The subject of this study is social security legislation, the practice of its application and judicial practice. When a social risk arises, people require support and turn to the state for social payments, benefits and services. However, realizing these rights is often difficult. Social security legislation is very complex and subject to frequent changes. There is no Social Security Code. All this complicates the practical application of the legal provisions. Statistics show that citizens consider judicial protection of their rights to be the most effective. The purpose of the article is to identify problems in the social security legislation application through the study of the legislation itself, the practice of its application and judicial practice. The methodology of the study includes general scientific methods - analysis, system approach as well as special methods – comparative-legal, formal-legal.

The main results. Theoretical problems in the social security law application stem from the lack of a unified scientific approach to the scope, principles, and terminology of this area of law. Consequently, legislation develops chaotically. Practical problems stem from the fact that agencies providing pensions, benefits, social services must guarantee a uniform approach to each case, but they do not always do so. In cases of violations, courts correct deficiencies in the provision of social security through their decisions. However, the example of the provision of a social service – sanatorium treatment – shows that judicial practice is not always uniform itself. The final decision is made by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, which identifies shortcomings in legislation and its application and corrects the legal mechanism for protecting against social risks. The article also examines changes to the procedure for determining liability and compensating for moral damages. Social security legislation does not directly provide for compensation for moral damages. However, if the denial of social benefits or a significant reduction in their amount is due to the fault of the authorized body, compensation for moral damages is now possible. The court when making a decision takes into account the nature of the violated right (the right to a dignified life, to an adequate standard of living), the individual characteristics of the plaintiffs (age, marital status), the degree of culpability of the body, and the period during which the violations occurred.