The retirement age is the number of years of life, after which a citizen acquires the right to a pension and a well-deserved rest. Until 2016, women in Belarus became pensioners at 55 years old, men at 60 years old - these indicators were approved back in Soviet times and were among the lowest in the world.
Due to the increase in life expectancy and an increase in the number of pensioners relative to the number of the able-bodied population, the financial burden on the Pension Fund of the Republic of Belarus has increased significantly. This led to the need to increase the retirement age, which was reflected in the presidential decree "On improving pension provision" of 04/11/2016.
Retirement table
The current table of the retirement age in Belarus:
| Date of Birth | Retirement age (years) | Retirement period | ||
| men | women | men | women | |
| 01.01-30.06.1957 | 01.01-30.06.1962 | 60,5 | 55,5 | 01.07-31.12.2017 |
| 01.07-31.12.1957 | 01.07-31.12.1962 | 61 | 56 | 01.07-31.12.2018 |
| 01.01-30.06.1958 | 01.01-30.06.1963 | 61,5 | 56,5 | 01.07-31.12.2019 |
| 01.07-31.12.1958 | 01.07-31.12.1963 | 62 | 57 | 01.07-31.12.2020 |
| 01.01-30.06.1959 | 01.01-30.06.1964 | 62,5 | 57,5 | 01.07-31.12.2021 |
| 01.07-31.12.1959 and younger | 01.07-31.12.1964 and younger | 63 | 58 | 01.07-31.12.2022 |
According to the innovations, the retirement age for Belarusian citizens from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2022 will increase by 6 months annually.
In 2018, men with dates of birth from July 1 to December 31, 1957, and women from July 1 to December 31, 1962 become pensioners. Accordingly, their ages are 61 and 56 years old.
Upon completion of the reform, the retirement age for the female population will be 58 years, for the male population - 63 years. A further increase is not foreseen at the moment, but this possibility is now being analyzed by specialists from the departments concerned (especially with regard to women).
Each year, the reform will affect the interests of about 100,000 people, of whom every 50,000 will expect an additional six months of retirement, and the remaining 50,000 a year.
Who will not receive a retirement pension?
It should be remembered that we are talking specifically about a retirement pension, to which not everyone is entitled. This requires not only reaching the retirement age, but also developing a minimum insurance experience, the duration of which is established by the current legislation. Insurance experience means the time interval during which deductions were made from the citizen's salary to the Pension Fund of the Republic of Belarus (or equivalent periods of activity in accordance with the current legislation).
Until 2013 inclusive, this indicator was 5 years. From January 1, 2014, it was increased to 10 years, and a year later - to 15 years. Now this bar is increasing annually by 6 months - this will continue until the minimum length of service required to receive a retirement pension is 20 years.
Citizens who have not worked out the minimum insurance experience will receive only a social old-age pension. It is paid to men over 65, women over 60, and is equal to 50% of the subsistence minimum (in 2018 it is 103 rubles).
How about in other countries?
In most European countries, Japan and the United States, the retirement period varies between 60-65 years, and it is the same for the female and male population.
In Russia today, men and women are 60 and 55 years old, respectively. However, government documents have already been adopted providing for bringing the retirement age during 2019-2028 to 65 and 60 years, respectively.
In Poland, the indicator has been lowered since October 1, 2017: instead of 67 years for citizens of both sexes, it is 60 years for women, and 65 for men.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are currently undergoing pension reform, which will be completed by 2026 (in Latvia a year earlier). Upon completion, the retirement age for men and women will be 65 years.
In all countries undergoing reform, the main reasons for its implementation are the increase in the number of aging populations relative to the number of able-bodied citizens. In the countries of the former USSR, this is mainly due to the consequences of the demographic crisis of the 1990s, which led to a decrease in the birth rate.
Larisa Pelepenok, a resident of Borisov, has been working as a teacher in a local educational and health center for over 30 years. Now she is 55 years old, she fell under the pension reform. Because of this, the exit to a well-deserved rest was postponed - until November this year. Larisa is skeptical about a possible new increase in the retirement age for women, although this will no longer affect her.
“We continue to work in retirement not because of a good life. This is due solely to financial considerations, because our salaries, that of collective farmers, that of teachers, leave much to be desired, ”- says Larissa.
FINANCE.TUT.BY talked to experts about how possible and justified the next increase is, and learned from women of retirement and pre-retirement age what they think about a possible innovation.
