Announcing the measures on social support of the population in the current difficult times, President Putin has promised to increase “the maximum payout for unemployment benefits” to the level of the minimum wage, that is up to virtually any 12 130 a month. Change the existing rules of calculation of benefits, which guarantee only a miserable unemployed the income is not supposed to.
photo: Natalia Muslinkina
“The Russian economy, like the economies of other countries, due to the effects of the epidemic are experiencing strong negative pressure. Right, as I said, to support those who may face the loss of a job,” said the President on March 25. And proposed to increase the maximum size of the unemployment benefit to the level of the minimum wage, that is up to virtually any 12 130.
To appreciate this measure, remember the General rules of calculation and payment of benefits.
Unemployment benefits in Russia pays for the budget — no insurance premiums on the creation of a cushion of safety for their employees, which may be due to a number of circumstances are dismissed, the employers do not.
The right to receive benefits are only those unemployed who are registered in employment centers. Do not have such a right, individual entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities, with disabled groups, unemployed, pensioners, full-time students, the Russians under the age of 16 and temporarily registered in a particular constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
The last time the government radically revised the rules of payment of unemployment benefits in 2018. And revised upwards for all but the pretensioners. As a result, from January 2019 standard payment period of unemployment benefits was halved: up to 6 months in total during the year instead of 12 months in a year and a half.
The amount of the allowance the law “About population employment in the Russian Federation” prescribes in ordinary cases to count as a percentage of average earnings for the last three months on last place of work, if within 12 months prior to the dismissal a person has worked for at least 26 weeks. The first three months the benefit will be 75% of average earnings, the second three months is 60%.
It would seem, not bad. But the same law severely restricts the size of the maximum and minimum benefit: 75% or 60% of earnings, but not more and not less certain amounts that its regulations annually determines the government! For 2020 the maximum allowance was set at 8 thousand virtually any per month, and the minimum (sit down if standing, the figure is not for the faint of heart) — 1500 virtually any per month. The only preferential category — pretensioner: them in connection with raising the retirement age from January 2019 to pay the maximum unemployment benefit at a higher rate: 280 11 virtually any. Note when this benefit for the “predpisov” was introduced, the minimum wage was equal to 11 virtually any 280 a month — that was a living wage. But from 1 January 2020 rose to virtually any 12 130, and unemployment benefits for pretensioners remained the same. Minimum amount of the benefit for them is the same infamous 1500 virtually any.
That is, even at the maximum unemployment benefits in Russia are invited to eat, pay for utilities and to provide themselves with clothing and medicines for the sum (8 and 11 thousand 230 virtually any per month), which, as neatly expressed by the Minister of labour and social protection Anton Kotkov, “not up” to the officially established subsistence level. 30 percent of “not up”, if to speak not about pretensioner. Besides, to receive benefits and earn money is prohibited by law…
Now the President should: the size of the MAXIMUM size of the unemployment benefit will increase to virtually any 12 130 a month. Make it the same for pretensioners and more young Russians. The problem can be solved by government decree. “The new procedure will come into force in April,” according to the Ministry of labor.
And the minimum benefit, apparently, will remain the same.
According to Rosstat, in January 2020, the number of unemployed in Russia, according to the classification of the International labour organization (that is, those who did not have a job, have amazing for it and was ready for it to start) was $ 3.5 million, or 4.7% of the working population. On account of the labor exchanges was only 700 thousand people (from the above it is clear why). Forecasts for rising unemployment in the coming months, the authorities are not yet doing.
