Maternity capital

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Maternity capital or family capital is a measure of state support for Russian families raising children. This support has been provided since January 1, 2007, at the birth or adoption of a child who has Russian citizenship. This payment can be obtained only once during a child's life, and it can be spent only toward purchasing a new family residence, building a new family residence, repairing/improving/expanding the existing family residence, downpayment for a mortgage, repayment of the mortgage principal and of the interest, payments related to family membership in a condominium, as well as on the child's education.

History

The introduction of maternity capital was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 10, 2006, during his address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The program was developed on the basis of data from the 2002 Population Census, which recognized a significant decline in the birth rate. All-Russian Population Census-2021, and most families were limited to one child – in 1992-2006, the share of firstborns reached 60%, and throughout the 1990s it was not only the lowest among the CIS countries but also one of the lowest in the world (in those years, the birth rate was 8-9 children per 1000 people).

Years	Amount of maternity capital for the first child, ₽	Amount of maternity capital funds for the second or subsequent children, ₽	Total amount of maternity capital funds, ₽	Source	Note
2007		250 000,00	250 000,00
2008		276 250,00	276 250,00	Part 1 of Article 11 of 198-FZ of 24.07.2007[ 1]	+10,5 %; инфляция за 2007 г. 11,87 %
2009		312 162,50	312 162,50	Part 1 of Article 11 of 204-FZ of 24.11.2008[ 2]	+13 %; инфляция за 2008 г. 13,28 %
2010		343 378,80	343 378,80	Part 1 of Article 10 of 308-FZ of 02.12.2009[ 3]	+10%; инфляция за 2009 г. 8,80 %
2011		365 698,40	365 698,40	Part 1 of Article 10 of 357-FZ of 13.12.2010[ 4]	+6,5 %; инфляция за 2010 г. 8,78 %
2012		387 640,30	387 640,30	Part 1 of Article 10 of 371-FZ of 30.11.2011[ 5]	+6%; инфляция за 2011 г. 6,10 %
2013		408 960,50	408 960,50	Part 1 of Article 10 of 216-FZ of 03.12.2012[ 6]	+5,5 %; инфляция за 2012 г. 6,58 %
2014		429 408,50	429 408,50	Part 1 of Article 9 of 349-FZ of 02.12.2013[ 7]	+5 %; inflation in 2013 was 6.45 %
2015		453 026,00	453 026,00	Federal Law No. 384-FZ of 01.12.2014. [8]	+5,5 %; Inflation in 2014 was 11.36%
2016		453 026,00	453 026,00	Federal Law of 14.12.2015 No. 359-FZ[ 9]	In accordance with Article 4.1 of the Federal Law of 06.04.2015 No. 68-FZ, in 2016 the amount of maternity capital was not indexed[ 10][ 11].
2017		453 026,00	453 026,00	Federal Law No. 415-FZ of 19.12.2016
2018		453 026,00	453 026,00 Federal Law No. 444-FZ of 19.12.2016
2019		453 026,00	453 026,00
2020	466 617,00	616,617.00 (first child born before 31 December 2019), 150,000.00 (first child born since 1 January 2020)	616 617,00	Federal Law of 01.03.2020 No. 35-FZ
2021	483 882,00	639 432,00 / 155 550,00	639 431,00 Federal Law No. 385-FZ of 08.12.2020	+3,7%; Inflation for 2020 was 4.91%
2022	524 527,90	693 144,10 / 168 616,20	693 144,10 Federal Law of 06.12.2021 No. 390-ФЗ	+8,4%; Inflation for 2021 was 8.39%
2023	586 946,00	775 628,00 / 188 681,00	775 628,00 Federal Law of 05.12.2022 No. 466-ФЗ	+11.9%; Inflation for 2022 was 11.94%
2024	630 400,00	833 000,00 / 202 643,90	833 000,00 Federal Law of 27.11.2023 No. 540-ФЗ	+7,4%; Inflation for 2023 was 7.42%

From 01.01.2018 to 01.01.2020, maternity capital was not indexed (as Part 2 of Article 6 of Federal Law No. 256-FZ of 29.12.2006, regarding the indexation of the amount of maternity capital, was suspended by Federal Law No. 444-FZ of 19.12.2016).

From 01.01.2020 to 01.01.2027, maternity capital is indexed annually, on January 1 of each year, by the amount of inflation. The period for issuing a certificate and the period for receiving money were reduced (to 5 and 10 days, respectively).

On September 29, 2022, the head of the Ministry of Labor Anton Kotyakov announced that on February 1, 2023, maternity capital would be indexed to the level of actual inflation. Therefore, the amount of maternity capital for the first child was increased to 589.5 thousand rubles (ca. 7,600 US$), and for the second to 779 thousand rubles (ca. 9,990 US$).

