Proven help: Putin promised to solve the problem of social support for large families

The Russian president promised to solve the problem of large families who cannot receive social support due to allegedly too high income on December 19 during the "Results of the Year", which are summed up in a direct line format combined with a press conference. Vladimir Putin stressed that this state of affairs demotivates parents to earn money. He called what was happening a mistake by the government and instructed the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet to look into the situation. The cases when families do not receive benefits due to the fact that their income is 50-100 rubles higher than the prescribed amount can be considered massive, the experts interviewed confirmed. About what may change in the system of social state support for families with children — in the material of Izvestia.

"Trying to get some income at the expense of large families looks immoral"

Gulnara Bayazitova, a resident of the village of Abalak in the Tyumen region, a mother of six children and expecting another one, appealed to the president to help her family get benefits. Now their total income exceeds the lower threshold by 100 or 50 rubles, depending on the month. A mother with many children explained that she works as an assistant teacher in a kindergarten with a salary of 27 thousand rubles, her husband is a driver, he receives 50-80 thousand rubles, and goes to work in the city.

— We have six children, we are waiting for replenishment. We participate in all competitions, in all contests. We are an active family, we have the TRP signs, everyone has gold: the children, me, and my husband. But for 11 years, as a mother with many children, I have been on welfare once," the woman said. — We don't have a travel card, food, a camp, we don't have anything, we don't have communal services, nothing.

According to the mother of many children, she and her husband work a lot: they take part-time jobs and keep their household. They expect that the state will also provide support to their family.

As labor income increases, government support immediately decreases, Vladimir Putin agreed.

— The funds that you received when your labor income was lower, they are immediately reduced, — said the president. — It turns out, it's pointless to work. This discourages people from working. I think this is a mistake on the part of the government. I am sure the Ministry of Finance and the government will hear what we are saying now.

He noted that in such a situation, "there is no savings."

"Trying to get some income at the expense of large families looks immoral," Vladimir Putin stressed.

The Head of State noted that starting from January 1, 2026, of the 13% of personal income tax paid, 7%, or most of it, will be refunded to families with modest incomes. If family incomes are lower, then additional support is provided for each child. He also recalled that Russian citizens can count on benefits when paying for utilities if these expenses exceed the threshold of 22% of their total income. Vladimir Putin added that the figure may vary in some regions. Thus, Muscovites can receive state support if their housing and communal services expenses exceed 10% of their total income.

"Any action, no matter what the state does, we must always think about how it will affect the lives and incomes of families with children," Vladimir Putin said, stressing that Russia's policy is based around their support.

Izvestia has requested comment from the Russian government, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance.

"The only issue is budget constraints, and there are no other excuses for this."

During the direct line, another burning question was raised — child care benefits are paid until they reach the age of one and a half years, and maternity leave lasts for three years. As a result, mothers cannot go to work: they only take kindergarten from the age of three, and there are not enough nurseries everywhere. Young mothers have asked Vladimir Putin to extend the payment of benefits until the child reaches the age of three.

— The only issue is budget constraints, and there are no other excuses for this. That's just the point. Of course, the government will have to think about how to solve such problems in general," Vladimir Putin said.

The Head of State added that a program of renovation of kindergartens is currently underway. According to him, it would be more correct to immediately decide on the creation of additional nursery groups. In addition, it is necessary to increase the opening hours of kindergartens and nurseries, as they can now close at 18:00, but for this it is necessary to increase the number of teachers and tutors.

The title of "Mother Heroine" was equated to the status of "Hero of Labor," Vladimir Putin noted, giving women the same set of benefits. In addition, moms are now awarded retirement points for all children, not just the first three. Russia will continue to prepare and implement a system of measures to support families with children, the president assured.

"A family should not feel a decrease in the level of prosperity when a child is born"

According to Vladimir Putin, Russia needs to have a fertility rate (the number of children per woman of childbearing age) It was at least 2%, now it is 1.4%.

