, and the total housing area does not exceed 70 sq. m. (decision of 07.04.1998 No. 162); - on assigning housing subsidies to families who, after the death of the owner (tenant), are unable to timely re-register ownership rights and personal accounts (item 1 of the decision of 26.02.1998 No. 91); - in 2000, a decision was adopted on assigning subsidies to citizens living in temporary residential premises (buildings) not commissioned for operation (item 1.1 of the decision of 30.11.2000 No. 632). The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Ukraine has developed a priority direction for the further provision of housing subsidies according to calculated norms in monetary form. The assignment of subsidies will depend on the number of registered persons, calculated norms for area and utility payments per person, and the average monthly family income. The protection of socially vulnerable categories of the population was discussed by the head of the labor and social protection department of the city executive committee, Yevhen Zhovtulia, the deputy head of the labor and social protection department of the city executive committee, Larysa Boyaryn, and the head of the department for social protection of persons affected by the Chornobyl disaster, Liudmyla Shelpak. The labor and social protection department has introduced regular targeted inspections of enterprises, institutions, and organizations in the city regarding compliance with labor legislation. Compliance with measures to pay off wage arrears and raise the level of remuneration has been placed under special control as the most problematic issue. Since the beginning of the year, inspections have covered 119 city enterprises of all forms of ownership; orders to eliminate identified violations were issued to the heads of 53 enterprises; 35 protocols for violations of labor legislation requirements and 8 protocols for failure to comply with order requirements were drawn up and sent to court. Since the beginning of the year, the city prosecutor's office, in the course of supervision over compliance with legislation on remuneration, has initiated 7 criminal cases against the heads of debtor enterprises. Issues of compliance with minimum social guarantees in remuneration, differentiation of wages taking into account qualifications, complexity and quality of work, timeliness of payment, and social protection of workers in harmful and dangerous working conditions are under constant control during the notification registration of collective agreements and amendments and additions to them, of which 191 have been registered since the beginning of the year. In accordance with the tasks assigned to the department, in order to ensure control over compliance with occupational safety legislation, the department monitored compliance with occupational safety legislation at city enterprises. 75 inspections of the occupational safety status of enterprises were conducted. Based on the inspection results, 75 orders were issued and 1,460 violations of occupational safety legislation were identified; the operation of 38 pieces of equipment and 24 production sites was suspended. Since the beginning of the year, 98 industrial accidents have been registered, including 1 group accident and 2 with fatal consequences. In the 9 months of 2004, 6,080 citizens applied to the department for the assignment of state social assistance. Assistance was assigned and paid to 9,191 families. 126 families were denied assistance. Under the Law of Ukraine "On State Assistance to Families with Children," 5,031 payments were assigned totaling 1,745.8 thousand UAH. In accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On State Social Assistance to Low-Income Families," 3,007 assistance payments were assigned in the department totaling 2,503.7 thousand UAH. 287 persons receive assistance in accordance with Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1192 of 02.08.2000 "On Providing Monthly Financial Assistance to a Low-Income Person Living Together with a Group I or II Disabled Person Due to a Mental Disorder..." Assistance was accrued in the amount of 71.8 thousand UAH. 553 persons receive assistance in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On State Social Assistance to Persons Disabled Since Childhood and Disabled Children" in the amount of 560.0 thousand UAH. A accounting and regulatory legal framework for recipients of social assistance has been created and is maintained. Work continues on creating a Register of recipients of benefits for war and labor veterans, veterans of internal affairs bodies, veterans of military service, rehabilitated citizens who became disabled as a result of repression or are pensioners, citizens affected by the Chornobyl catastrophe, and other categories of beneficiaries. A total of 27,642 electronic cards of beneficiaries of various categories have been opened. The social inspectors department, consisting of 4 persons, inspected the material and living conditions of 2,230 families over the 9 months of 2004 in order to determine the right to receive state social assistance and ensure control over the use of budget funds allocated for these payments. Based on the results of inspections of the material and living conditions of families who applied for social assistance as low-income families, it was recommended to deny 125 families, of which 24 refused voluntarily. 1,362 persons are registered to receive vouchers for sanatorium-resort treatment. In the 9 months of 2004, 90 persons were provided with vouchers. 101 war invalids were paid compensation for unused sanatorium vouchers in the amount of 9,844 UAH. Compensation for gasoline, repair, and technical maintenance of automobiles was paid in the amount of 24,962 UAH. 56 disabled persons received invalid wheelchairs, 72 persons received orthopedic devices, 8 persons were provided with a "Tavria" automobile, and 15 persons were placed in a boarding home. During the reporting period, the department reviewed 667 written applications, of which: state social assistance was assigned to 24 persons, material assistance was provided to 524 persons, 22 citizens were granted the status of war participant, 15 vehicles were issued and replaced, and 55 vouchers were issued for sanatorium-resort treatment. Since the beginning of 2004, 271 persons were received, who were given explanations and feasible assistance during the reception. Special attention during reception is given to war and labor veterans, combat participants, and widows of fallen war participants. Those present on the eve of the professional holiday congratulated social service workers and wished them all the best.