How the pensions of Belarusians look like in the neighboring countries. Pension in Belarus
In Belarus, starting from November 1, the minimum labor and social pensions will increase, which are tied to the size of the BPM. Starting next month, this figure will rise to 214.21 rubles (now - 213.67 rubles).
In addition, from November 1, allowances, increases to pensions and additional payments to Belarusians 75 years of age and older, who receive pensions in labor, employment and social protection agencies, as well as benefits for caring for a disabled person of group I or for a person who have reached the age of 80, will increase.
The minimum labor and social pensions are revised once a quarter; they change along with the subsistence level budget.
| Type of pension or allowance | in% of BPM | from November 1 | until November 1 |
| minimum old-age pension, taking into account an additional payment of 20% of the average salary | 25% BPM + additional payment of 20% of the average salary | 216,03 | 207,43 |
| social pension for disabled people of the 1st group, including disabled people from childhood | 110 | 235,63 | 235,04 |
| disabled from childhood of the 2nd group | 95 | 203,50 | 202,99 |
| disabled people of the 2nd group (except for disabled people from childhood), children in case of loss of a breadwinner | 85 | 182,08 | 181,62 |
| disabled people of the 3rd group | 75 | 160,66 | 160,25 |
| persons who have reached the age: men - 65 years old, women - 60 | 50 | 107,11 | 106,84 |
| disabled children under 18 years of age with a degree of loss of health: fourth | |||
| v % from the minimum old-age pension | |||
| additional payments to pensions for non-working pensioners who have reached: |
As a reminder, since November 1, Belarus has also increased labor pensions - by an average of 5.3%. As a result of the recalculation, the average size of labor
pensions will rise to 388.1 rubles, and the average old-age pension - up to 393.96 rubles, the Ministry of Labor predicts.
Earlier, labor pensions in Belarus were raised twice this year - from August 1 and May 1. “On average, pensions were increased by 5.3% and 10%, respectively,” the Ministry of Labor said. “As a result of recalculations made in 2018, labor pensions will grow by 22%.”
Formerly the prime minister of the country Sergey Rumas said the government was preparing a proposal to increase pensions by another 5%. According to him, if it is supported, then the growth of pensions in 2018 will be a record - they will grow by more than 20%.
The minimum pension is a payment guaranteed by the state to all citizens of the country under certain conditions. It is important to understand that this is not a separate type of benefit, but a lower limit for the amount of benefit in each category. In total, there are two main categories of pension payments in the republic: labor and social.
The first are appointed:
- Upon reaching the specified legislation.
- Disability. Those who have received a disability due to an occupational injury or occupational disease have the right to them. Also, this type of payment is made if the disability occurred as a result of a general serious illness that is not related to work. It does not matter if the disability occurred before, during, or after the termination of work.
- With the loss of a breadwinner. Paid to disabled family members of the deceased.
- For the length of service. They are received by citizens who work in conditions leading to premature loss of professional ability to work.
The state pays social benefits to those who do not receive any of the listed labor pensions. Social pensioners include persons with varying degrees of disability, women who have reached the age of 60 and men over 65 with no minimum social experience.
Who gets
According to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, citizens with a work experience of 15 years (in some cases, 5 and 10 years) have the right to receive the minimum retirement pension. It is important that during the entire working period they consistently and in full make the required insurance premiums.
Citizens who have worked less than they should, in turn, have the right to a social pension. Here, all those who are not included in any of the categories of persons receiving labor pensions can count on the minimum payment.
As for the minimum pension for disability, loss of a breadwinner, etc., all citizens who fall under these categories according to the list approved by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus have the right to them.
When is charged and how
The minimum pension is assigned when the settlement procedure approved at the legislative level does not allow the calculation of amounts in excess of the established minimum. For labor benefits for age, disability and loss of the breadwinner, such a case is the insufficient volume of insurance payments made at one time.
For the calculation, the size of the subsistence minimum budget (BMB) and the lower limit of the old-age pension are used. The latter also directly depends on the BPM.
Calculation mechanisms and size
To understand the mechanism for calculating the minimum pension in Belarus, you first need to define the concept of BPM. Is a variable that is calculated taking into account prices, inflation and other economic indicators of the country at the end of the quarter.
