Pension indexation from January 1 and payday: important news for pensioners

Every year, the Government of the Russian Federation indexes benefits for a number of categories of citizens. In 2026, many payments are expected to increase, including insurance pensions that will increase by 7.6% from January 1. The fixed payment will increase from 8.9 thousand rubles to 9.5 thousand rubles. For more information about the indexation of pensions and other benefits in 2026, as well as when to expect a pension in December 2025, see the Izvestia article.

Indexation of the insurance pension on January 1: what is known

Starting from January 1, 2026, insurance pensions will be indexed. The increase will amount to 7.6% and will apply to all categories of recipients, including working pensioners. The cost of one pension coefficient will also be increased. It will reach 156.76 rubles, and the fixed payment will amount to 9584.69 rubles. Alexey Govyrin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (United Russia faction), told TASS about this in an interview.

According to government estimates, the average old-age insurance pension will rise to 27 thousand rubles.

Pension payment for January 2026: when to expect accruals

Due to the long New Year holidays, some pensioners will receive their January payments as early as the end of December 2025. This is due to the fact that banks and Russian Post will not work in the first days of January. Because of this, the pension accrual dates for the first days of the month have been postponed to the end of December.

Changing the pension calculation day is regulated by law, as Svetlana Bessarab, a member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs, previously told Izvestia. All payments to employees or pensioners, if they are paid on holidays or weekends, are postponed to the last working day.

Two pensions in December 2025: who is entitled to a double payment

Some retirees will receive an indexed payout at the end of 2025.

"Thus, for those pensioners or workers who are used to receiving pensions, wages, or any payments between January 1 and January 11, payments for these citizens will be made no later than December 30, that is, the last working day on the eve of weekends and holidays," Bessarab said.

Indexed pensions will arrive in the interval from December 22 to December 30: post offices are scheduled to issue them on December 25-30, and those who receive money on bank cards — from December 22 to December 29, depending on the bank and regional schedule.

In 2025-2026, Russians will rest longer than usual. December 31, 2025, will be the first day off, and the New Year holidays will last until January 11, 2026.

Indexation of benefits in 2026: who will be affected

In addition to the insurance pension, the indexation will affect other benefits.:

— military pension. At the beginning of 2026, the cash allowance ratio will increase to 93.59%. An additional increase is expected to be made in October 2026.;

— a one-time allowance for the birth of a child. Starting from February 1, the payment amount will be 28,773 rubles, it will be increased from 26,931 rubles.;

— monthly child care allowance for up to one and a half years. The minimum amount will be 10,790 rubles, and the maximum amount for insured persons will be 83 thousand rubles.;

— maternity capital. The payment for the first child will amount to 737,204 rubles (690,266 in 2025). If the family did not receive a payment for the first child, then it will receive 974,189 rubles for the second (912,162 rubles in 2025);

— maternity payments for working mothers. The maximum amount (for multiple pregnancies) will increase to 1.3 million rubles. The total amount for a normal birth (140 days) will be 955,836 rubles, for complicated (156 days) 1,065,074 rubles.;

— monthly payments to veterans, the disabled, and other categories of recipients. The indexation will be 6.8%.