Russians who lost their jobs and did not have time to find a new one can register with the labor exchange. In March 2021, during an address to citizens, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed increasing the maximum amount of unemployment benefits. If previously the maximum payment was 8,000 rubles, then on instructions from the president it was raised to the level of the minimum wage: 12,130 rubles.
The maximum amount can be received by citizens who:
- officially recognized as unemployed;
- registered at the employment center;
- worked at the last place of work for at least 26 weeks;
- registered with the employment center no later than one year after dismissal;
- received the appropriate salary at their last place of work.
The benefit amount is calculated based on the average earnings for the last three months at the last place of work: 75% of this amount is paid in the first month, 60% in the second, 45% in the third and subsequent months. In this case, the maximum payment amount cannot exceed 12,130 rubles.
In April, May and June 2021, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the maximum unemployment benefit will be paid to everyone who applied to employment centers after March 1 of this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about this decision during a meeting with regional heads and ministers on the problem of containing the spread of coronavirus infection.
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Temporary changes due to coronavirus
Although the coronavirus pandemic has not yet stopped, many restrictions and support measures that were in force in 2021 have already been lifted. When calculating unemployment benefits from 01/01/2021, the following changes have been made:
- The maximum benefit amount remained at 12,130 rubles, although the cost of living was increased.
- The pre-Covid minimum benefit amount has been returned - 1,500 rubles.
- Receive benefits in the amount of 12,130 rubles. only 3 months is possible. If during this period it was not possible to find a job, then the benefit for 3 months is assigned no more than 5,000 rubles.
- Pre-retirees receive benefits in the amount of 12,130 rubles. within 6 months.
- The opportunity to register as unemployed through State Services and re-register remotely remains until 04/01/2021.
Video: Unemployment benefits from April 2020
Payment terms
Immediately after a citizen is registered with the Employment Service as unemployed, his monthly benefit is calculated. An exception is the case of a laid-off employee, to whom it will be paid only after the termination of cash payments due upon layoff.
Persons who previously carried out official labor activities and did not have a long break in their work experience can receive monthly benefits in the following periods:
- within 1.5 calendar years for a total of no more than a year;
- take a break of 6 months and re-apply to the labor exchange, register again and receive payments for another 1 year.
For a citizen who has not previously worked or has a break in his work experience of at least 1 year, then within a period of one and a half years he can contact the Employment Service twice, register and receive benefits for six months.
Who is an unemployed person and what is unemployment benefit?
The concept of the unemployed is defined in Law of the Russian Federation No. 1032-1 “On Employment of the Population in the Russian Federation” in Article 3. The following are considered unemployed in the Russian Federation:
- an able-bodied citizen (who has reached the age of 16 years and is not deprived of the ability to work due to a disability);
- not carrying out official labor activities and not receiving wages;
- registered with the employment service;
- looking for a job and ready to start work - not officially employed.
Unemployment benefits are financial assistance from the state provided to citizens recognized as unemployed.
It is worth noting that a citizen does not always have to have no income in order to be recognized as unemployed. Receiving severance pay or maintaining the average salary is not a basis for denial of status - if the dismissal occurred due to staff reduction or liquidation of the enterprise.
In the case when a citizen receives a salary, he cannot be recognized as unemployed.
The law prescribes the state's obligations regarding the payment of benefits to the unemployed. Article 28 indicates possible subsidy options: unemployment benefits, scholarships for the duration of vocational training or additional vocational education. And Article 31 already spells out how this financial assistance is assigned and paid. Below we will analyze all this in detail.
Who is receiving unemployment payments in 2021?
The main regulatory act in the field of employment is Law No. 1032-1 of April 19, 1991. It gives the concept of those who are recognized as unemployed:
- able-bodied citizens who do not have work or income;
- registered in the prescribed manner with the Employment Service;
- looking for work and ready to start it.
Registration and payment of unemployment benefits will be denied:
- persons under 16 years of age;
- full-time students of universities and colleges;
- persons of retirement age;
- having the status of a disabled person with a group that does not allow him to carry out work;
- citizens with temporary registration;
- having a certificate of entrepreneurship;
- citizens with fictitious information in order to obtain unemployed status;
- women caring for a child up to the age of 1.5 years.