The BPM is approved at the state level on a quarterly basis. When calculating the minimum size of pension payments, the maximum BPM value for the two quarters preceding the accrual is taken as a starting point.
An important aspect in the calculation is the fact that citizens who receive any minimum labor pension are entitled to a monthly supplement, the amount of which is 20% of the average salary in the country.
| Labor pension | 25% of BPM | with a surcharge of 20% |
|---|---|---|
| November 2018 - January 2019 | RUB 53.55 | RUB 216.03 |
| August - October 2018 | RUB 53.42 | RUB 207.43 |
| May - July 2018 | RUB 51.65 | RUB 191.03 |
| February - April 2018 | RUB 49.83 | RUB 181.94 |
| November 2017-January 2018 | RUB 49.45 | RUB 181.56 |
| August - October 2017 | RUB 49.39 | RUB 174.61 |
| May - July 2017 | RUB 45.96 | RUB 171.18 |
| February - April 2017 | RUB 45.03 | RUB 170.25 |
| December 2016 - January 2017 | RUB 43.88 | RUB 169.10 |
According to the legislative and regulatory acts of the Republic of Belarus, today the minimum size of labor pensions is:
- for the loss of a breadwinner - 100% m / r old-age pension;
- for the length of service - 100% m / r old-age pension;
- payments to orphans - 200% m / r old-age pension.
The minimum social pension for persons who have reached retirement age is 50% of the BSP.
Minimum disability pension
When calculating the minimum payments for disability in the Republic of Belarus, a different calculation algorithm is used:
- 100% BPM - for disabled people of I and II groups;
- 50% - for disabled people with group III;
- 100% - for mothers-heroines (regardless of the group).
At the same time, the minimum social pension benefits have the following sizes from the BPM:
- For citizens with disabilities of group I (including those who are disabled since childhood) - 110%
- For persons with disabilities from childhood of the II group - 95%, for other persons with the same disability group - 85%.
- For all categories of disabled persons of the III group - 75%.
Each person, retiring to a well-deserved pension, hopes to receive a decent financial support in old age, which will be enough to maintain a good standard of living. But as we can see in real life, our plans are one thing, but the plans and financial capabilities of the state are quite another.
Pensions in Belarus are received by all the same categories of citizens as in other countries. The amount of payments depends both on the length of service and on the position held. But on the whole, the average pension across the country is about the same, and there are rarely pensioners who receive significantly more than others.
At what age do people retire in Belarus?
A pensioner is a person who has reached the retirement age established by law and who is entitled to pension payments.
Until recently, it was 60 years for men and 55 years for women. But a couple of years ago, the law was amended, and now men go on a well-deserved rest at 63 years old, and women at 58 years old. That is, the retirement age was raised by three years.
It is worth noting that the transition was made smoothly, and people of pre-retirement age were able to retire not upon reaching this age, but earlier.
Average pension in the country
At the end of 2017, the size of the pension in Belarus averaged 314 rubles, and pension payments differ somewhat depending on the region. The largest pensions are received in the capital - 316 Belarusian rubles, and the lowest in the Brest region - 299 rubles. In other regions, the average pension fluctuates within these amounts.
Note that the average pension in the country is about 2.1 times higher than the subsistence minimum, which is established by law for pensioners. But in practice, it often turns out differently, when the real pension is enough only for the most necessary. However, this problem is typical for many CIS countries!
As for social pensions, they, again, are the highest in Minsk and amount to an average of 217 rubles, and the lowest social pensions are received in the Gomel region - 174 rubles.
Indexation of pensions
As in any other country, pension payments are regularly recalculated for inflation. In Belarus, pensions are recalculated at least once a year, and often more often. The last recalculation was carried out on February 1, 2018. Both labor and social benefits were increased.
All calculations are carried out taking into account the established subsistence minimum, which makes it possible to take into account the real need of people to increase the level of income. So, for pensioners over 80 years old, in the last recalculation, allowances were made in the amount of 45 rubles, which is almost 25% of the average pension.
How much is it in dollar terms?
