• to three pre-existing maternity capital fourth added- now money can also be sent using a certificate regardless of the time that has passed since their birth or adoption, that is;
• the provision on - its size has not changed for 2016 and still amounts to .

In addition, taking into account the completion of last year’s anti-crisis plan for 2016-2017, the Government decided to re-provide a one-time payment from maternity capital.

Changes made to the program mat. capital are quite contradictory. The issuance of certificates will continue after 2016, but their purchasing power may decrease significantly now!

The further fate of the state program for the payment of maternal (family) capital, which worries many Russian families, was determined in December 2015, when V. Putin ordered extend the program for another 2 years.

Federal Law No. 433-FZ of December 30, 2015 made appropriate changes to the program - now it applies to all families who have given birth to or adopted a second, third or subsequent child until December 31, 2018 inclusive!

Certificate size and indexing

During the entire period of the program, the amount of payments. In 2007, maternity capital was only 250,000 rub., and the amount provided increased by 81% of the base amount - up to RUB 453,026

However, in 2016, due to the difficult economic situation, the Russian Government decided not to carry out the next indexation of the amount under the certificate. It is expected that next time the payment amount will be increased as usual. from January 1, 2017.

Now the option of another increase in the amount of mat is being discussed. capital by 6% to 480 thousand rubles, however, in any case, the Government will make a decision at the end of the year depending on world oil prices and the prospects for the end of the domestic Russian economic crisis).

News and changes for 2016

Changes in 2016 may affect not only the abolition of payment indexation, but also the scope of its application. Let us recall that before this the list of possible directions remained unchanged for a long time (almost 9 years):

A further increase in the size of the benefit and an expansion of the list of areas for its use in the regions in 2016 largely depends on the economic situation in the country as a whole and on the willingness of local authorities to continue making efforts to stimulate the birth rate and support motherhood and childhood.

Conclusion

The need to continue the program is not in doubt among potential recipients of maternity capital, nor among State Duma deputies, nor among government members.

By the end of 2018, all obligations undertaken by the government to support families with children will be fulfilled, but the size of the certificate will most likely continue to be indexed at a slow pace or not increase at all.

The maternity capital program began in 2007 in the form of the implementation of additional measures of state support for families with children. Their provision within the framework of the program is established by Federal Law No. 256-FZ of December 29, 2006 by providing a one-time state subsidy for certificates aimed at creating conditions that ensure a decent standard of living. In total, by the beginning of 2016, more than 6.5 million Russian families had already received certificates for maternal capital.

Additional measures of state support for families with children- these are measures that provide the opportunity, as well as at the expense of federal budget funds transferred to the budget of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.

Over the past months, an option from maternity capital funds has been discussed, similar to last year’s anti-crisis measure, but within the framework new anti-crisis plan, aimed at maintaining social and economic stability during the crisis in 2016-2017.

Features of the program implementation in 2015 and 2016

The program was initially designed for a 10-year period, starting on January 1, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2016. However, Vladimir Putin instructed to extend maternity capital until 2018 inclusive.

Attention! In accordance with the rules established by law, the known restriction until December 31, 2018 does not apply to the opportunity itself. This restriction establishes only the period for the birth of a second or subsequent children, who will be issued a state-issued certificate with the possibility of sending it, as before, after the child reaches three years of age.

In addition, the current law does not provide for time restrictions on obtaining a certificate. The necessary documents to receive maternity (family) capital can be submitted at any time before the child turns 23 years old. To do this, you need to contact the Pension Fund office at your place of residence with a package of basic documents. After submitting all documents and application, a decision on issuing a certificate will be made within 1 month.

On September 30, 2014, the Russian media announced proposals from the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation to optimize budget expenditures for 2015 and the planning period 2016-2017, concerning closure of the maternity capital program in 2015 due to its ineffectiveness. According to the Ministry's estimates, this measure will save 300 billion rubles a year. This proposal did not find support in the Government of the Russian Federation, and payments of maternity capital for 2015-2017 are already planned in the federal budget in full.

Indexation and established size for 2015 and 2016

Indexation of fixed payments is generally aimed at adjusting their purchasing power taking into account annual inflation. This mechanism is also provided for maternal (family) capital, because not every family has the right and opportunity to dispose of it immediately.

For 2015, in accordance with the draft Federal Budget Law, an increase in the amount of maternity capital, which corresponds to the amount RUB 453,026 In 2016, the amount on the certificate not indexed.

In the table below you can familiarize yourself with the changes that occurred with.

Year	Size, rub.	Indexation, %
2007	250 000,0	—
2008	276 250,0	10,5
2009	312 162,5	13
2010	343 378,8	10
2011	365 698,4	6,5
	387 640,3	6
	408 960,5	5,4
	429 408,5	5
	453 026,0	5,5

In subsequent years, the indexation of the amount of payments may slow down due to negative phenomena in the country's economy. In particular, according to the forecasts of the Ministry of Labor, due to the long-term decline in revenues to the federal budget, indexation of maternity capital for 2016 was not carried out at all, and for 2017 and 2018 it is planned in a smaller volume than the actual inflation rates.