In February 2024, Vladimir Putin extended the maternity capital program until 2030. According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, this will require 600 billion rubles (6.48 bln. US$).

According to the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, about 1.7 trillion rubles have been allocated for the payment of maternity capital to improve the housing provision of families with children in the period from 2025 to 2027. In addition, 4 trillion rubles are provided for the payment of a single benefit during these three years.

Who is eligible to maternity capital

In accordance with the current legislation, the following individuals have the right to receive maternity capital:

• a woman who has citizenship of the Russian Federation, who has given birth (adopted) the first (from January 1, 2020), second, third, or subsequent children starting from January 1, 2007);
• a man who has citizenship of the Russian Federation, who is the sole adopter of the first (from January 1, 2020), second, third, or subsequent children starting from January 1, 2007);
• the father (adoptive parent) of the child, regardless of citizenship of the Russian Federation, in the event of termination of the right to additional measures of state support for a woman who has given birth to (or adopted) children, as a result of, for example, death, deprivation of parental rights in relation to the child in connection with whose birth (or adoption) the right to receive maternity capital arose, or the commission of an intentional crime against the child (or children);
• a minor child (children in equal shares) or a full-time student until they reach the age of 23, when the right to additional measures of state support for the father (adoptive parent) or the woman who is the only parent (adoptive parent) is terminated.

In confirmation of the right to receive maternity capital funds, a state-recognized certificate is issued.

In December 2023, Vladimir Putin signed a law that clarified the conditions for obtaining maternity capital. From January 1, 2024, it is paid only to persons who have Russian citizenship at the time of the child's birth and only when this child is a Russian citizen by birth. Residents of new regions are paid maternity capital regardless of the time and basis for obtaining Russian citizenship.

From February 1, 2024, the amount of maternity capital for the first child has been increased by 43,400 rubles to 639,400 rubles, for the second by 57,400 rubles to 883,000 rubles. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in 2023, 677,000 families spent this benefit on improving housing conditions, 415,000 on monthly payments for a child, and 376,000.

Purposes of spending maternity capital

Maternity capital can be spent for the following purposes:

Improvement of housing conditions

• purchase of residential premises;
• construction or reconstruction of an individual housing construction facility with the involvement of a construction organization;
• construction or reconstruction of an individual housing construction facility without the involvement of a construction organization;
• compensation for the costs of the built or reconstructed individual housing construction facility;
• payment of the down payment when obtaining a credit (loan), including a mortgage, for the purchase or construction of housing;
• repayment of the principal debt and payment of interest on credits or loans for the purchase or construction of housing, including mortgages;
• payment of the price under the agreement for participation in shared construction;
• payment for the entrance fee and (or) share contribution, if the certificate holder or his/her spouse is a member of a housing, housing construction, or housing savings cooperative.

Getting an education

• payment for paid educational services under educational programs that have state accreditation;
• payment for the maintenance of a child (children) and (or) supervision and care for a child (children) in an educational organization;
• payment for the use of housing and utilities in the dormitory provided by the educational organization for the period of study.

Social Adaptation and Integration of Disabled Children into Society

• Purchase of goods and services intended for the social adaptation and integration of children with disabilities into society;

Mother's pension savings - in order to increase the future pension, the funds (part of the funds) of the maternity capital, at the request of a woman (man) who has received a certificate, can be included in the pension savings and transferred to the trust management of a non-state pension fund, Vnesheconombank, or a private management company. An application for the disposal of maternity capital can be submitted to any territorial body of the Social Fund of Russia, regardless of the place of residence (stay) or actual residence, in person, through a personal account on the State Services portal, or at the MFC. If the maternity capital was invested in pension savings, when it is transferred to the long-term savings program, the maternity capital is returned to the Social Fund of Russia. In the future, it will be possible to dispose of it again.

As a general rule, maternity capital can be used after the child reaches the age of three. Except for cases of payment of a down payment, repayment of the principal debt and payment of interest on credits or loans for the purchase or construction of housing, including mortgages, as well as for social adaptation and integration of a disabled child into society. For these purposes, it is allowed to spend funds immediately after receiving the certificate. Maternity capital cannot be deposited or spent, for example, on a car or repayment of current debts on consumer loans and utilities. To protect family capital from unjustified embezzlement by parents, the cashing of state certificates is prohibited by law.

In 2022, the most popular area for the use of maternity capital was the improvement of housing conditions. The Social Fund of the Russian Federation allocated 335.7 billion rubles or 88% of the total amount of expenditures for these purposes. 20 billion rubles, or about 5%, was allocated to the education of children.

