The state must provide for its own citizens, guarantee their right to work, and also take care of their well-being in old age. In this article we will talk about military pensions, let's look at:
- what a military pensioner can count on when his retirement date comes;
- what criteria and factors determine the size of payments;
- what military experience should be for a pension today in Russia.
Which military personnel can be granted a long service pension?
Pensions for military personnel in Russia are regulated by Law No. 4468-1. Check out the list:
- employees of military units of the USSR;
- employees of the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation and the CIS, the Federal Border Service;
- employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its divisions;
- employees working in the penal system;
- military personnel performing their duties abroad in Russia, if the contract specifies a clause on the issuance of a pension at their place of residence;
- persons responsible for trafficking in drugs and psychoactive substances;
- persons who were in the ranks of the partisans during the USSR;
- persons who were in captivity;
- persons who were unfairly accused and were punished for this, and others.
All these individuals, according to the specified document, are entitled to state benefits.
Please note that all these categories of military personnel are entitled to a pension for length of service, even if they do not live in Russia, but in the former republics of the Soviet Union, which are currently not part of the CIS. However, there is one condition - these citizens should not receive a military pension from these states.
By the way, note that military service can sometimes include training time if:
- the serviceman is a member of the command staff or is an officer of the military department;
- The duration of study is no more than 5 years.
In such circumstances, one year of study time is equal to six months of military service.
State guarantees for reserve officers: support for housing issues
A reserve officer has the right to count on state support when resolving the housing issue. The volume of this assistance will depend on many factors - on the composition of the serviceman’s family and the living space available to him and his relatives. One of the most common instruments of government support on the issue under consideration is the issuance of special certificates. To clarify the scope of state support for housing, as well as the procedure for issuing certificates, it is recommended to contact the competent government structures - for example, municipal housing policy departments.
Two pensions instead of one: what time do military personnel retire?
A military pensioner may refuse to receive a military pension, opting for a regular one, assigned according to age and length of service. The state has provided for the possibility of obtaining a military pension, old-age payments, and seniority payments, combining them.
In order to be able to one day receive two pensions instead of one, that is, old-age payments and a military pension, a number of conditions must be met:
- A labor pension for the military will be issued to those categories of citizens who, upon completion of their military service, continued to work in a civilian manner, under a contract, and so on.
- The retirement age if a person continues to work will be sixty years for men and fifty-five for women.
- After completion of military service, a labor pension can be assigned additionally to those who have worked for at least five years in civilian life.
Working after completing his own military service, a person has the right to leave his current job at any time. However, if he worked for less than five years, then he will have to be content exclusively with a military pension, even when the real age already corresponds to the retirement age. When calculating pension payments, the years that were taken into account when calculating a military pension will not be counted.
How to calculate a military pension yourself, what papers are needed for registration, there is information on our website.
Transport benefits for reserve officers
Military personnel transferred to the reserve have the right to enjoy significant benefits in the use of transport. Among the main ones is the opportunity to travel for free by train, ships, planes to vacation spots and back - once a year. In addition, if a reserve officer needs to undergo inpatient treatment based on the conclusion of a special commission, then his travel to the appropriate medical institution is also paid for by the state.
Maximum length of military service
In 2014, the head of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin signed Federal Law No. 64, which approves provisions regarding the military. After 6 months, the law was established at the official level. For the most part, the changes affected the retirement age. So the following amendments were made:
- for the highest military ranks (marshal, army general, and so on), the maximum number of years suitable for this work has been established - 65 years (previously - 60 years, then the previous “limits” will be indicated in parentheses);
- for majors and lieutenants in the rank of general, deputy admirals and rear admirals - 60 years (55);
- for colonels and naval staff officers - 55 years (50);
- for women – 45 years;
- for the rest - 50 years (45).
The document allows the maximum service time to be increased to 65 years, in addition to the first category considered: for such persons, upon personal request, it is possible to increase it to 70 years. Take this into account when considering the privileges and differences of represented groups in this way.
It follows from this that the specified document No. 64 increased the retirement period of military personnel by 5 years.
