The Ministry of Finance refused to index pensions to the working pensioners

The head of the Ministry of Finance did not support the proposal expressed by the State Duma deputies to index pensions for working pensioners and increase unemployment benefits.

“On the indexation of pensions for working pensioners, our position is as follows: pension is compensation for lost earnings, and if a pensioner who receives a pension is still working, then earnings have not been lost, maybe it is small, this earnings, but in general he also receives earnings and a pension", - Kommersant quotes Siluanov's speech in the State Duma.

According to the head of the Ministry of Finance, today, first of all, government assistance is required not for working pensioners, but for those who live exclusively on retirement.

“It seems to me that it is more fair to help those who are in need, who do not work, and it is these citizens who need state support”, - Siluanov said. He added that the salaries of those working in Russia are growing faster than the inflation rate. Thus, the official believes, pensioners who continue to work are actually protected.

The indexation of pensions for working pensioners has been frozen since January 1, 2016.

Proposals for the return of the annual indexation of pensions periodically arise at meetings of various levels, including meetings in the State Duma. Following one of them, held in early October this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to work on the issue of indexing pensions. However, it never came to an actual increase in pensions.

Earlier, the Ministry of Finance, referring to the growing "hole" in the budget caused by the economic crisis, the depreciation of the ruble and the coronavirus pandemic, proposed to cut the costs of a number of departments, including spending on the Ministry of Defense. Among the sequestered articles, representatives of the Ministry of Finance named the annual indexation of military pensions, which is 2% ahead of the official inflation rate, and also proposed to reduce 100,000 army posts. However, the Ministry of Defense categorically rejected the reform proposed by the Ministry of Finance.