RUSSIAN BANKRUPTCY • REHABILITATION AIDS
Compensation for eligible rehabilitation aids independently purchased before 1 January 2025 is expressly listed as protected income. In bankruptcy, establish not merely an item’s medical purpose, but the legal basis of the particular compensation and the movement of funds.
Information checked on 7 September 2026. The Russian abbreviation TSR means technical rehabilitation aids. This guide concerns a payment recipient’s personal bankruptcy during asset realisation; it does not establish entitlement to reimbursement of every purchase.
Purchase before 2025
Check the purchase documents and entitlement under the earlier compensation mechanism.
Payment arrives later
The credit date does not replace the purchase date specified in the legal condition.
E-certificate
It is not a cash refund and should not be added to the bank-account balance.
Is rehabilitation-aid compensation protected in bankruptcy?
Point 23 of part 1 of Article 101 of Federal Law No. 229-FZ protects compensation for rehabilitation aids independently purchased by a person with a disability before 1 January 2025 and the corresponding services paid for with personal funds. The provision also covers specified compensation to veterans for prostheses other than dental prostheses, prosthetic and orthopaedic products and corresponding services. Verify the payment’s precise fit with the provision using the documents.
In personal bankruptcy, claim protection for that identified receipt and substantiate its basis and disputed remainder. Article 213.25 of the Bankruptcy Law governs exclusion of protected assets. Under paragraph 1 of Supreme Court Plenum Resolution No. 48, exclusion questions are handled by the financial administrator; disagreements go to the arbitrazh court conducting the bankruptcy.
Article 101 does not require the Social Fund to pay for every item purchased. First establish whether the purchase qualified and whether compensation was awarded. Then document the payment’s treatment in bankruptcy.
What changed on 1 January 2025?
The Social Fund lists two current ways of providing rehabilitation aids: provision in kind and an e-certificate. Entitlement to compensation under the earlier mechanism remains for aids purchased before 1 January 2025. Applications concerning those purchases are accepted on paper at Social Fund client offices and multifunctional public-service centres.
Advice to “buy it yourself and you will definitely be reimbursed” is therefore incorrect for a new purchase. Before buying, clarify the available mechanism, item specifications and documentation. Purchase, application and payment dates are three different events; do not substitute one for another when addressing the administrator.
What the documents should establish
| Document | What it establishes | What it does not establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase and payment records | The item, price and purchase date | Automatic entitlement to a full-price refund |
| Individual rehabilitation programme or other required document | The recommendation and aid specifications | Payment for the item or the amount of awarded compensation |
| Compensation decision, calculation or payer’s certificate | The payment’s basis and amount | That the whole sum remains after subsequent spending |
| Bank statement | The credit, sender and later transactions | The medical and legal basis without other evidence |
This is a practical evidence set for explaining the source of funds in bankruptcy, not an exhaustive benefit-application checklist. If records are missing, request copies from the seller, bank or awarding authority.
Steps after compensation is awarded
- Match the dates. List the purchase date, award date and credit date separately. Check whether the acquisition predates 2025.
- Confirm the awarded amount. Use the amount in the decision and statement. Do not substitute the item’s original price if a different amount was awarded.
- Notify the administrator in writing. Identify the bankruptcy case, the point 23 basis, amount and account. Attach evidence and ask for an arrangement to access the protected funds.
- Keep the transaction trail. If transfers occurred between your accounts, attach statements covering the whole chain. Avoid unnecessarily mixing the receipt with other money.
- Resolve disagreements through the proper procedure. If protection is not recognised, obtain written reasons and take the evidence to the bankruptcy court. A request does not automatically suspend distributions.
How an e-certificate differs from compensation
According to the Social Fund’s explanation, certificate funds are reserved with the Treasury and the Mir card acts as an identifier. Payment goes to the seller when a purchase is made. The face value is not an ordinary account credit; unused differences cannot be withdrawn as cash.
If the card is restricted during bankruptcy, arrange lawful targeted payment with the administrator, bank and Social Fund. Do not open an account on your own or use someone else’s card to bypass the procedure. Holding a certificate does not require the administrator to pay its face value to you in money.
Illustration: an earlier purchase and a later payment
A rehabilitation aid was bought in December 2024, while awarded compensation arrives during bankruptcy. To assess point 23, provide evidence of the pre-2025 purchase, the compensation decision and account statement. A later credit does not turn the acquisition into a new one. If the purchase occurred in 2025, the transfer cannot be brought under this point merely by calling it rehabilitation-aid compensation.
This is a teaching example, not a specific case. It does not establish entitlement without checking the other award conditions.
If compensation has already been withheld
Determine whether only access is restricted, funds have moved to the debtor’s main account, or money has already been distributed. Request the transaction basis and give the administrator the award documents. With a mixed balance, trace how much of the documented compensation remains.
Do not assume automatic repayment: the next claim depends on the transaction and its participants. If distribution is imminent, interim protection needs separate assessment. Do not conceal the receipt or send it to relatives to circumvent the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does payment in 2026 mean protection has been lost?
Point 23 ties the relevant boundary to the purchase, not simply the year of the account credit. Verify the purchase date, payment purpose and documents; a later receipt does not itself remove the protection basis.
Does the rule cover every prosthesis or medical product?
No. The compensation must be of the type specified in the provision. In particular, its reference to veterans’ prostheses expressly excludes dental prostheses. Do not extend the point to every medical purchase.
Can I receive the full certificate value in cash?
No. The certificate is a targeted mechanism for paying a seller, not freely available account funds. Do not include its face value in a request for cash compensation.
Does protected compensation let me open an account myself?
During asset realisation, the general prohibition on the debtor personally opening accounts applies. This type of compensation does not itself remove it. Agree the receipt procedure with the administrator and bank.
Related topic: compensation for travel to treatment has its own legal basis and evidence.
Need to substantiate protected compensation?
At an initial consultation, we can review the purchase and payment dates, compensation decision, bank statement and financial administrator’s position.
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