Possible changes

In the summer of 2014, deputies of the Belgorod Regional Duma drafted a bill to extend the period of the family capital payment program until the end of 2026, which was considered not entirely appropriate in the conditions of crisis processes developing in the country’s economy.

Earlier, as part of the order of the President of the Russian Federation on assessing the feasibility of extending the maternity capital program after the end of 2016, the Government of the Russian Federation announced the need continuation of state support families in connection with the birth (adoption) of a second and subsequent child. In particular, according to the Government, the provision of maternity capital led to an increase in the total fertility rate in the country by 2012 to 1.7.

At the moment, no final decision has been made on this matter. Obviously, everything can be decided within the next two years. To a large extent, the difficulties and doubts in the social policy of the country's leadership are determined by economic instability in the country, Western sanctions imposed on the Russian economy and the development of general trends in the global economic crisis. We can only hope that the Russian Federation will avoid forced measures to curtail state social support programs.

Maternal capital- a measure of social support from the state for families raising children. The program came into effect at the beginning of 2007 and was initially designed for 10 years. Due to the possible expiration of its validity at the end of 2016, many families are interested in the pressing question of whether maternity capital has been extended or not, especially since the Cabinet of Ministers has repeatedly voiced an initiative to end the program ahead of schedule.

Maternity capital: immediate prospects

Despite some comments from skeptics, maternity capital payments have had a positive impact on the demographic situation, ensuring a significant increase in the birth rate. Over the years of the existence of this important social project, more than 6.5 million families have acquired certificates. The bulk of the funds received (about 94%) were used to improve living conditions.

Understanding how important the state’s assistance to its population is in the context of a protracted economic crisis, President V. Putin, in his message to the Federal Assembly, spoke in favor of extending the program. He invited the ministers of the financial bloc to calculate the possibility of implementing the obligations undertaken by the state. As a result It was decided to extend the existence of the maternity capital program for another two years until December 31, 2018.

By extending the sought-after social subsidy, the government has set the following goals:

• create conditions for the further development of positive trends in order to increase the population;
• provide support in ensuring the well-being, as well as an acceptable standard and quality of life for families with children.

On December 5, 2015, the head of the Ministry of Labor M. Topilin reported to the president on the preparation of a bill agreed upon with all relevant departments. A few days later it was approved at a government meeting, and on December 30, Law No. 433-FZ was adopted by parliamentarians. The implementation of this norm will have a number of important consequences:

• an indexation mechanism is provided, which is directly dependent on the economic situation and corresponds to the level of inflation;

• according to government calculations, by the end of 2018, another 1.5 million Russian families will take advantage of their right to receive subsidies;

• Implementation of the program will require additional attraction of budget funds in the amount of just over 807 billion rubles.

Since 2015, the maternity capital payment program has been fully extended to two new constituent entities of the Russian Federation - Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea. Even those families in which children were born or adopted after January 1, 2007 received the right to receive government assistance.

Possibilities for indexing maternity capital in the next two years

The current inflation, accompanied by rising consumer prices, seriously offsets the real value of the certificate. Taking this fact into account, from the very beginning of the program the state systematically indexed payments in an amount equal to the level of inflation.

The largest increase was made in 2009, when the amount of maternity capital increased immediately by 13%. During the period from 2007 to 2015, the size of the one-time social payment increased from 250 thousand to 453.026 thousand rubles.

Anyone who is interested in how long maternity capital has been extended should know whether it is indexed for the remaining period of validity. According to the plans of the Cabinet of Ministers, it is planned to increase the payment by a multiple of inflation in the amount of:

• 2017- growth by 6%, amount 480 thousand rubles;
• 2018- growth by 5.2%, amount 505 thousand rubles.

However, these figures are very arbitrary and have not yet been enshrined in law. Wherein According to Rosstat, the inflation rate in 2015 was 13%, therefore, an increase in maternity capital by this amount may become completely unaffordable for the federal budget. The unfavorable economic situation also leaves a negative imprint on the prospects for indexation. In addition, according to the plans of officials, the freed up funds will be redirected to other particularly urgent areas of targeted social assistance, in particular, to support disabled children.

It was decided not to increase the subsidy in 2016 and leave it at the level of 453,026 rubles, which was reflected in the final version of the federal budget. A similar unpopular measure affected some other social projects.

It is very likely that for now, despite the stated obligations, the state will not be able to index maternity capital. However, after almost a year of silence, it was announced in September 2016 that the government was preparing its own version of indexation.

Prospects for using the funds provided by the certificate

Over the entire existence of maternity capital, the state has repeatedly expanded the list of areas for its use. Among the new opportunities provided to certificate holders, which extend to the period until 2018, are:

1. Since 2016, it has been possible to use maternity capital for the purpose of social adaptation and rehabilitation of disabled children.
2. Receiving a one-time payment towards the certificate funds in the amount of 25 thousand rubles. Families who have acquired the right to maternal capital can take advantage of this provision until September 30, 2016.
3. The state is consistently removing barriers to the use of maternity benefits, so there is a possibility that new relaxations may be adopted in the near future. Moreover, there are often calls to allow parents to spend money on education, allow them to open bank deposits, and even give the green light to purchase a car.