Benefits for combat veterans
Many of the military retirees and officers transferred to the reserve have the status of combat veterans. Let's consider what benefits are guaranteed for them by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
In accordance with current legal regulations, combat veterans may enjoy the following privileges:
— compensation of 50% of expenses from the payment for residential premises, regardless of the specific type of housing stock;
— extraordinary receipt of medical care within the framework of government programs;
— pension benefits;
— receiving housing from the state in the manner prescribed by law;
— the ability to book a vacation at a convenient time;
— training in professional retraining courses at the expense of the employer;
— the ability to buy tickets for all types of transport out of turn;
- admission without competition to higher and secondary educational institutions, as well as the opportunity to receive special scholarships, which are guaranteed by the Government of the Russian Federation.
At what age and when do military personnel retire: retirement age
Military personnel can count on pension payments in 2 cases:
- upon reaching the maximum period of service;
- if it is impossible to continue service due to disability received in the performance of official duties.
Please note that the difference between the circumstances is the service life.
Individuals who want to receive payments under the first case must reach the age considered to be the limit for their rank and position and resign. In other words, for them the reason is old age.
For persons who consider themselves to be in the second case, the duration of military service has absolutely no meaning; the most important thing for them is proof of their inability to work. In this case, the acquisition of disability must fall under one of the following categories, that is, it was acquired:
- directly during military service;
- as a result of injury or illness received during service, but manifested later (within the next 3 months);
- out of service, but within 3 months after dismissal.
Anything can happen in the service; accidents that lead to the death of a military man also occur. Finding yourself in such circumstances, the family of the deceased has every right to receive a survivor's pension.
Educational benefits for reserve officers
A number of other significant benefits that a reserve officer can receive is the opportunity to enroll in universities without exams. This privilege is granted if:
- the person has an incomplete higher education or a specialty obtained at a military university;
- a reserve service member has completed secondary education.
Another opportunity in the field of education for reserve military personnel is the opportunity to enter secondary education institutions without exams if they have the appropriate military certificate or a document confirming receipt of 9 grades of education.
It can be noted that in any case a reserve military personnel receives a second higher education free of charge, while a similar opportunity is generally not provided for civilians.
So, we looked at how officers are dismissed from military service, as well as what payments and benefits they are entitled to under the law. Let us now consider the privileges established by the laws of the Russian Federation for military pensioners.
Retirement procedure for military personnel
A military man may reach the age that allows him to retire, but still be denied payments. Why? There are two conditions and he must meet one of them. Read them:
- if there is only military experience, then it must be at least 20 years at the time of dismissal;
- the presence of general (mixed) work experience requires that it be at least 25 years (of which 12.5 years are allocated for military service).
There is a group of military personnel who are allowed to retire at the age of 45 (the second condition is just for them). There are several reasons for making such a decision:
- deteriorating health that prevents the serviceman from fulfilling his obligations;
- dismissal of a person as a result of a reduction justified by changes in the staff schedule;
- the citizen has reached the age corresponding to the deadline for serving.
Please note that the general length of service requires a citizen to study all the periods that are included in it. Federal laws No. 173 and No. 400 set out provisions on labor and insurance pensions. The proposed information indicates that the duration of the activity can include:
- labor activity carried out before 2002;
- insurance period after 2002, implying the sale of insurance deposits.
Retirement of a military pilot
Pilots performing military service, compared to others, are less fortunate, and the duration of their activity should be 5 years longer. That is, to retire they must have at least 25 years of experience.
The most interesting thing is that in this case neither recognition of merit nor the position of a citizen is taken into account. If you don't have 25 years of military service, you can't retire.
The size of pension payments, note, is also determined by the duration of work. Having a minimum length of service allowing retirement (25 years) means that a military person can receive payments of 50%. After reaching 32 years of service, the amount increases to 85%, and this is the maximum.
Summary
So, we have examined the procedure for dismissal from military service, established by the legislation of the Russian Federation, and identified the main types of state guarantees for reserve and retired military personnel. The main ones are approved at the level of federal sources of law. But in some cases, the procedure for dismissal from the army is regulated by orders issued by the Minister of Defense. In a number of cases, the President of the Russian Federation takes part in the dismissal of officers from their positions. Thus, in accordance with the regulations signed by him, military personnel occupying senior military positions are dismissed.
