Putin signs off on cash payments for pensioners ahead of State Duma election

Ahead of Russia’s parliamentary election, President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on a one-time cash payment for pensioners in the amount of 10,000 rubles (about $135).

According to the decree, the territorial bodies of Russia’s Pension Fund will be responsible for handing out the payments in September. 

Putin proposed handing out cash payments to pensioners and military personnel during a meeting with parliamentary candidates from the ruling party, United Russia, on August 22. The Russian president suggested giving military personnel a one-time payment, on average, of approximately 15,000 rubles ($200) “at the end of the year.”

Update. On August 24, Interfax reported that Putin suggested handing out 15,000-ruble cash payments to cadets from military schools and law enforcement officers, as well as military personnel.

According to the head of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes Andrey Makarov, these one-time payments will cost the budget more than 500 billion rubles ($6.77 billion).

The cash payments were announced one month before Russia’s State Duma election, which is set to take place from September 17–19.