Special Provisions

Under Law No. 118/1990, monthly benefits are provided to former prisoners of war who were deported to the Soviet Union, political prisoners who opposed the communist regime, and individuals who were relocated or forced into residence restrictions.

Laws No. 130 and 232 of 2020 expanded eligibility to include the children of these individuals if the direct beneficiaries are deceased.

The law stipulates that each war or political prisoner, as well as each person who was deported, is entitled to a monthly allowance of 700 lei for each year spent in captivity, prison, or forced relocation. For those who were forced into restricted residence or sent to psychiatric institutions, the monthly allowance is 350 lei.

The allowance amount for children depends on their date of birth. A child is eligible for the full amount if they were born or were a minor during the time their parent was in captivity, relocation, or forced residence. Descendants born after these periods are entitled to half of the above allowance. Children of individuals who passed away while in captivity, prison, or under forced residence can expect a monthly compensation of 500 lei. (For example, if an applicant was a minor while their father spent three years in Soviet captivity, they are eligible for a monthly allowance of 2,100 lei.)

In addition to the financial support, the law offers other benefits, such as exemption from local taxes, free public transportation, one free annual spa treatment, among others.

Applicants must submit supporting documents (such as death, birth, or marriage certificates, military records, court or compensation decisions, personal ID, bank statements, etc.) to the Social Payments and Inspection Agency, which has 90 days to process applications. A copy of the decision is sent to the applicant, while another is forwarded to the County Pension Fund, responsible for calculating and disbursing the benefits.

In practice, due to high demand, it may take six to eight months for applicants to receive their first monthly payment. Processing times may be further delayed if the application file is incomplete and requires additional documentation. Missing documents are often requested if names appear inconsistently across documents, requiring either a notarized statement of identity or a certificate from the Linguistic Institute.

Since eligibility begins the month following the application date, applicants typically receive several months of backdated compensation with the first payment.

Decisions can be appealed within 30 days of notification at the county court.

Application forms and declarations are available for download on the agency’s website and may be submitted online or in person. The good news is that applications can be filed at any time—there is no deadline for submission!