Ways to solve the main problems of social protection of the low-income youth (on the example of the Penza Region)

The article considers the reasons for the social inequality of the poor youth and for the quality and standard of living of the low-income youth on the example of the Penza Region. The authors emphasize that the instability of the contemporary society especially affects the financial situation of young families - under uncertainty, it is difficult for them to maintain a decent lifestyle. The article aims at identifying the main problems in the system of social protection of the low-income youth at the regional level. The article is based on the results of the monitoring conducted in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 to identify the main problems in the field of social protection of the low-income youth in the Penza Region. The authors used quantitative (mass survey) and qualitative (focus groups, expert interviews) methods and the data of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Penza Region. It turned out that the majority of low-income young people adhere to a passive strategy in terms of improving their income level and show dependent attitudes towards the state. The main problems of social protection of the youth in the Penza Region are a poor system for accepting documents to confirm the status of ‘low-income’ and providing social benefits to young people; the limited social-support programs for improving the quality of life of the younger generation; unjustified expectations of the youth from the current system of social protection. The revealed difficult financial situation of the youth in the region explains the need for a further study of the social protection system for the low-income youth in the Penza Region, in particular, of unequal access to socially oriented programs. The results of the study can be used for developing regional and municipal programs for the social protection of the low-income youth.