"If health and activity of character allow, you can work"
- I am an active person and cannot imagine myself as a pensioner. It is important for me to be in demand in society and needed by people,- says the woman from Minsk Tatiana Krupskaya. She worked for a long time as a nurse at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Oncology and Hematology and could retire at 49 years of age because of harmful working conditions. However, the woman decided that it was too early for rest, so a “normal” retirement age awaited.
Now Tatiana works in a different place, but still in the healthcare structure - her current position is related to rehabilitation.
- I am also a coach of the nursing school, so my whole life is devoted to the health of people,- says the woman.
Until what time will have to work, she does not think, she says, "how health will allow." But he admits: if the body does not pump up, then he will remain in the profession for a long time.
According to Tatiana, the acceptable retirement age is 60 for women and 65 for men.
On the one hand, an increase in the retirement age is bad, because we are deprived of an additional source of income. But if health and activity of character allow, you can work, - the woman believes.
Among her acquaintances, there are also many who support raising the retirement age.
Probably, all people are surrounded by like-minded people, so there are enough such people among my friends. But I have no unequivocal opinion about equalizing the age, here you need to approach individually.
"The pension is about three hundred rubles, this money can only exist"
I will work while they hold it! But I think that when I turn 70, they will ask me to leave, because there are a lot of young pensioners now, '' says the 69-year-old Lyudmila Nazarova, cashier at the Museum of Nature and Ecology in Minsk. When it came time to retire, she was laid off from her previous job: the woman worked as a secretary at a bearing plant, which was "going through hard times." A new vacancy was found quickly, and for 12 years it has been letting visitors to exhibitions. Lyudmila admits: the work is not hard, and this is one of the main factors why she still works.
- Of course, the financial issue also plays a role. My pension is about three hundred rubles, this money can only exist,- the woman explains.
The salary, according to Tatiana, is less than the pension: "an advance of 120 rubles and 170 rubles of payday." But all the money is enough, even remains for entertainment - the woman regularly goes to the theater, buys tickets for good seats. It also works to postpone.
- Every year I have a rest at the sea. Previously, it was Crimea, now the Odessa region. I was a savage when I was young, now I am buying a voucher for ten days, I want me to have a stationary rest. I start saving as soon as my vacation ends. I manage the sum of 400 dollars - together with a ticket, travel, meals.
Despite the fact that a woman has been working for a long time after retirement, she has a negative attitude to raising the retirement age.
- I don't think that a woman should retire at 60 or 63,- explains Tatiana. He explains his opinion by the fact that not everyone has an easy job.
The picture is for illustrative purposes only. Alexandra Kvitkevich, TUT.BY "We all continue to work, but not from a good life"
Raising the retirement age means condemning to suffering those people who will be forced to work beyond their strength. I understand that we all continue to work, but not from a good life. This is due solely to financial considerations, because our salaries, that of collective farmers, that of teachers, leave much to be desired. This is an opportunity to slightly raise your financial level and provide a more or less decent old age, - shares his opinion Larisa Pelepenok... She has been working as a teacher at the Borisov educational and health center for 34 years. The woman is 55 years old, she was supposed to retire a year ago. However, taking into account the increase in the retirement age, the rest was postponed until next November.
- At first I was very upset about this. I didn't plan to retire right away, I still wanted to work for a year or two so that the pension would increase income. Because during the working life it is not possible to create some kind of financial safety cushion. But they gave me an interesting argument: "the state considered you young enough." Well, I agreed with that.
The picture is for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Vadim Zamirovsky, TUT.BY Larisa opposes raising the retirement age, believes that “ if a person can work, then he will definitely do it ".
- Such a person will not just go away to rest, for him it is nonsense. And already how to decide economically so that the state does not suffer ... Well, I think that the government has bright minds.
"I have a pension of 200 rubles"
- I would not work if there was a pension of 350 rubles. But I am already going to quit, because it’s very hard to work. Although I am not the most "earned" woman - I walked so much, followed my husband all over the world. However, my entire environment is very bad about raising the retirement age,- tells Olga Verenik from Lyuban.
Olga is already 64 years old, she has been receiving her pension for nine years, but she continues to work as a research assistant in a museum of traditional crafts and crafts, and more specifically, in a weaving workshop.
- Towels-towels come to our funds - they are already so old, faded. I restore the most interesting items - I select the colors of the threads and bring them back to their original form,- Olga explains the essence of her work.
By profession, she is a tailor-cutter, in her youth she worked in the Minsk atelier "Elegant". After she married a military man and spent a lot of time traveling.
