INCOME · SOCIAL BENEFITS · DOCUMENTS
The word “donor” in a bank statement does not determine whether the money can be retained. Identify its legal basis first: an annual honorary donor benefit, retained average earnings for donation-related days off, or another payment.
Legal sources checked: 6 September 2026. This article concerns Russian law and the bankruptcy of the recipient, not the medical organisation or employer.
Social benefit
Use an award document to identify the annual honorary donor benefit.
Average earnings
Employer-paid donation leave is considered separately from social support.
Source of funds
The legal basis, payer and specific transfer matter, not just a donor certificate.
What can be retained in bankruptcy?
Articles 23–24 of Federal Law No. 125-FZ establish the annual honorary donor payment as a social support measure. Its protection is assessed under Article 101(1)(6) of Federal Law No. 229-FZ, concerning annual and monthly benefits for specified categories of citizens. This is a legal basis for protecting that particular benefit, not all money received by a donor.
An employer’s payment under Article 186 of the Labour Code is retained average earnings. It is considered with employment income when determining the funds the debtor may receive for living expenses. See salary during bankruptcy. The payment’s name does not itself create complete protection.
Distinguish the different payments
| Payment | What to check | Practical action |
|---|---|---|
| Annual federal honorary donor benefit | Award decision, Law No. 125-FZ, payer and transfer | Give the administrator supporting evidence and a request concerning the specific amount |
| Average earnings for donation-related days off | Payslip and employer’s statement | Account for it with employment income when determining the amount available to the debtor |
| Regional or municipal incentive | Name of the benefit and the legislation establishing it | Assess its legal nature separately; do not automatically apply the conclusion for the federal benefit |
| Payment instead of meals or for a paid donation | Medical organisation’s document and payment basis | Separate it from the annual social benefit and check the applicable rules |
Before the money arrives
- Obtain the award document. A donor certificate proves status but does not explain every payment into your account.
- Tell the financial administrator. State the expected date, payer and type of payment. Ask for written clarification of how you can receive the money during your procedure.
- Retain a bank statement after receipt. Keep the date, amount and payment reference. Ask the payer to clarify an abbreviated description.
- Separate combined payments. Ask the employer for a breakdown of ordinary pay, retained average earnings and other amounts.
During asset realisation, the financial administrator initially deals with exclusion of protected property and payments. Disagreements can be referred to the arbitrazh court handling the bankruptcy case: Article 213.25(3) and paragraph 1 of Supreme Court Plenum Resolution No. 48. Withdrawing funds in disregard of the restrictions is not a substitute for following this procedure.
If the money is already unavailable
First establish why: restrictions on using the account during bankruptcy, a deduction in enforcement proceedings, or a transfer to the financial administrator. Address the request to the participant whose action needs to be reviewed. Within the bankruptcy case, attach evidence to a written request to the administrator and, if a dispute remains, to an application for resolution of the disagreement.
Identify the payment date and amount, payer, legal basis, case number and the action sought. For example, ask for the treatment of the annual social benefit to be established, for the disputed amount not to be distributed while the issue is resolved, and for the procedure for receiving it to be explained. If funds have already been distributed, the actions taken and the available remedy need separate assessment. Submitting a request does not itself guarantee that distribution will be suspended.
Do not route funds through relatives to evade the procedure. This complicates evidence of their origin and creates no new ground for protection. See notifying a bank about bankruptcy.
Illustrative example: two different transfers
An employee who is an honorary donor receives two payments in one month: a social benefit from the authority administering it and payment for donation-related leave from the employer. The employee supplies an award document for the first and a payslip for the second.
It would be a mistake to request exclusion of both simply because they relate to blood donation. Separate their legal bases: retained average earnings are assessed with employment income, taking account of living-expense funds available to the debtor; the social benefit is justified separately. This illustrates how to organise evidence, not a promised outcome in an individual case.
Frequently asked questions
Does honorary donor status protect my entire salary?
No. Status and the purpose of a particular payment are different matters. Salary does not become an annual social benefit.
Should I provide evidence if the administrator already knows my status?
Provide the award document and bank statement for the particular receipt. They establish the amount and payer and help distinguish it from other income.
Is every payment from a blood transfusion centre protected?
No. It may have a different legal basis. Ask the medical organisation for documentation and check the applicable rule rather than relying solely on the sender’s name.
Is opening a separate bank account enough?
No. A separate account does not itself change the treatment of the funds. During asset realisation, the general rule is that the debtor cannot personally open bank accounts or receive money through them. The arrangements must be addressed with the financial administrator under Article 213.25. Donor status alone is not an exception.
Compare sick pay during bankruptcy: the purpose of a payment affects the arrangements for receiving it.
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