Starting in July, Russian citizens will be able to count work periods in Ukraine from January 1, 1991, to February 23, 2022; in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics from May 11, 2014, to December 31, 2022; and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions from February 24 to December 31, 2022. These changes are part of amendments to the law that take effect next month.
According to preliminary estimates, more than 700,000 people may qualify under the new rules, said Sergey Chirkov, Chairman of the Social Fund of Russia.
"The law applies to those who moved to Russia from Ukraine, from Kyiv, Lviv, and other cities, and did not permanently reside in Crimea or Sevastopol as of March 18, 2014, or in the Donetsk Republic, the Lugansk Republic, the Zaporozhye or Kherson regions as of September 30, 2022," explained Chirkov. "We are currently reviewing each individual case."
The new law is not retroactive, so recalculation of previously paid pensions is not provided. Insurance pensions based on the new provisions will be assigned from the date of application, but not earlier than July 1, 2025.
Additionally, as Chirkov noted, restrictions on the length of insurance service that can be counted toward pension assignment have been lifted for the new regions.
"Previously, the limit was 15 years. Now, all service confirmed by the interdepartmental commission will be considered when assigning pensions," said Chirkov. "Funds for increased payments have already been included in the Fund's current budget."