The Social Fund of Russia and Rostelecom have announced the results of the 11th nationwide competition of retirees' personal achievements in the area of computer literacy, Thank You, Internet 2025. This year, 5,700 retirees and pre-retirement age people from 79 regions of Russia took part in it.
Motherhood is a special stage in life, filled with joy, care and, naturally, some difficulties. It is extremely important for the government to provide all the conditions required to fully cover the women's needs. Social benefits play an important role here, helping mothers feel more confident in their role and build a happy future for their families. In light of the approaching Mother's Day, we talk about the key benefits provided by the Social Fund to support mothers.
At today's upper chamber meeting, senators reviewed the Fund's draft income and expenses for the next year and approved the proposed budget parameters.
The Social Fund's draft budget for the next year provides RUB 25.9 billion in payments for extra days off for parents of disabled children. The current rules allow for up to four such paid days off per month. Both parents can take them, distributing the days between them as they see fit, provided that they both work. Each parent is also entitled to accumulate 24 additional days off.
Over the last three years, the Communication Centers for Seniors project has truly become a nation-wide network that brought 'silver age' people together. Over 940 such centers opened, welcoming 1.5 million visitors. In the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, this project gains a particular importance. Head of the Social Fund, Sergey Chirkov, announced that at a meeting of the federal party project attended by Senator Galina Karelova.
Since the start of the year, the Social Fund has reimbursed SMO veterans RUB 187 million for travel to rehabilitation centers and back. 11,000 former servicemen received their payments. Travel expenses for virtually all modes of transportation are reimbursed: rail, air, motor road, etc.
The Social Fund of Russia introduced electronic retiree's certificates. This is the next step in an ambitious program to digitalize the social sector, designed to make receiving benefits and services as fast and easy as possible. The new electronic certificate with a QR code has become a full-fledged alternative to plastic cards and is available from a retiree's personal account on the Gosuslugi Portal.
Starting January 1, 2026, the pilot project's geography will expand from 6 to 22 Russian regions. The new project territories are: Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kirov, Kostroma, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Penza, Tomsk and Yaroslavl regions, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republic of Khakassia, the Chuvash Republic and Krasnodar Territory.
At today's meeting, MPs reviewed the Fund's draft income and expenses for the next year and approved the budget parameters.
The total amount was nearly EUR 5 million 9,200 retirees will receive their money worth EUR 4.1 million under the Russo-Latvian treaty. The relevant funds were transmitted on November 13. The money owed under the treaty between Russia and Estonia, worth EUR 801,100, were remitted today to be paid to 3,900 retirees. Remember that pension payments to the above-mentioned countries resumed this past August; before that, they were being blocked by foreign banks due to sanctions.