Documents to be submitted for obtaining a maternity capital certificate

To obtain a maternity capital certificate, the following package of documents must be submitted to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR):

• Application for a certificate;
• Applicant's passport;
• Birth certificates of all children;
• For adopted children – a court decision on their adoption;
• If one of the parents is not a citizen of Russia, then a document confirming the child's Russian citizenship will be required (as affixed by the passport and visa services).

In order to receive maternity capital, you need to collect a complete list of documents, which should then be taken to the Pension Fund branch.

According to the law, a copy of the documents is submitted to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, and the originals are in the hands of the mother. In the event that all the documents are in order, the mother receives a certificate within one month at the latest. In the event that a woman does not have the opportunity to personally come to the Pension Fund, it can be sent to her by mail.

You can apply for a certificate electronically through the Personal Account of a citizen on the PFR website.

Payment for residential premises purchased using maternity capital

The owner of maternity capital must apply to the territorial body of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR) with a written application for the disposal of funds (part of the funds) of maternity capital with the presentation of a certificate for maternity capital (duplicate), insurance certificate of compulsory pension insurance, identity documents (passport, etc.), copies of the contract of sale of residential premises, copies of the certificate of ownership of real estate of the certificate owner (and/or spouse of the certificate owner, all children), certificates of the amount of the remaining unpaid amount under the contract, if the purchase and sale of residential premises is carried out with installment payment.

The transaction can be carried out by the spouse of the certificate holder; then a marriage certificate must also be attached to the documents.

Maternity capital funds are transferred only in non-cash form, to the seller's account. The bank in which the account must be opened can be any. It must be opened, since its number is indicated by the owner of the maternity capital certificate when submitting an application to the territorial body of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation. The deadline for transferring money is no more than one month and 10 working days from the date of applying to the territorial body of the PFR with an application for disposal.

Paying for children's education

Maternity capital funds can be spent on the education of your children. This is the second most popular direction after the improvement of housing conditions. The rules are the same: these funds can be used only after the child is three years old.

Maternity capital funds can be used for a child's stay and (or) education in educational institutions that have the appropriate state accreditation, for example, for a kindergarten, preschool institution, or school. In this case, it does not matter whether they are private or public. However, it should be noted that private institutions independently make decisions on working with maternity capital, at their discretion.

Also, maternity capital funds can be used to accommodate a child in a dormitory at an educational institution.

Mother's funded pension

At the request of a woman (man) who has received a certificate, the funds (part of the funds) of the maternity (family) capital can be included in the pension savings and transferred to the trust management of the management company or to a non-state pension fund, at the choice of the parent.

Women who initially chose this option for the use of maternity (family) capital funds can subsequently change their choice for the disposal of maternity (family) funds in other areas (improvement of housing conditions, education of a child, or social adaptation and integration of children with disabilities into society). To do this, it is necessary to send to the territorial body Social Fund of Russia at the place of residence (stay) or actual residence an application for refusal to direct the MSC funds, or part of them, to form a future funded pension. The main thing is to do this before the pension is assigned. When participating in the PDS, the sending of additional documents is not required.

Social Adaptation and Integration of Disabled Children into Society

Maternity capital funds, or part of its funds, can be used to purchase goods and services for the social adaptation and integration of children with disabilities into society, by compensating for the costs of purchasing such goods and services.

Funds can be directed both to a natural disabled child and to an adopted child, including the first, second, third disabled child or subsequent disabled children at any time after the birth or adoption of a child, with the birth or adoption of which the right to receive a certificate arose.

Before visiting the Social Fund of Russia, parents of a disabled child apply to a medical organization to fill out a referral for medical and social expertise.

Additional information about maternity capital

• the initial amount of maternity capital in 2007 was 250 thousand rubles, which was equivalent to 10 thousand dollars at the weighted average annual exchange rate;
• a change in the amount of maternity capital does not entail the replacement of the certificate;
• the period when one can apply to Social Fund of Russia with an application for the issuance of a state certificate for maternity (family) capital after the birth of the second (third or subsequent children) is not limited;
• An application for the disposal of funds (or part of the funds) of maternity capital can be submitted at any time after 3 years. In addition, if it is necessary to pay an initial payment, repay the principal debt, and pay interest on credits or loans for the purchase or construction of housing, including mortgages, as well as for social adaptation and integration into society of a disabled child, without waiting for the second child to reach the age of three;
• maternity capital is exempt from personal income tax;
• maternity capital is provided not to a specific child, but to his parents;
• The certificate is valid only upon presentation of an identity document. The certificate is terminated in the event of the death of the owner or the termination of their right to additional measures of state support. In case of loss of the certificate, a duplicate can be obtained from the territorial body Social Fund of Russia.
• you can apply for a certificate to the territorial body SFR at the place of residence, at the place of stay or actual residence;
• an application for the issuance of a certificate and documents to the territorial body Social Fund of Russia can be submitted through an authorized person or sent by mail;
• maternity capital funds can be used to pay for a child's stay in a preschool institution or school (since December 2011);
• Officially, the maternity capital program is valid until 31.12.2018 (Part 1 of Article 13 of the Federal Law of 29.12.2006 No 256-FZ "On Additional Measures of State Support for Families with Children"), but the authorities have repeatedly stated the effectiveness of this policy and that in the future such support for young families will continue. The program has now been extended until December 31, 2026.

