How is retirement service time established?
In the past, through the end of 2001, pension size was tied mainly to the length of service. After January 1, 2002, following pension reform, the emphasis shifted toward the role of the insurance record, which became central to pension calculations. This shift was explained by Olga Daineko, a Scientific Research expert affiliated with the Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance and a contributor to Myfinance.rf. She clarified that the reform rebalanced how service experience translates into retirement benefits.
She outlined the distinction between two types of experience: total length of service and the insurance period. Total length of service is the sum of years worked plus certain non-working periods, such as parental leave, military service, and other recognized gaps. The insurance period is the span during which premiums are paid into the individual account, either by the employer or the insured person within defined legal arrangements. The funds paid to the Pension Fund of Russia, currently routed through the Social Fund of Russia, are converted into pension points. Those points, often referred to as private pension coefficients, influence the eventual pension. The higher the pension points, the larger the retirement payout. These concepts are central to how retirement benefits are calculated in practice.
typically, an Individual Personal Account (IPA) is opened automatically by the pension authority once employment data arrives electronically from an employer. If a person did not previously have an IPA, it is established. An IPA may also be opened upon a person’s request, or when information arrives from other government bodies such as immigration services. The IPA can be opened not only by Russian citizens but also by foreigners or stateless residents living or working in the country.
According to Daineko, the record of pension rights created can be found in the IPA extract. The fastest access is usually through a personal account on the government services portal or on the Social Fund’s website, taking just a few minutes. A formal statement can also be issued upon direct application to the Financial Markets Service or a multifunctional center (MFC).
How are retirement points calculated?
Daineko urged individuals to monitor their personal account status regularly, at least once a year, to catch any errors promptly. Proving correctness is often easier when done early, since resolving discrepancies later can be more challenging and may affect pension rights when the time comes to apply for a pension. Errors can arise when portions of the service period or non-working intervals, which contribute to pension points, are not properly recorded even if deductions were not made.
The list of periods that can contribute to pension points includes parental leave, caring for a disabled or elderly family member, compulsory military service, mobilization periods, or involvement in military operations as part of volunteer formations. It also covers periods when a person could not find work due to circumstances affecting a soldier’s spouse, sick leave, unemployment registration with employment services, and other specified situations. An example provided by Daineko describes how parental leave can generate points: up to 1.5 years of leave to care for a disabled child or a first child within the first year and a half yields 1.8 points; a second child’s leave up to 1.5 years yields 3.6 points; and a third or fourth child’s leave up to 1.5 years yields 5.4 points. These periods count toward the insurance record of only one parent, with a cap of six years or four children. If there is a concurrent working period with insurance contributions, the parental leave time also counts toward the insurance period (insurer’s perspective). When a person works during such leave, they may choose which pension point basis—working time or parental leave—will be used for pension calculation, though the system generally prioritizes the insurance period to maximize the pension coefficient.
It is important to note that non-working periods intended for early retirement should not be counted toward the long service period, which is 37 years for women and 42 years for men. For military service, both compulsory and contract-based, the credit is typically 1:1 (one year equals 1.8 retirement points). The period of participation in special military operations or in volunteer formations can count as double the insurance period, equating to 3.6 points per year. Mobilization is noted as not interrupting eligibility for certain early retirement scenarios, such as for workers in the Far North or those in hazardous industries.
How to “lose” experience
Daîneko explained that experience can be miscalculated at times due to technical or software issues. When inaccuracies are suspected, contacting the Social Fund of Russia to rectify errors is advised, and there is usually no need to panic during a temporary technical failure. In most cases, problems are resolved and the situation corrections are posted within established timelines.
Adjusted procedures allow individuals to submit appeals through their personal accounts rather than visiting the Social Fund in person, and the review period for such inquiries is typically ten days. In more serious situations, an unscrupulous employer may fail to transfer insurance premiums or provide incomplete data, or in the worst case, avoid acknowledging the employee altogether. In such cases, a worker may need to pursue legal action to compel the employer to contribute to the Russian Social Fund and to document work experience properly. A formal claim with supporting evidence may be required to rectify the record.
According to Daineko, there are scenarios where the pension office may decide not to count declared service time. In those cases, the employee would need to present evidence of work activity through other channels, including court proceedings if necessary. Certain older service periods, notably those before 2002 when the compulsory pension insurance system was established, may be recorded inconsistently because information from employers about total service length was not always provided to the Pension Fund. If gaps exist, it is advisable to contact the Financial Markets Service and document any lost working time. Since SNILS records date from 2002 onward, the work book becomes a primary document for confirming service periods when information from employers is incomplete or missing. If a work book entry contains errors, or if the organization’s seal is unclear, it may be necessary to assemble additional documents such as written employment contracts, work orders, and pay stubs to establish the true length of service and ensure proper insurance contributions.
In some cases, returning severance or correcting records may be easier by contacting the employer, though this is not always possible if the enterprise has dissolved. Unusual circumstances, like natural disasters or data loss, may require witness statements from colleagues as supplementary evidence of work activity. Such witness statements are only acceptable when there is verifiable documentation showing that the colleagues were employed by the same employer. The testimony cannot account for more than half of the required insurance experience. If the pension authority makes a reasoned decision to exclude certain declared service, the claimant may need to prove their work history in court.