Retirement puzzle: how the funded pension will change in 2026
The Russian government has submitted to the State Duma a bill that provides for maintaining the expected period of payment of a funded pension for 2026 unchanged at 270 months. This decision affects hundreds of thousands of pensioners, forming the amount of monthly funded pension payments. Experts explain to Izvestia the details of the changes, the criteria for forming payments, and who should prepare for the new procedure for calculating funded pensions.
What is the saved period?
The government has submitted to the State Duma a bill that sets the expected period of payment of a funded pension, used to calculate its size, for 2026, lasting 270 months. Maintaining the expected period of payment of a funded pension at 270 months is a balanced decision that guarantees the stability of monthly payments for citizens in the face of changing demographics, explains Senator Olga Epifanova, arbitration administrator of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.
"This approach reflects real life expectancy indicators and ensures predictability of the state's pension obligations," says the legislator. — It is important that the bill preserves the rights of recipients of funded pensions, creating transparent and understandable pension conditions for the coming years.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and the Social Fund. The press service of the Ministry of Labor reported that the bill proposes to keep the expected payment period at the level of last year — 270 months. At the same time, the indicator "expected payment period" is used only when calculating the amount of monthly payment of a funded pension.
— The essence of this indicator is simple: the amount of pension savings is divided by the number of months of the expected period. The longer this period, the lower the monthly payment for the same amount of savings, — says the head of the SDK "Garant" Tatiana Esaulkova. — In 2025 and 2026, the expected period was and will be 270 months (22.5 years) instead of 264 months in 2021-2024 (22 years).
Ilya Mosyagin, Senior lecturer at the Institute of International Economic Relations, emphasizes that maintaining the period at the current level ensures stability and predictability for both the Pension Fund budget and the pensioners themselves.
Why 270 months?
Alexander Safonov, ex-Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development, professor at the Financial University, points out that the decision to save the period is related to the forecast of life expectancy after retirement and the number of insured men and women.
— According to the assessment methodology, the estimated period for 2026 was 275 months, but the established ceiling standard does not allow exceeding 270 months, — says Tatiana Esaulkova. — Therefore, the bill proposes to keep the current deadline so that payments do not decrease by extending the period.
The factor of average life expectancy statistics is the main one in the calculations, and the legislation sets the maximum limit, Ilya Mosyagin adds.
"This is a natural reaction of the pension system to an improvement in the quality of life and an increase in life expectancy," explains Sergey Belyakov, President of the NAPF.
Who is eligible for a funded pension and how to find out its amount
Men who have reached the age of 60 and women who have reached the age of 55 have the right to receive a funded pension, provided they have pension savings, explains Sergey Belyakov.
— Pension savings were formed in the period from 2002 to 2014, when employers deducted 6% of salary to savings accounts. Since 2014, new receipts have been frozen, but the accumulated funds continue to be managed by the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and non—governmental pension funds (NPFs)," he says.
Alexander Safonov clarifies that in order to receive an insurance pension, you must have at least 15 years of experience and at least 30 pension points. Citizens with a funded pension can receive payments for life if the capital exceeds 10% of the pensioner's subsistence level. Otherwise, the payment is made as a lump sum.
There are several ways to find out the amount of a funded pension: through Public Services, a personal account on the Social Fund's website, or through NPFs, if the funds are saved there.
— It is important to note that there are options in which savings can be transferred to a Long—term Savings Program (LDS) and gain more control over the timing and amounts of payments, - adds Sergey Belyakov.
If a funded pension is kept in a Social Fund, then you can contact its branches or the MFC, and when transferring funds to NPFs, contact them directly, explains Alexander Safonov.
How does changing the period affect payouts?
The change in the period for the coming year is minimal, says RUDN University expert Andrey Girinsky.
— This is positive for pensioners, as the payment period is increasing. But the amount of monthly payments directly depends on the accumulated amount," he continues. — If, for example, the amount of savings is 500 thousand rubles, then for a period of 270 months the monthly payment will be about 1,851 rubles.
Oleg Nikolaev, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, adds that most often a funded pension comes out small and if it is less than 10% of the subsistence minimum, citizens are paid a lump sum.
— Inheritance of the remainder of a lifetime pension is not provided, — he notes. — It is important for recipients of the funded part to understand this.
Recommendations for pensioners
The bill, which sets the period of payment of a funded pension for 270 months in 2026, is designed to maintain stability in calculating monthly payments and takes into account life expectancy statistics, sums up Ilya Mosyagin.
"The right to a pension remains with citizens who have accumulated savings before 2015, and they can receive information through convenient and transparent channels," he adds.
Pensioners and future retirees should closely monitor their savings and, if necessary, consult with funds or through government services, advises Alina Zobnina, lawyer at the Peregontsev and Partners bureau.
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