Property Requirements

The requirements for the use of maternity capital in order to improve housing conditions are described in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 12.12.2007 No. 862[ 14]. At the moment, the legislation of the Russian Federation contains only one requirement for a real estate object purchased for the purpose of improving housing conditions – the object must be located on the territory of Russia.

Forecasts and projects

• The President of Russia D. Medvedev instructed the Government of the Russian Federation to prepare proposals on the possibility of using maternity capital funds for the education of mothers, but the developed bill was never considered by the State Duma.
• In 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev set the task of introducing Regional maternity capital, which will be financed from the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
• Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed a "double tax deduction for children".
• Both parents will be able to use maternity capital to pay for any education, not only the one for whom the certificate is issued. The same opportunity will be given to any legal representative of the child (guardian, adoptive parent) and even the child himself upon reaching the age of majority.

Outlook for 2025

On March 6, 2024, a group of State Duma deputies from several factions developed a bill proposing to increase maternity capital, taking into account the rate of inflation and rising housing prices. According to the document, the amount of maternity capital from February 1, 2025, will amount to 756.7 thousand rubles for the first child and 1 million rubles for the second, as well as 1 million rubles for the third, provided that the right to additional measures of state support did not arise earlier.

During his address to the Federal Assembly, he proposed extending the maternity capital program until at least 2030.

Implementation

Registration of recipients and the issuance of relevant certificates is carried out by Social Fund of Russia.

The expenses of the Pension Fund of Russia on maternity capital amounted to (by years, official reports of the Pension Fund of Russia and the Social Fund of Russia):

• 2010 — 97 billion rubles;
• 2011 — 171 billion rubles;
• 2012 — 212 billion rubles;
• 2013 — 237 billion rubles;
• 2014 — 271 billion rubles;
• 2015 — 329 billion rubles;
• 2016 — 365 billion rubles;
• 2017 — 312 billion rubles;
• 2018 — 302.3 billion rubles.;
• 2019 — 291.5 billion rubles;
• 2020 — 317.9 billion rubles;
• 2021 — 399 billion rubles;
• 2022 — 381.9 billion rubles;
• 2023 — 456 billion rubles

Impact of the program on increasing fertility

Main articles: Aging of Russia, Ageing of Europe, and Demographic ageing

Суммарный коэффициент рождаемости в России в 1980−2019 годах

Суммарный коэффициент рождаемости по федеральным округам России в 1990—2019 годах

The maternity capital program has dramatically increased the birth rate in the country – if in 2006, 1,479,637 children were born in Russia, then in 2014 there were already 1,942,683 children. The birth rate grew especially rapidly in 2007-2009, when 200,000-300,000 more children were born than in 2006. The next significant increase in the birth rate was in 2012 due to the introduction of regional maternity capital in a significant part of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation – if in 2011, 1,796,629 children were born, then in 2012, 1,902,084 children were born. In total, during the period of the maternity capital program (in 2007–2019) and other forms of social support introduced in the regions, an additional 3,781,674 children were born. The total fertility rate increased from 10.3 in 2006 to 13.3 in 2012 and 2014-2015, and from 1.305 in 2006 to 1.777 children per woman in 2015. It was thanks to significant measures of social support that Russia managed to achieve natural population growth in 2013-2015, which amounted to 86,387 people in three years. In 2007-2016 (the first 10 years of the program), an additional 4,591,144 children were born compared to the period 1997-2006 – if 10 years before the introduction of the program in Russia, 13,650,086 children were born, then in the next decade, 18,241,230 children were born. Before the introduction of maternity capital, 1.2 million to 1.5 million children were born annually in the country (minimum 1,214,689 in 1999), and after the introduction, 1.6 million to 1.9 million (maximum 1,942,683 in 2014) in 2007-2018. According to demographer Alexei Raksha, maternity capital gave another 2.5 million children born to the second and subsequent ones. To maintain the population in Russia at the same level (population reproduction, excluding migration), a total fertility rate of about 2.1 births per woman during her lifetime is needed.

