Do poor pensioners in Russia: Ministry of Labour opinion and facts – BBC Russian

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Image caption The real incomes of Russian pensioners because of the crisis fell

In Russia there is poor pensioners, if the approach to the assessment of poverty formally stated by Minister of Labour and social protection of Russia Maxim Topilin.

“pensioners as you know, we have the poor do not have terms of formal characteristics of all pensioners receive additional payments to the subsistence minimum “, -.. he said the head of the Ministry of Labour, speaking at the Public Chamber on Wednesday

Probably saying the minister many seem counterintuitive. no poor pensioners – in Russia? BBC Russian Service has decided to find out

To begin with -. On the value of pensions in the country. According to Rosstat, the average value of the granted pension in Russia in 2016 amounted to 12 080.9 rubles (184 dollars).

On the money the average Russian pensioner can afford to buy, for example, seven pairs of “Cross of shoes for adults with uppers of artificial skin” (the wording and the Rosstat data) – and will be even more on one shoe. Or half “TV color image” or 0.026 “car of the domestic new”.

Maxim Topilin formally really right, because the criterion of poverty in Russia is the income below the subsistence level, and in accordance with the government decree of 10 March, subsistence level in the country is 7781 rubles ($ 119) .

it turns out that the average pensioner receives in Russia and a half times more than the subsistence minimum. In those cases, and the regions where the pensioner does not reach the subsistence minimum, the local authorities to compensate him the difference.

And yet, even in terms of formal criteria, which operate with government officials, many pensioners are on the verge of poverty and the economic crisis continues to wash their earnings

we have led the schedule of nominal pensions -. they grow up, but in real terms, adjusted for inflation, the pensions are reduced

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in general, rose in Russia in February 2016 9.5% in annual terms , and in February 2015 to February 2014 -. 10%

in this case, the indexation of pensions in 2016 for the first time will be less than the actual inflation over the last years of the previous of the year. On February 1, pensions were increased only by 4% (with inflation over the past year to 12,9%).

The government promised to consider the possibility of additional indexation, but experts consider it unlikely. Thus, the head of the Committee of Civil Initiatives Alexei Kudrin said that the less.

“with the probable budget deficit at 5.5% (instead of 3%, as planned) end of the year, to further enhance the capabilities of pensions we do not have these resources, “- said ex-finance minister in March – and again urged to think about raising the retirement age in the country

.