Pensioners with minimal benefits will receive an automatic additional 5,000 rubles.
Starting January 1, 2026, Russia will implement a federal social supplement to pensions to ensure that unemployed pensioners receive a minimum monthly pension equivalent to the federal subsistence level. This supplement aims to top up any pension amount below this subsistence threshold to guarantee a minimum standard of living for non-working pensioners.
The social supplement works as follows:
- If a pensioner’s income, including their basic pension, is below the regional subsistence level, a social supplement is paid to raise their total pension to that level.
- The supplement can be provided either by regional authorities or the federal government. If the regional subsistence level is lower than the federal level, federal funds cover the difference.
- Pensioners in Moscow and the Moscow region must apply through local digital services, social funds, or multifunctional centers ("My Documents"). Pensioners in other Russian regions can apply through the government portal Gosuslugi.
Eligibility for the supplement is based on monthly income being below the regional living minimum. Once approved, the assignment of the supplement will occur within 5 working days after the fund receives all necessary information through a single digital platform.
The innovations aim to spare pensioners the necessity of running around various offices, particularly beneficial for mobility-impaired citizens and those living in rural areas. If a pensioner finds official employment, the supplement will be suspended. However, it will resume from the first day of the following month after dismissal or a decrease in income.
Additionally, the government has approved choices on how funded pension payments can be received starting in 2026, including options for lifetime monthly payments.
This new supplement mechanism aims to provide a guaranteed financial safety net for non-working pensioners, maintaining their income above a federally established subsistence minimum nationwide from 2026 onward. The Social Fund of Russia will determine the right to the supplement and calculate it automatically for eligible pensioners.
[1] Source: Government of the Russian Federation website [3] Source: Russian Government Regulation No. 1327-r dated December 29, 2023
