Veteran Status and Categories
The Georgian law on veterans establishes categories of veterans of war and of the defence forces. The law defines veterans of the Second World War and persons equalized with them; veterans of combat operations on the territory of other states and persons equalized with them; veterans of combat operations for the territorial integrity, freedom and independence of Georgia and persons equalized with them; and veterans of the defence forces. The precise determination of status matters, because it is the category that decides which rights and benefits apply to a particular person and which document is needed to confirm them.
The institution of equalized persons creates a legal bridge: the law places them on an equal footing with veterans of the corresponding category and thereby widens the circle of protection to persons who themselves participated in or served the needs of combat operations. In practice, an incorrect determination of the category is often the very reason for the refusal of benefits, which is why legal support in establishing status is worthwhile.
The Social Protection of Veterans
The social protection of veterans comprises pension provision in accordance with the Georgian law on the state pension and other social protection guarantees in accordance with Georgian legislation. This means that pension questions for veterans are resolved under the general pension legislation, while the remaining guarantees flow from other normative acts. The social protection measures for veterans of the defence forces are separately determined by Georgian legislation: the law sets a distinct regime for this group, and the activation of the corresponding benefits rests on that legislation.
It is important that the concrete forms of social protection — state and municipal benefits — are regulated by separate acts, and their circle of recipients is defined by the veteran's category. If a person is refused any benefit, the grounds of that refusal can be verified precisely within the framework of this legislation.