Over the course of three years starting from 2023, the Social Fund of Russia has increased maternity and childhood protection spending by RUB 421.4 billion. While three years ago, the total payments in this area slightly exceeded RUB 2 trillion, the expected spending in 2026 will reach RUB 2.5 trillion.
"Trillions of rubles are allocated for supporting families annually. Every minute, the Social Fund transfers about RUB 7 million to citizens," said Sergey Chirkov, Head of the Social Fund of Russia. "The growth in funding is driven by state policy aimed at increasing the birth rate and improving the quality of life for families. Support for parents is systematically expanding both through the annual adjustment of existing payouts and introduction of fundamentally new benefits. For example, a monthly family allowance is being introduced this year."
Today, women can qualify for the services and payouts of the Social Fund as early as during their pregnancy. Before the child is born, the mother receives a maternity allowance. For working women, its amount is based on their average earnings. This year, expecting mothers can receive up to RUB 955,800, provided there are no birth complications and their maternity leave lasts 140 days. Women who lost their jobs due to their company ceasing operations, receive a maternity allowance at the subsistence rate. The nation's average now is RUB 96,300 for 140 days. Last year, the Social Fund has paid maternity allowance to over 705,000 women, while the support for female undergraduate and postgraduate students preparing to become mothers has also grown significantly. Previously, their maternity allowance amounted to the average scholarship, but starting last autumn, that amount has increased several times over and is now at the level of the regional subsistence rate. In Krasnodar Territory, for example, pregnant students are now paid RUB 92,600 for 140 days of maternity leave, on Sakhalin – RUB 131,000. In September-December 2025, 4,750 female university students had received maternity allowance at the new, higher rate.
Pregnant mothers in Russia are also eligible for the unified allowance. It amounts to 50%, 75%, or 100% of the working-age adult subsistence rate, depending on the income level of the woman, her spouse and children. Today, the Social Fund pays the allowance to 137,000 pregnant women.
After a baby is born, the Social Fund pays the mother a lump-sum benefit which increased to RUB 28,500 in February. On top of that, the Fund proactively assigns maternity capital to women. This year, it grew as well and now stands at RUB 728,900 for the first child and to RUB 963,200 for the second child, provided the mother has not previously held a certificate.
The maternity capital can be used to purchase housing, pay for children's education or and cover a number of other expenses; families with low income can receive a monthly payout from these funds. The unused remainder of the capital not exceeding RUB 10,000 can be withdrawn as a lump sum. The Social Fund has already issued 15.2 million certificates to date.
During the first 18 months of the baby's life, the mother on maternity leave also receives a monthly allowance. Its amount is based on the woman's average earnings, with the payout being no less than RUB 10,800 and no more than RUB 83,000/month. If a family has two or more children, the Social Fund pays allowance on each of them. Non-working mothers are also eligible for benefits. Over the past year, the allowance was provided to 1.65 million parents.
Previously, if a mother returned to work before her child turned eighteen months old, the monthly child care allowance for children under 18 month was terminated for her. Today, even working mothers receive their payouts throughout the entire appointed period, regardless of whether they return to work.
The unified child allowance is another important support tool for mothers today. A woman can receive it for each of her children under 17, provided that the average family income does not go above the subsistence rate. Depending on the family's income, the benefit amount ranges from a half of the child's subsistence rate to the full subsistence rate amount. The unified allowance is currently one of the key benefits for many Russian families. It is now being paid to over 9.3 million children.
Generally, support for Russian families remains a constant point of focus for the government, which is why existing benefits are being periodically expanded and new ones are introduced for mothers with children and pregnant women.
This year, for instance, the restriction on the number of children factored in for pensions will be lifted. From January on, mothers get employment duration and pension coefficients for each child. That has not only expanded the right of large families' mothers to early retirement but has also increased the size of their pensions. Mothers who are already retired also have the right to adjusted pensions. To ensure they do not have to apply for the adjustment separately, the Social Fund has worked tirelessly to proactively inform them about pension hikes. That effort covered 403,000 women in Russia.
The law equaling heroic mothers to Heroes of Labour also came into force in 2026. Heroic mothers are women who raised 10 or more children. They will be entitled to a monthly allowance in the amount of RUB 76,500 (as of this February). 184 heroic mothers have already been granted the allowance by now.
On top of that, this year, the Social Fund will be providing women with a new benefit, the family tax payback. It is a partial refund on paid income tax.
Today, millions of women in Russia receive benefits from the Social Fund. Their amounts grow annually; many benefits are part of national projects. The Fund not only increases the amounts it pays, but also strives to ensure that the benefits reach their recipients at the right time and in a convenient format, without the need to apply for services. In this context, the support for women will continue to be one of the Social Fund's key priorities.