The transitional period, which sets new parameters of the retirement age, will begin in Russia in 2019. The adaptation will be cushioned by the smooth increase, by only six months per annum in the first few years, and the preservation of various benefits and social support measures currently in effect upon the achievement of the retirement age, such as in the payment of property and land taxes. There will be new benefits related to annual medical checks and employment guarantees.
The benefit of medical checks and increased unemployment benefit will be available for five years before the retirement age, with due account of transitional regulations. For instance, in 2024, when the retirement age will grow by three years to 58 and 63 years, respectively, the pre-retirement benefits will be given to 53-year-old women and 58-year-old men.
The five-year period is also important in cases when pensions are assigned on the grounds of age and special labor record, primarily one of employees of dangerous and harmful enterprises of the first, second, and other lists entitled to early retirement. In this case, the pre-retirement age and benefits will be provided five years before a person gets entitled to pension on those grounds. For instance, public transportation drivers with the relevant special labor record (15 years for women and 20 years for men) retire at 50 years and 55 years, respectively. This means the pre-retirement age will begin for female drivers at the age of 45 and for male drivers at the age of 50.
The retirement age of certain persons will not change in 2019 but they will still be provided with pre-retirement benefits. For instance, mothers of five children can count on benefits at the age of 45, i.e. five years before their retirement at the age of 50.
Exception will be made for tax benefits, which will be available to persons that reach the existent retirement age, i.e. 55 or 60 years, depending on sex, for most Russian citizens. Residents of the North, who retire five years before other Russians, will enjoy pre-retirement benefits at the age of 50 for women and 55 for men.
As reported earlier, the Russian Pension Fund will start working on the computer program Pre-retirees on January 1, 2019. As a result, all government agencies connected to the Unified State Social Security Information System (USSSIS) will receive up-to-date information about each person and the country as a whole in the provision of social support.