- Where I did not work at that time: both in the military unit, and in the hotel on duty, even in the stoker. At one time she even got a job as a nurse in a mental hospital - she cut and sewed things for patients. But after two weeks she left, she could not. She found work everywhere, but she did not go to work for me. Therefore, my pension is 200 rubles. But my husband is a military man, so the pension is not bad, 600 rubles.
A woman's salary is now about 350 rubles, this is with bonuses and supplements.
- Of course, I would like to postpone it a little, for a monument, for example. (Laughs.) And I don’t need money for entertainment, I don’t like seas and oceans. Better to meet with friends, sit down, play something - this is my rest.
At what age do people retire in different countries
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At what age do men retire?
At what age do women retire
The data for the cards is taken from tradingeconomics.com
Experts who are in favor of the increase: "To avoid a deficit in the Social Security Fund, it is necessary to raise the retirement age to 65 years."
- Demographically, we have such a situation that the number of able-bodied people is falling, and the number of people of retirement age is growing. According to calculations, the only way to achieve a controlled deficit in the Social Welfare Fund and spend less than one percent of GDP on it is to raise the retirement age to 65 years for men and women by 2035.- tells Katerina Bornukova. First of all, according to the expert, the increase in the retirement age will affect women.
- Women live on average 10 years longer than men, but retire five years earlier. The decision to retire early is generally unclear what is motivated. Former Minister of Labor and Social Protection Marianna Shchetkina said that this is a reward for having children. But this was relevant half a century ago, when three or four children were born. Now, when women give birth to one or two and at the same time receive maternity leave for three years, it is not clear why they should retire even earlier.
According to the expert, equalization of retirement ages is one of the steps to reduce discrimination in the labor market. Due to the decree and early retirement, women have a priori less work experience. This results in employers investing less in them and more willing to develop male workers.
Also, one of the arguments in favor of raising the retirement age is statistics on the number of working pensioners. "In the first five years after retirement, the percentage of women who continue to work is higher than that of men." But the expert makes this argument with a proviso - more research is needed to assess the health status of a woman.
- We need to see if people can really continue to work, especially where physical labor is required,- emphasizes Katerina Bornukova.
The head of the Department of Human Development and Demography of the Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus adheres to the same opinion, like Katerina Bornukova, that it is necessary to raise the retirement age for both women and men. Anastasia Bobrova.
- Retirement at 65 is smart. It is necessary to keep in mind that sooner or later we will come to this age. If we keep everything as it is, then there may be a shortage of funds for the payment of pensions,- says Anastasia Bobrova .
The expert also believes that it is necessary to consider the issue of equalizing the retirement age for men and women. One of the reasons is a higher life expectancy.
In addition, there is a psychological moment, I see it even from my own mother. Some women do not have a very positive perception of the “pensioner” status and even hide payments, because they are ranked among the elderly part of the population. It seems to me that our women have become more active, and if we are talking about issues of gender equality, then we need to be honest with ourselves and be on an equal footing with men. Therefore, I am absolutely in favor of equalizing and increasing the age. Maybe you shouldn't touch men any further and stop at 63 years old, but you need to move women up to 60 or even 63 years old.
Anastasia Bobrova believes that "pensioners will not take jobs from the younger part of the population."
- On the contrary, we are talking about the exchange of experience. Here it is necessary to take into account in what kind of activity this person works. Scientific, educational, medicine - it seems to me that there are a number of areas where it is simply impossible to throw out pensioners, based on the fact that they have tremendous experience. 60-65 years old is still an active person who can conduct operations and teach young people.
Also, one of the acceptable options is the transition to a multi-tier pension system.
- Part of the responsibility for their pension should lie with the citizen, part with the state. And then there will be no excitement about whether or not a person has left for a well-deserved rest. If he has stayed to work and does not receive an additional pension, as we have, it is not a disaster for his standard of living - he understands that he is working because he contributes to the economy, and not because his pension is not enough.
An expert who is against the increase: "We need a transition from a pay-as-you-go system to a funded system"
Svetlana Matskevich, photo: TUT.BY Expert in the field of education and social policy Svetlana Matskevich believes that the problems in the pension system need to be solved in a complex, and not only at the expense of the population - raising the retirement age. - The reasoning that comes from the supporters of raising the retirement age is unfounded and “natural”. It is based on demographic indicators, indicating that the population is aging, the able-bodied population is not enough, so it is supposedly necessary to raise the retirement age. This is inhuman and completely illogical from the point of view of the modern approach to the observance of human rights,- Svetlana Matskevich considers.
