Count for yourself

Russian women are recommended to independently control the indexation of “maternity” benefits

On Friday morning, State Duma deputies managed to fulfill some of the wishes voiced by President Vladimir Putin a little later at an extended meeting of the State Council. The President has not yet had time to once again emphasize that “it is very important that today’s pensioners and disabled people receive decent pensions and benefits,” and in the lower house they were already operating with specific figures. Legislators introduced amendments to the budget in the first reading, providing for an increase in a number of social benefits.

As Tatyana Golikova, Minister of Health and Social Development, explained in her speech, the need to edit the federal budget until 2010 , as well as the budgets of the Social Insurance Fund (FSS) and the Pension Fund, is caused by the adjustment of basic social payments. All of them should increase by the value of the consumer price index, that is, by an average of 8.5%.

Separately, Ms. Golikova focused on increasing the budget of the Social Insurance Fund, since it is this fund that is responsible for paying child benefits. “The total amount of expenses that the budget system spends on these types of benefits, taking into account the increase, will amount to 101.1 billion rubles, of which 60.1 billion rubles. -- expenses of the Social Insurance Fund," Ms. Golikova noted. From January 1 of this year, from these funds, child care benefits for children up to one and a half years old, a lump sum allowance for the birth of a child, and maternity benefits for women will be indexed, those dismissed due to the liquidation of the organization will receive a one-time allowance when placing a child in foster care. And from January 2009, as the minister assured, a one-time allowance for pregnant wives of conscripts and a monthly allowance for the child of conscripts will also be indexed.

As Andrei Abramov, acting chairman of the Social Insurance Fund, explained to the deputies, the costs of paying maternity benefits were determined taking into account new macroeconomic indicators and the projected increase in the birth rate. In 2008, they will amount to more than 36 billion rubles, that is, almost 7 billion more than provided for by the previously adopted budget. Costs for temporary disability benefits will also increase.

Deputies voted unanimously to amend the FSS budget. This was quite expected, although the amendments, as noted by Galina Karelova, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, “were developed and considered very quickly.” In a conversation with a Vremya Novostey correspondent, Ms. Karelova, who, as the head of the Social Insurance Fund until the end of last year, was responsible for the payment of benefits, emphasized that the budget changes will take effect from January 1, and, therefore, all payments already made this year will be after the adoption of the law as a whole “must be adjusted.” “The entire block of bills considered is a response to the president’s social initiatives and to new data on changes in the consumer price index,” the deputy explained the haste to increase benefits.

After the State Duma considers the bill in the second and third readings on February 15 and the indexation is endorsed by Vladimir Putin, the one-time benefit for the birth of a child in Russia will be 8,680 rubles. The amount of monthly child care benefits for children under the age of one and a half years will also change. The minimum will be 1627.5 rubles. for the first child and 3255 for the second and subsequent children. The maximum can reach 40% of salary before maternity leave, but not more than 6,510 rubles. per month. Citizens who are not subject to compulsory social insurance will also receive an increased monthly allowance for child care up to one and a half years old.

The recalculation of the amount of payments is the responsibility of employers and social protection authorities, and it will begin immediately after the amendments enter into force, the FSS press service explained. Legislators have not established an exact time frame within which the recount should be carried out. “But we recommend that citizens receiving social money pay close attention to the changes and independently monitor the recalculation,” the Social Insurance Fund told a Vremya Novostey correspondent.

Galina PAPERNAYA