— This is a very difficult task. Of course, a lot has to do with the financial situation of families. Of course, the family should not feel a decrease in the level of prosperity when a child is born. These are very important components," the head of state noted.

The state has allocated 75 billion rubles to support the population in those regions where the birth rate requires special attention, the head of state noted.

According to Vladimir Putin, motherhood and fatherhood should become fashionable. Now a woman first wants to get an education, then take the first steps in her career, as a result of which she gives birth to her first child at the age of 30, Vladimir Putin noted. She no longer has enough energy for a second child.

— We have done and will continue to do everything to support the attitude of young people to start families as early as possible, to have children. This is a very delicate process. <...> — said Vladimir Putin. — The material component is very important, but even more important is the state of mind and understanding of simple human happiness.

"Due to a slight excess, the family completely loses the right to help"

The criteria for benefits for large families are often set too formally, without taking into account the real life circumstances of Russians, State Duma deputy Natalia Poluyanova told Izvestia.

— Due to the minimal excess of income thresholds, people lose the right to receive full assistance. The revision of restrictions will make measures targeted and fair, maintain support for those who really need it, and strengthen social protection for large families, including in rural areas," the parliamentarian noted.

The Russian government is focused on helping large families, State Duma deputy Yulia Ogloblina told Izvestia. According to her, in rural areas, their income can indeed exceed the minimum threshold by only 50-100 rubles.

— Due to a slight excess, the family completely loses the right to assistance, this is unfair, because, as the president said, the birth of a child should become fashionable, — she said.

This situation is widespread, Sergei Rybalchenko, chairman of the commission of the Russian Public Chamber on demography, protection of family, children and traditional family values, told Izvestia.

— As soon as the family's labor income increases, related, for example, to wage growth, and the average per capita income becomes higher than the subsistence minimum in the region, the family loses the right to receive a single benefit. It hurts the budget," he stressed.

The Civic Chamber regularly receives similar appeals from different regions of Russia.

— All appeals are related to the fact that any conditions do not allow families to apply for a single benefit, or the family was refused, — said Sergey Rybalchenko.

In his opinion, all large families should receive additional payments. As an example, he cited the Sakhalin Region, where they have been paying a fixed amount per child for more than a decade.

— Today, the payment there is 2.5 thousand rubles for each child in the family, regardless of income. According to our surveys, families highly appreciate such support," he added.

In addition, a mother with many children complained to the president that she did not receive subsidies for housing and communal services. According to Sergey Rybalchenko, the situation is related to the fact that in the region the decree of the President of the Russian Federation on measures to support large families is being implemented in this part only for low-income families.

— To date, 46 regions have already implemented the presidential decree, including measures to subsidize housing and communal services for all large families, regardless of income level. The transition to this principle is an urgent need," he said.

Natalia Karpovich, the head of the Moscow Association of Large Families, also speaks about the prevalence of the problem.

— The situation is absolutely abnormal. We have a lot of such refusals when, due to an increase in income of literally 100 rubles, a family loses benefits. In my opinion, government ministries and departments need to fully review support for large families," she told Izvestia.

According to her, a number of regions have already abolished property criteria that deprive families of payments.

— All support from the state should come not from the income level, but take into account the quality of life of a large family and the protection of the interests of parents and children. It is necessary to work out a system for removing criteria of neediness," she noted.

The approach to benefits payments for mothers needs to be made more equitable, says Tatyana Butskaya, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family Protection, Fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood.

— No matter what level we set, there will always be a family that will have a little more than the required minimum income. For example, the public organization "Council of Mothers" proposed such a solution to this situation — if a family's income is exceeded by 100 rubles, then it would be fairer to pay them an allowance with a deduction of these 100 rubles," she said.

There are 2.9 million large families in Russia, Anton Kotyakov, the head of the Ministry of Labor, said in November at the Krasnoyarsk Demographic Forum. Together, 9.2 million children are raised in these families. A single benefit is provided only to those whose total income does not exceed the subsistence level. The excess amount is not important in this case.