The expert also denies the argument with the statistics of early retirement.
- When they say that people are retiring and continue to work, you need to understand the social reasons, and not just count the number of people. They do this because the welfare and quality of life they receive upon retirement are very low.
Drawing attention to the argument about the SPF deficit, Svetlana Matskevich explains that this is not a problem of the population, but the issue of the absence of preliminary reforms, in particular, the transition from a pay-as-you-go system to a funded one.
- The state failed to provide a certain safety cushion in the pension fund, in particular through the creation of a system of private pension funds. They would allow people in advance to accumulate money for retirement and, without the help of the state, to ensure their old age. We now have to discuss not the demographic factor, but the artificial one - “what has been done in advance so that the transition to retirement is ensured accordingly”.
Throughout the world, the labor market and demographic proportions are regulated by the transition to an innovative economy and the introduction of technologies at enterprises, raising the retirement age is an outdated method, Svetlana Matskevich believes.
- These problems can be solved only in a complex, and not so that "let's solve economic problems at the expense of the population, while not providing for appropriate transformations in the field of health care, social services, and so on."
On April 11, 2016, the President of the Republic of Belarus signed a decree "On improving pension provision", on the basis of which the minimum age required for obtaining a labor pension will be increased by three years and by 2023 it will reach 58 and 63 years for representatives of the weak and strong floors, respectively.
Retirement age- this is the number of years determined by legislation, after which a citizen receives the right to a well-deserved rest and accrual of an old-age pension. Throughout their working life, employees and their employers make contributions to the Social Security Fund for pension insurance in the amount of 1 and 28 percent, respectively, thereby providing the state budget with funds for the payment of benefits to the disabled population.
In global practice, the average retirement age ranges from 60-65 years, retirement in Belarus currently occurs at 55 for women and 60 for men. Due to the fact that in our country this figure is below the world average and most often does not correspond to the real loss of working capacity, as well as due to the annually increasing number of pensioners, a decree was signed on a gradual increase in the retirement age. So, on January 1 of each year, starting in 2017 and ending in 2022, the minimum age for retirement will increase by six months. Thus, from the beginning of 2022, it will be established at marks of 58 and 63 years; further changes in the pension legislation have not yet been envisaged.
For a detailed explanation and calculation of the retirement of each individual person, a retirement table was compiled by year based on the date of birth. This reform will directly affect about 100 thousand people annually, 50 thousand of whom will expect an additional six months of retirement, and the remaining one year.
TABLE OF OUTPUT TO PENSION SINCE 2017
|
Date of Birth |
Retirement age, years |
Retirement period |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
01.01-30.06.1962 |
01.01-30.06.1957 |
01.07-31.12.2017 |
||
|
01.07-31.12.1962 |
01.07-31.12.1957 |
01.07-31.12.2018 |
||
|
01.01-30.06.1963 |
01.01-30.06.1958 |
01.07-31.12.2019 |
||
|
01.07-31.12.1963 |
01.07-31.12.1958 |
01.07-31.12.2020 |
||
|
01.01-30.06.1964 |
01.01-30.06.1959 |
01.07-31.12.2021 |
||
|
01.07-31.12.1964 |
01.07-31.12.1959 |
01.07-31.12.2022 |
||
It should be noted separately that the age for retirement will be determined not only by the year of birth, but also by the date of applying to the appropriate authority for registration of the pension. So, if a man who was born in October 1957 and has the right to go on a well-deserved vacation in October 2018 upon reaching 61 years of age expresses a desire to apply for a retirement benefit later, for example, in March 2019, then he will be able to do this only after reaching age 61 years and 6 months, namely, in April 2019, since on January 1, 2019 the retirement age will be increased by six months.
Currently, there are 2,354,000 pensioners in the Republic of Belarus, and in 2015 their number increased by almost forty thousand. This trend forces the state to seek additional resources annually to maintain the pension fund. Based on the schedule of changes in the total number of pensioners, it is possible to make a forecast about the upcoming expenditures on pension payments: by 2020 they would have increased by 7 percent in relation to 2015, and by 2030 - by 20. However, the decision to gradually increase the pension and draw up a new exit table retirement from 2017 will allow to reduce budget expenditures under these items and, at least until 2023, maintain them at the current level.
Thus, the application of the retirement table in Belarus will be completed after July 1, 2022, namely, from July 1, 2022 in the Republic of Belarus, women and men, with the exception of privileged categories, will go on well-deserved leave when they reach 58 and 63 years old, respectively. ...
