A residential house will be checked for suitability for living before purchase using maternity capital

To purchase a house, part of a house, or a townhouse with maternity capital, a certificate confirming its suitability for living will be required. These changes to the law on family support were adopted by the State Duma on December 12.
Federal Law No. 495-FZ of December 26, 2024, “On Amending Article 8 of the Federal Law ‘On Additional Measures of State Support for Families with Children'” establishes that an application for the use of maternity capital funds may be denied if there is no conclusion confirming that the residential property, including a house or a townhouse, meets the requirements for residential premises and is suitable for living.
These provisions do not apply to individuals who submitted applications to the Social Fund of Russia (SFR) before the law came into effect. The Federal Law comes into force on January 1, 2025.
Maternity capital holders often use state support to purchase residential houses. However, in some cases, these houses turn out to be unfit for living, as noted in the explanatory note to the bill. The changes are intended to reduce the number of cases where certificate holders are deceived or where funds are illegally withdrawn through fraudulent schemes.