Reserve officers, as well as those who have retired, have quite a lot of privileges - in terms of housing, tax benefits, medical services, and educational advantages. Dismissal from the army in many cases can be associated with the officer’s retirement, and therefore it was important for us to also study the list of benefits and privileges for military retirees. These are presented in a fairly wide range. Citizens in this status receive a pension, calculated and indexed according to special rules - in particular, taking into account the northern coefficient, regardless of where the person lives after leaving the army. The amount of military pensions is determined by officer ranks, positions, and places of service of citizens.
Many of the military retirees have the status of combat veterans. For them, the legislation of the Russian Federation also establishes a number of benefits. Thus, the state, in cases established by law, pays for and provides housing to military personnel in the appropriate status.
Significant benefits are established by the legislation of the Russian Federation for military personnel of various categories in the field of education. This is an important aspect, since retraining military personnel for civilian occupations may require them to undergo additional training in educational institutions.
Can a soldier retire early?
For the military, there are benefits according to which certain periods of service can be included in the duration of work differently than the calendar suggests.
For example, a citizen served in a unit where time was calculated based on a 1:1 ratio, and then he was sent to a combat zone for 3 months. Thus, benefits will take into account this three-month period because the individual's environment and conditions have changed, become more dangerous or difficult compared to previous circumstances.
Read all information about the recalculation of terms and rules for the validity of benefits in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 941 of September 22, 1993.
There are several preferential grounds on which the total length of service of a military personnel can be changed. Check them out:
- participation in hostilities;
- working in a hazardous environment (for example, radiation);
- being on a base where there is a danger of nuclear weapons;
- flight service or service in very distant places.
In the absence of benefits, a serviceman can also retire early. The legislation of the Russian Federation imposes strict requirements: service in the North, in difficult circumstances, etc. The preferential calculation does not include in the length of service periods of vacations, days off taken, for example, for health reasons, and anything else that does not relieve an individual from his position.
The law regulates the amount of the benefit depending on the risk posed by the military personnel performing the necessary tasks, how difficult the work is, etc.
The highest ratio for benefits is 1:6. It is used in cases with citizens who served in penal units in the Great Patriotic War (hereinafter referred to as WWII).
1:3 months
The 1:3 coefficient is used for contemporaries of the Second World War, participants in combat operations, people who struggled with the consequences of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as well as conscripts.
The last category includes:
- citizens who served in the former republics of the Soviet Union, where there were armed conflicts - Ingushetia, Tajikistan, and so on;
- persons who served in Afghanistan;
- military personnel who participated in UN activities abroad of the Russian Federation.
Among other things, keep in mind that this coefficient also applies to citizens who were unfairly convicted and prosecuted, but were later acquitted. In this case, as compensation, they are credited with preferential length of service equal to the time in prison.
1:2 months
A 1:2 ratio applies to WWII veterans:
- war participants who served in zones that did not participate in battles;
- prisoners of war;
- concentration camp prisoners.
Please note that the following may also receive this preferential service:
- military specialists who were in the army of the state that was fighting;
- military personnel in remote military units on the territory of the Russian Federation;
- persons working with toxic substances, fuels and wastes (for example, with reactors);
- persons serving at a high altitude combat base;
- divers who are often under pressure.
1:1.5 months
The 1:1.5 ratio is applicable to many categories of military personnel, for example, to such citizens as:
- military personnel forced to take on the duties of pilots;
- military personnel in the border guard troops;
- surface fleet sailors serving on nuclear ships;
- employees on diesel submarines, and others.
Please note that all military personnel who fall under this preferential length of service receive an order in advance informing them about this. A transition from one position to another, which involves preferential calculation of the duration of activity, also requires the availability of an appropriate document confirming the change of responsibilities.
The time of military service is counted in the length of service according to the calendar for military personnel undergoing compulsory service in the Russian Federation, excluding the time of preferential circumstances. For this period, a special growing coefficient is provided.