For those who are not familiar with the current exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble against the dollar, it can be difficult to figure out what is the minimum pension in Belarus in dollars. But it's easy to do - divide any of the above amount by two, and you will get an approximate figure in dollars. The average exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble is 1.96 - 2 rubles to 1 dollar, and has not greatly increased since the moment the money was zeroed.
We see that labor pensions in Belarus are on average $ 155, and social pensions are $ 100. The minimum pension is 182 rubles or $ 90.
Seniority allowances
Those who are just going to join the ranks of pensioners are often interested in the question of what will be the size of the pension in Belarus with a work experience of 30 years or more. And this point is noted in the legislation - if the length of service is 35 years (for men) and 30 years (for women), for each full year of work there will be an increase of 1% of the average pay, but not lower than the minimum threshold prescribed by the law.
Number of pensioners in the country
We all know that pension payments are taken from the tax established for workers and paid into the pension fund. But even here there are nuances that can directly affect the size of the pension in Belarus.
Ideally, it is generally accepted that there should be at least 4 workers for one pensioner. But due to the decrease in the population both in Russia and in Belarus, this simple rule has long been violated. And if in Russia additional funds for pension payments can be taken from the income from the sale of natural resources, then in Belarus it is more and more difficult - it does not have these resources.
Now in Belarus there are 2 million 593.7 thousand pensioners, and this despite the fact that the total number of the country's inhabitants does not exceed 10 million people. And from this number it is also necessary to take away children, students and workers in the public sector, then we will receive a tangible financial burden on every able-bodied citizen of the country.
And the saddest thing is that the number of people retiring will grow steadily, while the number of the able-bodied population will decline. The reason for this imbalance rests on demography, and until the problem of declining birth rates is resolved, there is no need to talk about a change in the situation in pension payments.
Pension size in comparison with neighbors
If we carry out a comparative analysis of the level of income and Belarus, then the latter noticeably lose in this. Thus, the average pension in the Russian Federation in terms of Belarusian rubles is 430 rubles, and this is much higher than what Belarusians receive. While regional differences are also worth considering, in many parts of Russia pension payments are comparable to pensions in Belarus.
But in comparison with Ukraine, the incomes of Belarusian pensioners look positive - there the average pension in terms of Belarusian currency is 140 rubles. Well, in comparison with Russia, the incomes of Ukrainian pensioners look quite scanty.
If you compare pensions with pensions in Western Europe or the United States, then all three countries are losing out.
Since 2017, a consistent increase in the retirement age has begun in the Republic of Belarus. Today men from 61 years old and women from 56 years old have the right to a pension. Pension reform will not solve the problem if the distributive nature of the system of providing for the elderly remains in the Republic of Belarus
One of the most important components of the social protection system of the population of the Republic of Belarus is pension provision. Every disabled citizen of Belarus has the right to payments from the state. Their size depends on the place and length of service, position. Let's talk about what kind of pension is in Belarus, to whom and in what order it is charged, at what age a citizen has the right to go on a well-deserved rest.
The pension system in Belarus operates on a pay-as-you-go basis. The principle of its operation is that the contributions of employees go to pay pensions.
The Republic of Belarus pays pensions to its citizens and foreign nationals permanently living here. It also applies to citizens of Belarus living in countries with which Belarus has international treaties.
Tab. 1. Pension payments assigned in the Republic of Belarus
Those who are unable to earn a living on their own can count on a social pension.
Retirement age in Belarus
The definition of a Belarusian pensioner is exactly the same as in any other country in the world - it is a person who has reached the retirement age established by law and who is entitled to payments from the state. Until recently, the old-age pension was assigned:
- 60-year-old men with 25 years of work experience;
- 55-year-old women with 20 years of experience.
Since 2017, the legislator has decided that the retirement age in Belarus should gradually increase. In 2018, it reached 61 for men and 56 for women. In 2019, men will receive their pension at 62.5 years, and women at 57.5 years.
At the same time, they will need 16.5 years of insurance experience in 2018, and 17 years in 2019.
Completion of the reform is expected in 2020. By this time, the retirement age for women will come at 58 and at 63 for men.
This measure was forced. The population is aging, the birth rate is falling, the average age of Belarusians is growing. As a result, one worker must contain one non-worker. From the point of view of economists, this relationship is fatal.
