The benefits the Russian Pension Fund now pays in the stead of social protection services are provided in the uniform procedure in all constituent territories of Russia, and practically everyone receives them on the same day. Before 2022, the rules of the provision of such payments could differ from one region to another. Nowadays, the Pension Fund gives measures of support nationwide, consistent with the uniform rules and on the basis of social treasury principles.
Consistent with these rules, there is a single payment day for such benefits. Funds are transferred to the absolute majority of recipients (88%) on the third day of each month. These are mostly the people who have chosen to receive the benefit to their bank account. Those receiving benefits by mail are paid between the 3rd and 25th day of a month, consistent with the schedule of postal offices.
A schedule, by which benefits of the previous month are paid in the current month, takes effect in March. Yesterday, on March 3, banks transferred February benefits to all recipients.
On the whole, the assignment of benefits taken up by the PFR will gradually become easier. A reason is that Pension Fund certifies the entitlement to benefits with its own databases and information sought from other agencies. In that case, applicants do not have to provide documents.
Besides a shorter list of documents, benefits are assigned faster. Earlier, the assignment could take a month. Nowadays, PFR branches process most benefit applications within five to ten working days.
Please note that measures of social support address various social groups, such as families with children, families of military servicemen and law enforcement officers, people exposed to radiation, disabled persons who own vehicles, and some others.
In February, the Pension Fund financed benefits taken up from social protection services for 1.85 million persons to a total sum of 7.9 billion rubles. Since the beginning of this year, territorial branches of the Fund have received 370,000 benefit applications, and 89% of them are already approved.