Conscription age has changed
The start of the year brought a shift in the law governing compulsory military service. The age range has been extended: while the lower bound remains at 18, the upper limit now reaches 30 years old.
The 18-year threshold is unchanged.
The measure was submitted to the State Duma last March, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu advocating the change to the conscription age. He argued it was needed to bolster the country’s security amid the evolving NATO military posture near Russia’s borders.
Initial legislation proposed a gradual shift, including raising the lower limit to 21. That version was rejected in the legislative process.
Once individuals turn 27, they in reserve status are no longer subject to mandatory service. The remaining men would become undraftable at age 30.
Deferrals remain in place, and the deferral period for IT professionals will rise to 30 years.
Pensions will increase slightly
With the new year, retirees who do not work in Russia will see their pensions indexed. The overall increase is 7.5 percent, lifting the average insured pension to 22,605 rubles from the current level.
The old-age pension will rise by 1,631 rubles to 23,449 rubles.
This pension rise affects 32 million retirees. Beginning October 1, 2024, military personnel and security and law enforcement employees will receive a 4.5 percent increase, impacting about 2.7 million people.
Next year, women born in 1966 and men born in 1961 will be able to retire by their age milestones, at 58 and 63 years respectively.
New year – new minimum wage
From January 1, the minimum wage in Russia rises to 19,242 rubles for full-time workers, an increase of roughly 3,000 rubles. Benefits tied to social insurance, including disability, maternity leave, and sick leave, are calculated on this new baseline.
A new law governing unemployment benefits will take effect in 2024. The maximum unemployment payment is 12,792 rubles in the first three months, followed by a 5,000 ruble monthly amount thereafter.
Learn to cook borscht
From September 1, 2024, the subject of Labour will be mandatory for primary and secondary students. The framework was developed by State Duma deputies and signed into law in December of the previous year.
In a speech, Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house, emphasized the aim of restoring workers’ training. He urged practical skills such as cooking borscht, hammer use, and familiarity with modern technologies as essential for future life and partnership responsibilities.
Kids, kids and more kids
Two types of tax deductions will see higher caps after the new year. Deductions for medical care, education, and medicines rise from 120,000 to 150,000 rubles, and education-related deductions increase from 50,000 to 110,000 rubles.
Taxpayers will no longer need to provide proof of employment or treatment expenses to the Federal Tax Service if the service provider does so.
Additionally, a law effective January 1 allows parents to return to work from maternity leave without losing child care benefits.
After the New Year, child benefits will be paid without regard to the parents’ job type, whether full-time, part-time, remote, or office-based. Mothers who lose work due to business closures retain eligibility for payments.
The average monthly child care allowance for children under 1.5 years in 2024 runs around 17.8 thousand rubles.
Changes also support parents raising disabled children. Starting January 1, they may work alongside benefits, and protections extend to civil contracts and self-employed parents. The monthly payment is around 10 thousand rubles.
Next year brings higher maternity benefits and increased sick leave payments. Pregnant women can receive up to 565 thousand rubles in benefits, up from a previous cap of 383 thousand. The maximum monthly child care payment for children up to 1.5 years rises to 49 thousand rubles from 33.2 thousand, while the top monthly sick pay increases to 122 thousand rubles.