Unified child benefit in 2023

What is the universal allowance in 2023

The universal child allowance is named as such because it combines several social payments at once:

• monthly allowance for pregnant women registered in the early stages of pregnancy;
• monthly allowance for the birth or adoption of a first child under the age of 3;
• monthly allowance for the birth of a third or subsequent child under the age of 3;
• monthly allowance for a child aged 3 to 8;
• monthly allowance for a child aged 8 to 17.

At the same time, the accrual of the universal allowance does not cancel payments such as: 

• Maternity and pregnancy allowance;

• One-time childbirth allowance;

• childcare allowance for children under 1.5 years of age;
• monthly allowance from maternity capital for children under 3 years of age.

The amount of the universal payment depends on the family's income level. Thus, pregnant women can receive a monthly payment of 50%, 75%, or 100% of the working-age subsistence minimum, while parents of minor children can receive 50%, 75%, or 100% of the child subsistence minimum.

For example, if a pregnant woman lives in the Vologda Region, she can receive an allowance of 7,913 RUB, 11,896.50 RUB, or 15,826 RUB. Meanwhile, a parent of a minor child is entitled to a payment of 7,041.50 RUB, 10,562.25 RUB, or 14,083 RUB.

To determine whether a family is in need of the universal allowance, it is necessary to calculate the average income per person per month. If it does not reach the subsistence minimum in the region, the universal payment will be approved. If the average income per person exceeds the subsistence minimum, the allowance will be denied.

Who is eligible to receive the universal allowance in 2023

First of all, families with children under 17 years of age, as well as pregnant women registered in the early stages of pregnancy, can count on receiving the new allowance. 

However, the payment can only be granted if the following conditions are met:

• the applicant and their child hold citizenship of the Russian Federation and have permanent residence in Russia;
• the average income per person does not exceed one regional subsistence minimum per capita;
• the family owns assets that do not exceed a certain threshold (we will discuss this a bit later);
• all adult family members have confirmed income or valid reasons for lacking it. 

Please note that an application for the universal allowance can be submitted by a pregnant woman registered in the early stages of pregnancy, or by a parent/guardian of the minor child for whom the payment is requested.

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Which incomes are taken into account when approving the universal allowance

When calculating the family's financial standing, the following incomes are taken into account:

• salary, bonuses, payment for services rendered, various financial allowances, scholarships, alimony, and so on;
• any social payments;
• payments of inherited pension savings;
• various compensations for the performance of state or public duties;
• dividends and interest on securities, interest on bank accounts and deposits;
• winnings in lotteries, sweepstakes, and so on;
• income received outside of Russia and more. 

Please note that when calculating the family's financial standing, incomes are taken into account for the 12 months preceding the month prior to the month of application. For convenience, this information is presented in a table.

Month of applying for the universal allowance	Period for which family income will be calculated
April 2023	March 2022 — February 2023
May 2023	April 2022 — March 2023
June 2023	May 2022 — April 2023
July 2023	June 2022 — May 2023
August 2023	July 2022 — June 2023
September 2023	August 2022 — July 2023
October 2023	September 2022 — August 2023
November 2023	October 2022 — September 2023
December 2023	November 2022 — October 2023
January 2024	December 2022 — November 2023
February 2024	January 2023 — December 2024
March 2024	February 2023 — March 2024

Conversely, the calculation of financial standing excludes such income as:

• social benefits for the same child for previous years;
• monthly or single allowances for a pregnant woman who registered in the early stages of pregnancy, for previous years;
• lump-sum financial assistance from the budget in connection with a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other emergency;
• allowances for the care of children with disabilities and disabled persons since childhood of group I;
• monthly allowances and alimony for adult children;
• payments for damage to life, health, and property;
• social contract payments;
• maternity capital, if it was used to purchase and build housing or to acquire rehabilitation equipment, and so on.

What is zero income and what are the valid reasons for having no earnings

The zero income rule is a legislated requirement stating that only pregnant women and parents of minor children who are officially employed and receive documented earnings are eligible to receive the universal allowance. That is, if a household has at least one able-bodied adult without official income, the universal payment will be denied.

The zero income rule was established because many parents who were unwilling to find a job received social benefits and essentially lived off child allowances. 

However, there are objective reasons why an able-bodied adult may not have an official income and still qualify for the universal allowance. 

These reasons include:

• official unemployed status for up to 6 months within the calculation period;
• childcare leave for a child under the age of 3;
• caring for a disabled child, a disabled person since childhood of group I, a person in need of constant care, or an elderly person aged 80 or older;
• continuous treatment lasting 3 months or more;
• caring for a child undergoing continuous treatment lasting 3 months or more;
• military service;
• imprisonment and detention in custody;
• a minor child having a single parent;
• status of a large family — in this case, only one of the parents is required to have an income;
• full-time education without a scholarship up to the age of 23;
• pregnancy of 6 months or more in the calculation period.

Which assets are taken into account when approving the universal allowance

In addition to income, the assessment of the family's financial situation is also affected by property owned. Thus, it is permitted to simultaneously own the following:

• an apartment or room (if there are several, their total area must not exceed 24 square meters per family member);
• a private house of any area (if there are several, their total area must not exceed 40 square meters per family member);
• a garden house;
• a garage or parking space (if it is a large family with a person with a disability or with a vehicle received under a social support program, there may be 2 garages or parking spaces);
• land plots with a total area of no more than 0.25 ha in the city or 1 ha in rural areas;
• non-residential premises;
• income from bank deposits and accounts below the regional subsistence minimum;
• a car or motorcycle (if it is a large family with a person with a disability or with a vehicle received under a social support program, there may be 2 cars and motorcycles);
• one unit of self-propelled equipment under 5 years old (if provided to the family under social support, there may be 2 units of self-propelled equipment);
• a motorboat or boat under 5 years old.

Specifics of receiving the universal allowance in the new regions

Citizens residing in the new regions of the Russian Federation may be exempt from confirming objective reasons for the lack of official earnings. To receive the single allowance, they need to submit an application on Gosuslugi and then bring documents confirming their right to receive the payment to the nearest office of the Social Fund of Russia. For example, this can be an income certificate, property information, a copy of the labor book, and so on. 

It is also necessary to confirm the fact of residence in the territories of the Donetsk or Luhansk People's Republics, Kherson or Zaporizhzhia regions at the time of their incorporation into the Russian Federation.

How to apply for the universal allowance

The easiest way to apply for the single child allowance is to do it online on Gosuslugi. To do this, you will need to:

• log in to your Gosuslugi account;
• in the "Services" section, select "Benefits Pension Benefits", click on "Single allowance for children and pregnant women";
• click the "Apply" button;
• fill out the application form and click the "Apply" button.

After submitting the application, closely monitor the status of your request — additional documents may be required from you to make a decision on approving or rejecting the payment. The review period for the application is 10 business days. If the agency needs to collect additional information, this period may be extended by another 20 business days. 

In addition to Gosuslugi, you can apply for the allowance at the nearest office of the Social Fund of Russia or at a multifunctional center (MFC). Residents of Moscow can apply on the website mos.ru.