Pensions will increase, maternity capital will be indexed, and illegal immigrants will be banned from marrying: New laws taking effect in February 2025.
With maternity capital, you can purchase a couple of square meters of housing! However, that's all a newborn really needs.
Photo: Anastasia OSIPOVA. Go to the Photo Bank of KP
In February 2025, a series of new laws will come into effect in Russia. Let's list the most significant ones and discuss what changes the citizens of Russia can expect.
MOTHER CAPITALISTS
A long-awaited change: starting February 1, maternity capital will increase by the amount of last year's inflation, which is 9.5%. Here’s how much happy parents will receive starting tomorrow:
For the first child: 690,300 rubles (up from 630,400 rubles).
For the second child, if the capital for the first has already been paid: 221,900 rubles (up from 202,600 rubles).
For the second child, if the family did not receive a certificate for the first: 912,200 rubles. Almost a million! Previously, it was 833,000 rubles.
If maternity capital was received earlier but not fully utilized, the remaining amount will also be increased by 9.5%.
PENSION INDEXATION. ROUND TWO
Starting February 1, insurance pensions will be indexed anew. They were already increased on January 1 by 7.3%. This was based on the budget approved in the autumn when the authorities believed inflation would not exceed 7.3% for the year 2024.
However, prices behaved differently. In the autumn, inflation accelerated. As mentioned, it reached 9.5% in 2024 - this figure was announced by Rosstat in mid-January after final calculations.
According to law, pensions in Russia must be increased by at least the inflation rate. Therefore, they will be adjusted to match the actual inflation level, which means an additional increase of approximately 2.2%.
An important point: the additional indexation will be applied retroactively. This means that January's pension will also be recalculated. In February, pensioners will receive both the increased pension and compensation for January. This applies to both non-working and working pensioners.
To illustrate with numbers: at the end of last year, the average pension in Russia was about 22,500 rubles. It was increased on January 1 by 7.3% to 24,000 rubles. Considering the actual inflation of 9.5%, it should have increased to about 24,500 rubles. Thus, in January, pensioners "missed out" on 500 rubles. Therefore, in February, they will receive a full pension of approximately 24,500 rubles plus 500 rubles compensation for January. However, these are very approximate figures: the exact amount each pensioner receives depends on the accumulated pension points.
Pensions for military pensioners will also be increased. They were indexed on October 1, 2024, by 5.1%. Now, an additional 4.4% will be added (to total 9.5%). Military pensioners will also receive a payment for January along with their February pension.
DOZENS OF BENEFITS WILL INCREASE
Starting in February, many social payments and benefits will increase by 9.5% - over 40 in total. Here are a few examples.
The one-time benefit for the birth of a child will rise from 24,604.30 to 26,941.71 rubles.
The minimum monthly allowance for child care will increase from 9,227.24 to 10,103.83 rubles. This is paid to non-working parents; for those who worked before the child’s birth, the amount is tied to their salary.
The one-time benefit for adopting a disabled child, a child over 7 years old, or siblings: from 187,996.89 to 205,856.60 rubles.
Monthly payments to veterans of combat operations: from 4,184 to 4,582 rubles.
Monthly payments to Chernobyl disaster victims: from 3,802 to 4,164 rubles.
The maximum amount of monthly insurance payments for workplace accidents and occupational diseases: from 108,784.04 to 119,118.52 rubles.
Social burial assistance: from 8,370.20 to 9,165.40 rubles.
Additionally, monthly payments for the care of children with disabilities and individuals with childhood disabilities of the first group will be indexed from 10,000 to 10,950 rubles. This is a new measure. Previously, these were fixed amounts. Now they will be indexed annually alongside other benefits.
Furthermore, monthly payments for Heroes of Russia, Labor Heroes, and individuals with disabilities across all three groups will also increase.
AND WHAT ELSE
Illegal Migrants Will Be Prohibited from Marrying
Starting February 5, a series of restrictions will be introduced against foreigners who are in Russia illegally.
First, police will be able to deport migrants administratively. Previously, a court decision was required for this. Now the process will be quicker. If a foreigner is caught violating Russian laws, an administrative protocol will be drawn up - and they can be deported.
Secondly, a new legal regime for illegal migrants will be introduced - deportation. Information about discovered illegal immigrants will be entered into a special register of controlled persons. After that, the violator has two options: leave the territory of our country on their own or legalize their stay here. Until this is done, a "controlled person" cannot open bank accounts, transfer money, obtain and use a driver's license, register a business, purchase real estate and vehicles, or get married.
Additionally, they cannot move from one region to another unless it is related to leaving Russia - for example, if a migrant is leaving the country by train or bus.