How the Social Security Fund is formed
The mechanism is as follows: monthly payroll tax is paid to the Social Security Fund for each working citizen:
- 34% from the employer;
- 1% of the employee.
These funds are used to provide pension payments and various benefits. The pay-as-you-go system works - no accumulation of pension contributions, everything goes to payments to current citizens of retirement age.
The size of pension payments in the country
At the end of 2017, a pensioner in Belarus received an average of 314 Belarusian rubles from the state. Minsk pensioners received the most - 316 rubles, and the elderly in the Brest region received the least - 299 rubles. Since the beginning of this year, the average monthly payment has increased by 15.8% and amounted to 363.9 rubles.
The average old-age pension granted in August 2018 was 374.8 rubles, which is 3% higher than the national average.
Tab. 2. Change in the average size of assigned pensions in Belarus in 2017–2018. (Belarusian rubles)
| Average assigned monthly pensions | According to the age | |||
| 2017 | 2018 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| January | 297,0 | 314,3 | 305,8 | 323,1 |
| February | 297,7 | 314,8 | 306,1 | 323,2 |
| March | 297,7 | 314,8 | 306,1 | 323,2 |
| April | 297,7 | 314,8 | 306,1 | 323,2 |
| May | 298,0 | 331,2 | 306,1 | 340,5 |
| June | 298,0 | 331,2 | 306,1 | 340,5 |
| July | 298,0 | 331,2 | 306,1 | 340,5 |
| August | 300,3 | 363,9 | 308,2 | 374,8 |
| September | 300,3 | 308,2 | ||
| October | 300,3 | 308,2 | ||
| November | 314,7 | 323,5 | ||
| December | 314,3 | 323,1 | ||
Source: Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus
The minimum consumer budget for pensioners from November 1, 2018 was set by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection at 349 Belarusian rubles. Pension payments for the elderly are barely enough for the most basic necessities.
Unlike the old-age pension, which is awarded for life at the onset of retirement age, the disability benefit can be established for a specific period, for the extension of which it will be necessary to undergo re-certification.
Minimum guarantees
The legislation of Belarus regulates the amount of pensions and additional payments to them, as well as the procedure for calculating payments.
Labor pension
In 2018, it is calculated from the earnings earned for the last 24 years in a row, without exceeding the actual length of service.
The minimum size for it is set:
- by age - 25% of the highest living wage approved for the last two quarters;
- in case of loss of a breadwinner - 100%, for orphans - 200%;
- for disability: groups I and II - 100%, for group III - 50%, for heroine mothers (regardless of the disability group) - 100% of the minimum old-age pension;
- seniority pensions - 100%.
For those with minimal labor pensions, the state pays extra 20% of the average earnings in Belarus.
The old-age pension must exceed the minimum for pension payments, approved by law, not lower than 55% of the average pensioner's earnings per month.
Social pension
This is a type of benefits calculated from the maximum living wage for the last 2 quarters in the following amounts:
- 110% - disabled people of group I, including disabled people from childhood;
- 95% - disabled people from childhood group II;
- 85% - disabled people of group II (excluding disabled people from childhood), children with the loss of a breadwinner for each child;
- 75% - disabled people of III group, including disabled people from childhood;
- 50% - men over 65, women - over 60;
- 80% - disabled children of I degree of loss of health, 85% - II degree, 95% - III degree, 110% - IV degree.
Recalculations
The government of Belarus intends to maintain pensions at a certain level. For this purpose, pensions are periodically recalculated. Reasons:
- an increase in the average monthly wage - at least once a year;
- change in the size of the living wage.
Registration procedure
Nobody is automatically given a pension. A citizen of the Republic of Belarus should apply to the bodies for labor, employment and social protection of the population with a corresponding statement.
The employer prepares and provides all documents for his employees. The unemployed must do everything himself.
The set of documents will depend on the type of pension payments. But for any of them, the original and a copy of the work book and a certificate of wages are required. You will also need an identity card: a passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus or a national passport and a residence permit for a foreign citizen.
This is a list of the main documents. If necessary, others are also presented: military ID, documents on obtaining education, birth certificates of children, etc. A complete list can be clarified with the social protection authority at the place of residence.
