Living old age

Tatyana Golikova outlined pension prospects for deputies

The average Russian pensioner in 2020 will be much wealthier than today. The program for eliminating poverty among citizens who have reached retirement age was the first to be assessed by future pensioners from the State Duma, who were told yesterday by the Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova about the material prospects of a well-deserved rest.

The new program developed by the ministry identified the so-called “development targets” of the pension system for the period until 2020. And it provides, as you might guess, another increase in pensions. The goal for the near future is to increase the average labor pension to 2.5 times the subsistence minimum. And the maximum program is the creation of the necessary conditions for receiving an old-age pension at the level of 40% of previous earnings. It is expected that the introduction of “full contributions” to pension insurance will help accumulate a sufficient amount of funds in the accounts of the Pension Fund. Unlike the unified social tax, which is planned to be abolished from January 1, 2010, the insurance contribution is of a reimbursable nature and is equivalent to subsequent payments.

The mechanisms for achieving the set goals will be very diverse, which will make it possible to specifically influence the financial situation of individual groups of pensioners. Thus, a new indicator is being introduced - the minimum level of financial support for a pensioner. He will set the lower limit of the pension. As Tatyana Golikova told the deputies, this parameter will be of particular importance for citizens whose level of pension provision after all recalculations will remain below the subsistence level. A targeted social supplement will be established for them, which is supposed to be allocated from the federal budget or the budget of a constituent entity of the federation.

But the main thing, Ms. Golikova believes, is that the insurance mechanisms of the pension system as a whole should be significantly strengthened. Over time, the funded part will “outweigh” the base part and become the basis for future payments. And from 2015, it is planned to establish the dependence of the size of the basic component of the old-age labor pension on the length of the insurance period at the time of its appointment. Tatyana Golikova clearly demonstrated how this would look in practice. Thus, the base part of the average labor pension next year will be equal to 2,448 rubles, and in 2010 - 2,928 rubles. At the same time, the insurance portion for the year will increase from 2,773 rubles. up to 5018 rub. In general, the labor pension will thus increase by 2,725 rubles.

Recipients of social pensions will also face changes. There are currently 2.4 million people in the country receiving this type of benefit. Together they receive 128.8 billion rubles. per year. By the end of next year, the social pension will be equal to the living wage of a pensioner and will amount to 4,176 rubles, which will require an increase in funding by 16.4 billion rubles. According to calculations by experts from the Ministry of Health and Social Development, by 2020 the average amount of this type of payment will reach 9,969 rubles. per month.

But still, the main focus of the new pension system is on actively working and earning citizens. The program of the Ministry of Health and Social Development speaks of the need to stimulate the personal initiative of Russians in the formation of additional pension savings. For example, in non-state pension funds. It is planned to provide state management companies with wider investment opportunities in order to increase the profitability of pension savings. If all these possibilities are realized, the average old-age labor pension by 2020 will approach 27 thousand rubles. per month.

Galina PAPERNAYA