Total fertility rates by birth order in 1999–2020
(the years of the maternity capital program and children covered by the program are highlighted in green)

Year	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
TFR (in Russia)	1,157	1,195	1,223	1,286	1,320	1,344	1,294	1,305	1,416	1,502	1,542	1,567	1,582	1,691	1,707	1,750	1,777	1,762	1,621	1,579	1,504	1,495
First	0,677	0.702	0.720	0.745	0.766	0.768	0.737	0.753	0.754	0.781	0.801	0.786	0.781	0.809	0.811	0.799	0.787
the second	0,345	0.358	0.369	0.396	0.415	0.420	0.405	0.408	0.473	0.512	0.534	0.564	0.574	0.620	0.625	0.658	0.688
still others	0,089	0.092	0.090	0.099	0.105	0,105	0.100	0,100	0.125	0.143	0.147	0.156	0.165	0.189	0.198	0.212	0.219
fourth	0,027	0.026	0.027	0.028	0.029	0,029	0.028	0.027	0.034	0.037	0.038	0.040	0.041	0.047	0.049	0.053	0.055
fifth and subsequent	0,019	0.018	0,018	0.019	0,019	0.018	0.017	0.016	0.020	0,020	0.021	0,021	0.022	0.025	0,025	0.027	0.028

Analysis and criticism

In 2007, Boris Nemtsov stated that the maternity capital program is aimed at increasing the birth rate mainly in lumpen families (alcoholics, non-working citizens), as well as in Muslim regions such as Chechnya, Dagestan, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, where the birth rate is already high. The measures taken will not affect the birth rate in regions with a predominantly Russian population.

According to Rostislav Kapelyushnikov, chief researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences: "... According to the UN forecast, by 2050 the share of people aged 65+ in the world may double, and by 2100 it may triple and reach almost 30%. All countries will age at different rates, and no one today knows how society and the economy will be able to adapt to this process. In a world where one in three is a pensioner, one working person will have to support several non-working fellow citizens, which is fraught with a drop in living standards. And the favorable time has already passed when solidarity systems could be replaced at minimal cost by alternative structures combining elements of funded and private pension schemes. The states of the world are raising the retirement age, although it is clear that it is impossible to raise it indefinitely. Contributions to state social funds are increasing. But it is known that taxes on wages hinder the growth of wages themselves. An analysis of the economic statistics of 21 developed countries for 1990-2007 showed that each additional percentage point of increase in the share of elderly people corresponded to a drop in the annual GDP growth rate by 0.14%. But at the same time, no one knows what level of population aging will become critically dangerous. Migration can only slow down the process. After all, yesterday's migrants will also get old. Population aging is the inevitable future of all humanity. Programs to stimulate the birth rate will not give the desired effect. The benefits that governments give to families can have a positive impact on the quality of the younger generation – their health and education, but not on their quantity – at least in the long run. In Russia, maternity capital increased the birth rate only for a short time. And then the statistics went down again. Women did not give birth more, but only accelerated the appearance of children."

According to the demographer Anatoly Vishnevsky, the state's stimulation of the birth of children only through the payment of benefits is an ineffective measure. The state should stimulate the improvement of living standards for Russian citizens, family well-being in a social and economic sense, access to quality medicine, and confidence in the future.

According to Anton Nikolaevich Balanov: "The increase in mortality in Russia coincided with the transition to reduced population reproduction. For modern families, the presence of 1-2 children is a serious factor that affects the economic situation and career opportunities. Therefore, stimulating the birth rate, for example, within the framework of maternity capital, has a limited effect. The introduction of this measure coincided with economic stabilization (due to high oil prices) and the arrival of children of childbearing age during the anti-alcohol campaign of the 1980s. It is necessary to preserve the existing population by reducing the mortality rate. After all, the able-bodied population has decreased by almost 10 million people in the last 10 years alone."

See also

• Regional maternity capital
• Family capital (Belarus)

References

• "Caution! Maternity capital fraud". Pension Fund of the Russian Federation. 2012-07-19. Archived from the original on 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
• Olga Glazunova (2013-02-01). "In the Lipetsk region, a case of fraud with maternity capital was opened". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
• Ekaterina Donskikh (2013-04-03). "How to protect maternity capital from fraudsters?". Arguments and facts. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
• How to use maternity capital at home - instructions in 2022
• Maternity Capital Forum
• Maternity capital in 2023
• Maternity capital through a cooperative

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