All of the above documents (originals) are attached to the application. After reviewing them, the owner will receive all the papers back.
Results and prospects of pension reform
The past two years have yielded results. True, the population did not feel them. The size of pension benefits and the standard of living of elderly people have not changed significantly. But the labor market felt the consequences. Thanks to those who are now recognized as able-bodied (they already have a job and are unlikely to leave it), career prospects at home turned out to be "closed" for young specialists. We will have to forget about the renewal of personnel in the national economy of Belarus for ten years.
The retirement age is being raised in all European countries. They raised it in the Republic of Belarus as well. But, keeping pensioners in the market, it is necessary to create new jobs, provide more opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. Will this help save the economy from a "pension" overload and at the same time provide everyone with a decent old age?
“It is impossible to completely eradicate the problem by increasing age. The pension system really needs to be changed. It is advisable to switch to mixed - solidary plus accumulative "(Valery Borodenya, deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus)
Many people, whose age is close to retirement, are interested in the question of what kind of pension is established in Belarus today, how it is calculated and what is new in this area. Let's try to understand the problem and give an exhaustive answer to these questions.
Pension in Belarus
All issues related to pension provision in Belarus are regulated by Law No. 1596-XII, adopted back in 1992, as well as by some additional laws and by-laws.
According to the legislation, there are two types of pension charges:
- social;
- labor.
To obtain each of them, a number of necessary conditions are put forward. In addition, at least once a year (or more often), in accordance with the Presidential Decree, retirement benefits are recalculated. A prerequisite for receiving payments is the payment of insurance premiums, which are withheld from each able-bodied citizen for a certain period and are transferred to the state social security fund.
Labor retirement benefit is charged to all citizens of the country upon reaching a certain age. It is formed on the basis of the applicant's work experience and the number of insurance contributions made by him during the period of labor activity. Those citizens who, for one reason or another, have not been able to gain experience and are unable to work, are entitled to a social pension.
An increase in pensions in Belarus is also possible through insurance of additional pension payments, which is carried out on a voluntary basis. Such services are provided by the country's insurance companies. It is not only the citizen himself who can take care of the formation of the additional part of the pension, but also the organization in which he works. 
Types of pension provision
As in other countries, the size of the pension in Belarus directly depends on what kind of payment you are applying for, how old you are and how your relationship with the social insurance fund developed.
There are such options for pension payments:
According to the age.
As a general rule, such a pension can be claimed by men and women whose age exceeds 60 and 55 years, respectively, who have worked for the benefit of the state for at least 25 (20) years. In some cases, exceptions are possible. Before the deadline, those whose working conditions were found to be harmful or difficult go on a well-deserved rest. The relief also applies to workers in transport, agricultural, textile and some other areas of activity.
According to the length of service.
This list includes some employees in the medical field, education, sports or creative activities. Also, the length of service can be used when calculating pensions for citizens employed in aviation or flight test units.
Disability.
To assign this type of pension at the time of the onset of disability, you also need to have a minimum experience:
- 1 year - for persons under 23 years old;
- 2 years - for those over 23 but under 26;
- 3 years - from 26 to 31 and so on.
An old-age pension is also offered for people who have been disabled since childhood. The length of service for them is set on an equal basis with healthy citizens (25 and 20 years), but the age from which one can apply for payment is reduced by 5 years - 55 and 50 years for men and women, respectively.
For special services.
The procedure for calculating such payments, as well as all issues related to the receipt of such a pension, are regulated by the Council of Ministers.
Loss of the breadwinner.
This type of payments is due to disabled citizens who are dependent, if they are recognized as having lost their breadwinner or the latter is missing.
Retirement age
This is a very important and controversial issue for those who are entitled to a pension in Belarus. The age for retirement today is 55 for women and 60 for the stronger sex. 
But starting next year, it will start steadily increasing. Every year this figure will increase by 6 months and by 2022 it will reach 58 years for women and 63 years for the male part of the country's population.