Procedure for dismissal of military personnel: regulations from the Ministry of Defense
In accordance with this source of law, the dismissal of officers from the army involves, in particular:
— development by competent structures of the armed forces of planning documents, ensuring the work of personnel bodies responsible for the dismissal of military personnel;
— control over the implementation of plans for the release of military personnel from their positions in the armed forces.
Plans under which officer separations are carried out must be submitted by personnel structures for approval to authorized officials. These documents contain information about military personnel who reach the military service age limit, including those whose contract with the armed forces expires after reaching the service age limit.
Order of the Ministry of Defense No. 660 requires responsible units of the armed forces to carry out measures for the timely dismissal of military personnel. Commanders of military units, representatives of personnel structures, logistics agencies, medical services, financial structures, and certification commissions should participate in them.
A significant amount of tasks have to be solved by the unit commander. He needs:
— find out in advance from the serviceman the prospects for concluding a new contract with the armed forces, taking into account length of service, health status, and housing provision;
— send the personal file of the officer who is about to resign to the authorized body;
- facilitate the passage of medical examinations for military personnel;
— provide the officer with leave, if available, as well as additional rest provided for by current regulations;
— organize certification of a military personnel in cases provided for by law;
- inform the officer of the decision about his official purpose upon expiration of the contract or when he reaches the age limit for military service;
- conduct a conversation with the officer about dismissal and record its results in a separate document in the prescribed form.
An officer who is about to resign is also issued a notice in the prescribed form. This source is part of the documents collected as part of the formalization of the serviceman’s dismissal.
Dismissal from the army in cases provided for by law entitles a person to a number of civil privileges. The procedure for their provision depends on the category of the serviceman, the place in which military service took place, and the grounds for the person’s dismissal from the army. Thus, the legislation of the Russian Federation establishes a special type of benefit for officers who have retired from the armed forces. Let's study their specifics.
Pension amount
Pensions are paid to military personnel in the same way as to all other persons - every month. Funds come from the state budget, and the amount of pension provision is calculated taking into account the following things:
- military or civilian tariff rate;
- monetary reward established for a certain rank;
- the indexation amount established by the Russian Government;
- pension bonus for long-term service.
The amount of pension payments and bonuses is established as follows:
- Military service of 20 years or more guarantees an individual 50% of the pension amount. Please note that for each subsequent year 3% of the total amount is added, but as a result it cannot be more than 85%.
- The total duration of work is 25 years, of which 12.5 years are related to military service - 50%. For each future year, only 1% is added.
Pension payments cease if the military member returns to duty. Further, after his dismissal and secondary retirement, the calculation of monetary support is realized by taking into account the total length of service from the moment of the last dismissal.
Plus, there is the possibility of other pension benefits. Check out some reasons for assigning additional payments:
- military personnel reaching 80 years of age;
- the serviceman has incapacitated dependent family members;
- the military has a disability;
- The serviceman is a WWII veteran.
The Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 21, 2020 considers the possibility of increasing pensions for military personnel and contains data on actual payments. Thus, a major receives from 16 to 17 thousand rubles, and contract servicemen receive from 10 to 11 thousand rubles.
State guarantees for reserve officers: tax benefits
The main tax benefits that a reserve officer is entitled to claim are state compensation for land and property taxes. Both types of payments to the budget can be calculated in a significant amount. In particular, property tax is now determined based on its cadastral value, which, as a rule, is much higher than the inventory value at which this payment was previously calculated. Therefore, this amount of government assistance may be very appropriate for the family budget of a reserve military personnel.
Changes in military length of service
In 2020, Russia should initiate a process to raise the retirement age. Prime Minister D.A. Medvedev reports that as a result, by 2028, men should retire at the age of 65, and women by 2034 at 63.
It is clear that the change can greatly affect the citizens of Russia, so it is proposed to introduce another clause. They want to compensate for the “remoteness” of pensions through a proposal to allow men with a total work experience of 45 years and women with 40 years of experience to retire 2 years earlier than the established period.
Military personnel whose contract ceases to be valid in 2018 and at the same time coincides with the total calculation of military service of 20 years, do not need to worry at all. They still have the right to retire according to previous legislation.
To summarize, we note that there is no such thing as a retirement age for military personnel. Having earned the required 20-25 years of experience, a person can go on a well-deserved rest.