Who can contact the employment center
Any citizen can contact the employment center. It is necessary to distinguish between two statuses within the legal field:
- The first is an unemployed person who does not have a place to work and does not receive wages. Then he is assigned a monthly allowance from the state and is provided with assistance in finding a job, retraining, and so on.
- The second is a person who is looking for a job, but is employed, and wants to change employer. In this case, the center helps in selecting an employer. But it does not engage in citizen education (for example, providing specialized courses to acquire certain skills or improve qualifications), nor does it provide material support.
We have figured out who can contact the employment center. Next, we’ll talk specifically about the first category of people who are unemployed, looking for work, and consider how voluntary dismissal differs from dismissal by agreement of the parties or due to staff reduction.
Dismissal due to staff reduction
If an enterprise is liquidated, ceases operations, or has made staff reductions, the person is recognized as unemployed.
When dismissing an employee, a note is made in the work book that he was dismissed precisely “due to a reduction in the number or staff of the organization.”
If the company plans to lay off staff due to staff reduction, the employer notifies employees about this in advance, at least 2 months in advance, in an order. Therefore, every employee should know his rights if he is subject to such a reduction:
- It is necessary to find out whether the employee is on the list of persons who are not subject to dismissal due to staff reduction. This includes: pregnant women and women on maternity leave, mothers of many children and single mothers, employees on sick leave or on vacation.
- The employer is obliged to offer the employee another vacancy at the enterprise, and also notify the employment center about staff reductions at least 2 months before the planned dismissal.
- After a layoff, the organization pays the employee wages for 2 months. If during this period he did not manage to find a job, then the organization will pay him a salary for another 1 month. To receive this payment, he must register with the employment center no later than 2 weeks from the date specified in the dismissal order.
- Lawyers in their recommendations always clarify that you cannot agree with the employer and write a letter of resignation at your own request or with the consent of the parties, otherwise the right to receive payments required by law (average earnings for 2 months) will be lost.
Those laid off due to staff reductions retain their average wages and are given severance pay.
So, if Ivanov earned 15,000 rubles over the last year. per month, then in case of reduction he will receive: 15,000 x 2 = 30,000 rubles.
Despite receiving such funding, this does not affect the person's recognition as unemployed. This is stated in Article 31 of the Law of the Russian Federation No. 1032-1. She also indicates in paragraph 3 that benefits begin to accrue upon completion of payment from the employer.
At your own request and by agreement of the parties
A person is naturally considered unemployed not only after he has been fired, but also if he quit of his own free will or by agreement of the parties.
Dismissal at one's own request occurs after the employee notifies the employer of his intention no later than 2 weeks in advance. It is not necessary to indicate the reason for your dismissal in the application, but if the employee quits without working, the reason will still have to be indicated. A standard entry will appear in the employee’s work book: “dismissed at his own request, in accordance with clause 3, part 1, article 77 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.”
Termination of an employment contract by agreement of the parties is prescribed in Article 78 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. If both parties: the manager and the subordinate come to mutual agreement, then the manager issues a dismissal order and pays the required compensation to the employee. In this case, there will be an entry in the work book with the wording: “dismissed by agreement of the parties.” There are no restrictions regarding the registration of the unemployed for this category of citizens. In this case, you must contact the employment center. The selection of vacancies takes place within 10 days. If there is no suitable job, a recalculation is made and the citizen is paid benefits from the date of contacting the center.
Persons of pre-retirement age
Persons of pre-retirement age are those employees who have five or less years left until retirement.
If a person has not yet received a pension benefit, then he can count on being recognized as unemployed. Additional guarantees are available to this category of citizens. They relate to the duration of payment of social benefits and its amount:
- In total, financial assistance is prescribed for a period of one year, for 18 months.
- If this category of citizens has an insurance record of more than 20 years for women and 25 years for men, the payment increases. For each year of work in excess of this indicator, the assignment of benefits is extended by two weeks. Limit of 24 months of payments within 36 months.
- Regarding the percentage, the first three months pay 75% of average earnings. The next 4 are 60% each, and then 45%.
- Regardless of the average income, the payment cannot be higher than the maximum and less than the minimum.
