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- They will be extended: the State Duma proposed to change the rules for paying benefits to pre-retirees
They will be extended: the State Duma proposed to change the rules for paying benefits to pre-retirees
The rules for paying unemployment benefits to pre-retirees may be changed, such a proposal was made in the State Duma. Parliamentarians want benefits to be awarded to citizens of pre-retirement age up to the time of their employment or retirement. Such a legislative norm will increase the burden on the budget, experts warn.However, the amount of payments will not allow you to intentionally live on benefits alone. Whether the measure will support pre—retirees is in the Izvestia article.
Helping those in need
The approach to paying unemployment benefits to citizens of pre-retirement age is proposed to be changed. They want to provide state support to pre-retirees right up to the moment of their employment or retirement. This proposal was put forward by deputies of the Fair Russia — For Truth party. Parliamentarians the draft law has been submitted to the State Duma.
The document proposes amendments to the Federal Law "On Employment in the Russian Federation," the party's press service said.
Citizens of pre-retirement age are those who have five or fewer years left before retirement. The status of a pre-pensioner can be formalized. A special state service allows you to find out about the onset of a suitable age, thanks to which a person can immediately begin to enjoy the benefits prescribed by law.
In particular, pre-retirees who have lost their jobs receive unemployment benefits. However, now the period of their provision cannot exceed 12 months in total. Russians who were dismissed for any reason in the last year before their official registration with the employment authorities can apply for state support.
Also among the preferences available to this group of citizens are protected employment (administrative and criminal liability is threatened for the wrongful dismissal of a citizen in this status), the annual right to two paid days for medical examinations and the right to free retraining (a scholarship in the amount of the minimum wage is required).
Additionally, citizens of pre-retirement age have access to benefits for housing and communal services and taxes, as well as free travel, similar to the preferences available to pensioners.
Despite the benefits, people of pre-retirement age are one of the most vulnerable categories of citizens, explained the leader of the Fair Russia — For Truth party, Sergei Mironov. Such Russians are more likely to receive salary cuts, and they are the first candidates for dismissal. And it can be very difficult to find a new job. The proposed measure will increase the social security of pre-retirees.
The parliamentarian is convinced that there will be no abuses by citizens during the implementation of the new norm.
"No one will voluntarily stay out of work — you can't live on benefits, and you need work experience for a normal pension. But the allowance can be an important measure of support in a difficult life situation for the least protected citizens," Mironov stressed.
A modest offer
With the adoption of the initiative, the amount of benefits for pre-retirees will remain within the current norms, since the bill does not change the amount, but only extends the payment period, said Sean Betrozov, a practicing lawyer at the Moscow Chamber of Lawyers and a member of the Russian Bar Association.
— The calculation for those who have worked for at least 26 weeks over the past year is 75% of the average earnings in the first three months, 60% in the next four months, and 45% further, but not above the maximum. For those dismissed for violations or those who have not worked for a year, this is only the minimum amount," the expert explains. The final amount may also be affected by regional coefficients.
Currently, the minimum unemployment benefit is only 1,500 rubles, recalls Denis Sommer, a member of the central council of the independent trade union Novy Trud.
— The maximum, even if your salary was, for example, about 400 thousand, will still be about 12 thousand rubles. This is significantly less than the minimum wage," the Izvestia source points out.
It is quite difficult to call such a benefit something that can fully support the life of an adult over a long distance, especially taking into account inflationary interests, he believes. However, this money can be useful to a person who is out of work.
The benefits can be a good support, but their effectiveness is significantly limited, Betrozov confirms. Even the maximum amount is not enough to fully replace the salary, especially for those who previously had a high income.
Unclaimed specialists
Extending payments to employment or retirement will strengthen the financial stability of pre-retirees, but will not solve the problem of low demand for this category of citizens in the labor market, Sean Betrozov draws attention. He cites statistics from the Higher School of Economics, according to which 23.6% of employers consider applicants of pre-retirement age to be insufficiently qualified.
On average, job seekers aged 55-65 undergo from five to seven interviews, which takes from one to three months before receiving a real offer, notes Timofey Mazurchuk, associate professor of the Department of Industry Markets at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
In this regard, this category of the population needs to be supported, Farida Mirzabalayeva, Associate Professor of the Basic Department of the CCI of the Russian Federation "Human Resource Management" at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, is convinced. It is important to understand that the labor market in different regions has different capacities. Employment does not always depend on the desire of a pre-pensioner, there may simply not be suitable jobs in the region.
However, recently, the stereotypes about hiring people of pre-retirement age that exist in the labor market are gradually breaking down, the Izvestia interlocutor clarifies.
— In conditions of a shortage of personnel, they are becoming more in demand, therefore, it is necessary to strengthen an active policy towards the employment of older age groups, which can make a significant contribution to the development of the country, she emphasizes.
Serious motivation
Nevertheless, for now, pre-retirees in the labor market remain even more vulnerable than those who are looking for work for the first time, says Vadim Kovrigin, Deputy director of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law at the Moscow State Pedagogical University. At the same time, most of these applicants are very motivated.
— The majority of citizens of pre-retirement age, if their health permits, as a rule, try to continue their habitual work. Many of them do not stop working even after retirement. Therefore, there is no real risk of abuse of state support here," Denis Sommer is convinced.
The norm, which makes payments potentially indefinite, can reduce the motivation of pre-retirees to find work only if the amount of the benefit is close to the subsistence level or the person has a little time left before retirement, says Sean Betrozov.
Additional costs
When adopting the bill, it is important to take into account that the burden on the budget will increase, as the extension of payments will increase the total amount of funds allocated for benefits, warns Sean Betrozov.
— The financial and economic justification recognizes the need for additional appropriations, but does not specify the exact amounts and sources. For example, if we assume that 17.5% of the unemployed (pre—retirees) are about 120 thousand people out of 688 thousand registered unemployed (according to Rosstat data for 2024), and the average benefit is 8 thousand rubles, then each additional month of payments in excess of the current norms will add about 960 million rubles to the burden. This could amount to billions of rubles in a year, which would require a reallocation of the budget or new sources of financing not specified in the project," the expert suggests.
Such an initiative can become a very serious burden for the budget, Vadim Kovrigin confirms. Many pre-retirees, having reached this status, do not go to work and live either on savings or thanks to the support of their children. The state will have to pay benefits to all of them if they apply accordingly.
To solve this problem, the procedure for calculating state support will most likely require registration and confirmation of real employment efforts, Timofey Mazurchuk believes. At the same time, the allowance itself will cover only the basic needs of a citizen, therefore, although for many it may become additional support, not everyone will see the need for this measure, he summarizes.
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