Of course, this reform is not to the liking of many, but it is due to good reasons. The fact is that today the growing number of pensioners has led to a high burden on the country's budget. Quite a large part of the working-age population is increasingly leaving to work abroad and, accordingly, does not pay taxes within the country. All these factors lead to a decrease in GDP per capita and a recession in the country's economy.
Retirement experience
In 2016, the retirement pension in Belarus will be accrued to those who, upon reaching the appropriate age, have a work experience of at least 15 years and 6 months. But from 2017 this indicator will also grow steadily by 6 months annually. By 2025, the minimum length of service for receiving pension payments in Belarus will reach 20 years. If all of the above is systematized a little, then it will look like this:
| Year | Age (men), years | Age (women), years | Minimum work experience, years |
| 2017 | 60,5 | 55,5 | 16 |
| 2018 | 61 | 56 | 16,5 |
| 2019 | 61,5 | 56,5 | 17 |
| 2020 | 62 | 57 | 17,5 |
| 2021 | 62,5 | 57,5 | 18 |
| 2022 | 63 | 58 | 18,5 |
| 2023 | 63 | 58 | 19 |
| 2024 | 63 | 58 | 19,5 |
| 2025 | 63 | 58 | 20 |
If it was not possible to earn the required work experience, then payments will be made in the presence of at least 10 years of work. Such a pension will be calculated taking into account the actual hours worked. Moreover, it cannot be less than half of the minimum old-age pension.
Calculation of pension and its size
The minimum pension in Belarus is really small. Its size is a quarter of the cost of living, taken for the two previous quarters.
The minimum pension payment for disabled people of the first and second groups is 100% of the smallest pension payment by age, and for disabled people of the third group, this indicator is reduced by 50%. Heroine mothers also receive 100% of the minimum wage by age. The same applies to seniority retirees.
The old-age pension is defined as 55% of the average monthly earnings, adjusted for Article 56. The calculation is carried out in accordance with the established norms, as a percentage of the actual salary, which was accrued before applying for a retirement benefit.
Those 10% that do not exceed 130% of the average state wage are taken into account in full, and each subsequent 10% is multiplied, respectively, by a coefficient from 0.9 to 0.1 (taken from 90 to 10%). Salary from 130-400% is taken into account at the rate of 10%. The amount that will be obtained as a result of the calculations is considered earnings for calculating the pension payment.
Thus, the following factors influence the amount of the pension benefit:
- experience;
- the amount of earnings;
- years of work in excess of experience;
- sphere of work.
The change (recalculation) of the calculated indicators can be made in the following cases:
- change in the living wage;
- an increase in the average salary by 15 percent or more;
- gaining the necessary experience for citizens who did not have it;
- change in the type of retirement benefit.
A little about points
As you already understood, the pension in Belarus is calculated according to a rather complicated scheme, one of the components of which is the personal pension coefficient. A certain number of points is awarded for each fully worked year. By the time you retire, you need to recruit at least three dozen. However, this scheme can be fully implemented only by 2025.
Various nuances
Who will not be affected by an increase in seniority? As always, this increase does not apply to those applying for a disability pension, mothers with many children, those with disabilities from childhood and their caregivers. For all these categories, it will still be sufficient to work at least 5 years.
How is seniority considered? The calculation takes into account only the time when deductions to the social insurance fund were actually made from the employee's salary. For example, the army, training or decree will not be taken into account.
If there is no seniority, for such citizens the pension in Belarus can only be social. It is equal to half the cost of living. At the same time, men will be able to receive even such a small allowance only from the age of 65, and women upon reaching the age of 60.
Foreigners will pay too. From this year, compulsory social insurance applies to foreigners and stateless persons living and working in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
Differences between the pension systems of Russia and Belarus
In fact, there are not many differences in the pension systems of the two countries. In both Russia and Belarus, a pension is charged upon reaching a certain age, provided that a person has the required amount of contributions to the social insurance fund. Also, in both countries, people with disabilities, disabled persons and citizens who do not have sufficient work experience are entitled to receive a small allowance.
By and large, the main differences are that the pension in Belarus depends mainly on the length of service and the amount of insurance premiums. In Russia, the defining indicator is pension capital. In addition, it can be noted that in Belarus the procedure for calculating pension payments for citizens working in difficult conditions is made according to a slightly different scheme.