The issue of improving the financial situation of orphans

Starting next year, the amount of benefits for orphans may increase by an average of 10%. Deputies of the Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare considered the government legislations at their meeting. The goal is to improve the standard of living of orphans and children left without parental care, and individuals from among them who are under the guardianship (trusteeship) of individuals and are brought up in orphanages or studying in vocational education organizations.

The amounts of payments are set in minimum wages – the calculated level of the minimum wage. According to the law on the republican budget for2025, one minimum wage for the payment of benefits is 9.7 rubles. The law-in-draft proposes to increase the following types of benefits from the 1st of January, 2026:

1. the monthly food allowance may amount to 110 calculated levels of the minimum wage, in the summer months – 130 minimum wages (currently the amount paid is 100 minimum wages and 120 minimum wages);

2. allowance per year for the purchase of clothing, footwear, soft inventory for children under 6 years old –s 380 minimum wages (currently 350 minimum wages), from 6 to 16 years old – 410 minimum wages (currently 370 minimum wages), from 16 years old – 440 minimum wages (currently 400 minimum wages);

3. annual allowance for economic needs for children under 6 years of age – 110 minimum wages, from 6 to 16 years – 120 minimum wages, from 16 years – 130 minimum wages (currently, payments are 100, 110 and 120 minimum wages);

4. monthly allowance for pocket expenses may increase from 1 to 2 minimum wages;

5. one-time allowance for graduation from general education organizations and educational organizations that provide maintenance, education and upbringing of orphans and children left without parental care, in the amount of 634 minimum wages (currently, the amount of the allowance is 576 minimum wages);

6. one-time allowance for employment may increase from 1441 to 1585 minimum wages;

7. It is proposed to increase the annual allowance for the purchase of educational literature and writing materials to 158 minimum wages for a full-time student at a vocational education organization (currently the amount is 144 minimum wages).

The Government proposed to increase the amount of monetary compensation, which is paid at the request of orphan graduates in exchange for a set of seasonal clothing and footwear, starting next year. At present, the compensation is 240 minimum wages, and from January 1, 2026, it is proposed to increase the payment to 264 minimum wages.

The increase will affect graduates of vocational education organizations – these are orphans and children left without parental care, and individuals from among orphans and children left without parental care. The state provides them with a set of clothing, footwear, soft inventory and equipment according to established standards. At the request of graduates, they can instead be paid monetary compensation in the amount of 1290 minimum wages, its amount can be increased to 1419 minimum wages.

The adoption of this project will require additional funding in the amount of 3 million 391 thousand rubles, the official representative of the Ministry of Social Protection and Labor said.

Deputies of the Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare spoke in support of the government legislations. The corresponding changes to the relevant laws will be considered in the first reading at one of the plenary sessions of the Supreme Council.

The amount of state benefits for citizens with children was increased previously (from May 1, 2022, from February 1, 2023 and from February 1, 2024).