Terms of use of the certificate

Unlike the duration of the program, the possibility of using the maternity capital certificate is not legally limited and there is no upper limit on the period.

It doesn’t matter whether maternity capital was extended or payments were stopped, you can apply to the Pension Fund for a subsidy at any time - the legal holders of the certificate do not lose the right to it.

Art. 7 of Federal Law No. 256-FZ clearly regulates that an application for the use of funds is permitted after the child reaches three years of age. Today, when drawing up a mortgage agreement, this restriction no longer applies. A woman also has the right to manage money as part of a funded pension when assigning an old-age pension.

Possible options for the existence of maternity capital in the future

Serious economic turmoil and a catastrophic shortage of budget funds are forcing the country's leadership to take a more balanced approach to the prospects of the maternity capital payment program. Back in 2014, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development A. Ulyukaev sent a letter to the head of government with a request to freeze the program, since it does not lead to an increase in children, but only stimulates earlier births, compared to the original plans.

Later, Finance Ministry officials proposed limiting support to only needy families. The president said the same thing during a direct line in 2013, emphasizing that in the future, assistance should become more targeted.

The Ministry of Labor does not agree with this position, believing that such a decision could increase social risks and in the future will lead to large expenses on benefits and allowances. In addition, the criterion of need is quite subjective and reflects the financial condition of the family at the time the decision is made to issue maternity capital, which can then noticeably deteriorate.

The President has repeatedly stated that the state, when making promises to people, must be completely confident in its budgetary capabilities. The observed trends convincingly show that such obligations result in a heavy financial burden on the state.

If the program is not extended beyond 2018, women who give birth in early 2019 will suffer the most. Therefore, the authorities urge to be prepared for such an outcome.

Scenarios for the development of events

Experts highlight three possible scenarios related to the fate of maternity capital:

1. Maintaining social benefits on current terms (with the possibility of expanding it or changing directions) over the next 5-10 years.
2. Major program adjustments towards targeted assistance to certain categories of families, based on criteria of need and taking into account the ongoing budget policy. It is also possible that the subsidy will remain only in the most depressed regions of the country, especially since in September 2016 the issue was raised at the government level about the need to smooth out the difference in living standards between individual subjects.
3. End of the program with the beginning of 2019 due to the fulfillment of social objectives, shortages and redistribution of budget funds, or simply due to legislative changes.

The almost ten-year existence of the Maternity Capital program has shown the effectiveness of this mechanism of social support for the population. It acted as an important factor in increasing the birth rate and contributed to improving the living conditions of millions of citizens.

It remains to be noted that the objective economic difficulties facing the country will not prevent its leadership from showing political will and ensuring the continued functioning of the program, even in a slightly adjusted form.

In recent years, financing of state social policy, like many other expenditure items of the federal budget, has been implemented within the framework of the program-target principle. In accordance with the bill on the federal budget for 2015 and the planning period 2016, 2017, financing of the maternity (family) capital program will be carried out within the framework of the state program "Social support for citizens", approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 15, 2014 No. 296 and planned for the period until December 31, 2020.

Subprogram “Improving social support for families and children”

In accordance with the provisions of the program, maternity capital payments for the next 6 years until the end of 2020 will be made as part of the main event “Providing maternal (family) capital”, implemented within the framework of subprogram No. 3 “Improving social support for families and children”.

It is noteworthy that the provision of social benefits under the maternity capital program, the completion of which according to the current law of December 29, 2006 No. 256-FZ “On additional measures of state support for families with children” , already planned by the Government of the Russian Federation until December 31, 2020.

Deadlines for obtaining the right to maternity capital and disposal of funds

However, there is no contradiction between the provisions of this document and the current legislation on the maternity capital program, since the disposal of maternity capital funds provided by subsidies from the federal budget was initially envisaged by the country’s leadership in a much longer term, exceeding the deadline of December 31, 2016, limiting only those arising from citizens of the country at the birth or adoption of a second or subsequent child.

In particular, the fundamental law of December 29, 2006 No. 256-FZ states that it can be filed at any time from the moment of birth (adoption) of a child or after three years. In addition, in cases specified by law, the right to dispose of maternity capital funds may arise in a minor child of the certificate owner or in an adult child, but no longer than until he reaches the age of 23 (that is, at least until 2030 inclusive).

It should be noted that the effectiveness of measures to ensure payments of maternity capital will be assessed by the value total fertility rate. The target indicator in the state program “Social Support for Citizens” is to increase this indicator in the country by 2020 to 1,817 children per woman of reproductive age. As noted by the Government of the Russian Federation, in 2013 the average birth rate in the country was 1.707.