Between March and October 15, social welfare programs in the new regional formations allocated a substantial amount of support to residents across the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The figure noted by the head of the Social Fund, Sergei Chirkov, reflects a broad effort to sustain pension recipients and families within these territories. The information is carried by RIA News and highlights a continuing emphasis on social protection measures in the area.
Chirkov indicated that the rollout of collective benefits and child allowances began at the start of 2023 and has continued through the current year. He emphasized that more than 155 thousand monthly payments have been issued to disabled residents in these regions since the beginning of the year, underscoring the fund’s focus on supporting vulnerable groups as local administration structures expand their responsibilities in the new territories.
“The most recent data available show that from March to October 15, we allocated 801 thousand pensions,” he stated, reiterating the scale of the program and its reach across the populations in these areas. This figure is presented to reflect the ongoing process of pension distribution amid the adjustments to regional governance and social services as new administrative arrangements take shape.
On October 16, Maria Lvova-Belova, who serves as the Russian President’s Commissioner for the Rights of the Child, provided remarks at a press conference held at the Russian Foreign Ministry. She described ongoing efforts to establish a complete child protection system in the DPR and LPR, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. These remarks were part of a broader briefing on how child welfare policies are being implemented in the newly connected regions and the steps being taken to ensure protections reach all children in need.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova announced, on the same day, that the government has issued recommendations relating to the rehabilitation of children in these new territories. The guidance is intended to support the reintegration and recovery process for children and to coordinate services across various agencies as the regions align with national standards for child welfare and social protection.
Earlier reports noted forecasts of pension demographics shifting in Russia for the coming years. Projections indicated that the number of retirees would rise in 2023 by about 1.1 million people, with an additional approximately 569 thousand retirees expected in 2024. These projections mark a notable increase in pension beneficiaries, marking a period of transition following the reform measures initiated a few years prior and the evolving structure of social security programs across the federation.
In related statements, the former head of the Ministry of Finance suggested that the average pension in the Russian Federation would rise to around 23.2 thousand rubles. The figure reflects ongoing discussions about pension levels, cost-of-living adjustments, and the overall adequacy of pension benefits for retirees amid shifts in the economy and demographic trends.