Who will be denied payments?
The following categories of citizens cannot be recognized as unemployed and therefore cannot receive social benefits:
- persons who have not yet turned 16 years of age;
- those who receive a pension benefit - the insurance or funded part;
- persons who, within the first 10 days, refuse two employment options - all suitable places are taken into account, including temporary employment (more about this in the paragraph “If the vacancy does not suit you”);
- those who do not have an education, but refuse to receive it at the expense of the employment center;
- persons who have not appeared at the employment center for 10 consecutive days from the date of registration without a valid reason: documented illness, death of a close relative, being involved in an accident, a natural disaster zone;
- those convicted by a court decision - sent to correctional labor or deprived of liberty;
- those who provided false data, false documents.
We will supplement this list with those categories of citizens who are considered employed, and, therefore, be recognized as unemployed and receive financial assistance from the state:
- self-employed;
- disabled people of groups 1 and 2, if the rehabilitation program indicates that he cannot be employed;
- working under a contract, full-time or part-time, in a permanent place of work, seasonal and temporary work, receiving payment;
- having their own individual enterprise, notaries, lawyers with private practice;
- sellers of products under a contract or workers in auxiliary jobs;
- executed under civil law contracts - for the performance of services, original work;
- those who received a paid position - as a result of elections, appointment by senior management;
- undergoing military or alternative civilian service in the ranks of internal affairs bodies;
- full-time students in an educational organization;
- those who received temporary disability - due to pregnancy and childbirth, illness;
- who are among the founders of a commercial enterprise.
Video instruction: How to find a job or receive unemployment benefits
How long can you receive benefits?
Typically, payments are made for a period of 3 to 6 months. But payments can be interrupted at any time, for example, if you get a job. You need to understand that the job of the labor exchange is not to pay you benefits while you are unemployed, but to help you find a job. Financial assistance is support during downtime; it is not profitable for the employment center to produce an army of slackers, so payments are limited in time. Let's figure out who will be paid benefits and for how long.
Benefits are calculated and paid in different ways. Let's look at examples:
1 The enterprise is liquidated or the employee is laid off. To receive redundancy payments from the employment center, the employee’s work experience over the last 12 months must be no less than 26 weeks. If the length of service is less, then a minimum benefit of 1,500 rubles will be assigned.
You can submit documents to the employment center literally the next day after receiving your work book from your employer. After 10 days, the specialist will issue an order and recognize the applicant as unemployed. But benefits begin to accrue after 2 months. Since the employer paid for these 2 months with severance pay.
Let's say an employee was laid off in February and submitted an application to the employment center on February 10. On February 20 he was declared unemployed. The benefit will be accrued from April 10 to October 10. From April 10 to July 10 - 75% of wages, but not more than 12,130 rubles, from July 11 to October 10 - 60% of wages, but not more than 5,000 rubles.
2 After military service. If you contact the employment center after the army, you must have at least 26 weeks of service in the last 12 months before conscription. Otherwise, the minimum benefit will be assigned.
For example, Victor studied at the institute, and in the evenings he worked in a cafe as a waiter. His experience was 2 years. When he graduated from college, he was drafted into the army. After the army, he submitted documents to the employment center. Since his length of service before the army is more than 26 weeks, he will be assigned benefits for 3 months - 75% of his salary before the army and 3 months - 60%. Payment will be assigned 10 days from the date of application.
3 The employee was dismissed at his own request. If the length of service over the last 12 months is more than 26 weeks, then the benefit is assigned for 6 months. 3 months - 75% of the average salary for the last 3 months, but not more than 12,130 rubles, and 3 months - 60%, but not more than 5,000 rubles.
The minimum payment is 1,500 rubles. a period of 3 months is appointed if the applicant:
- did not work before;
- has a total length of service over the last 12 months of less than 26 weeks;
- dismissed for violation of discipline;
- dismissed more than 12 months ago;
- I already applied to the employment center, received a referral for training, but dropped out.
Amount of benefit at your own request
The payment is established for all those dismissed for any reason as a percentage of the average monthly income received at the last place of work. The exceptions are the cases listed in paragraph 2 of Article 30 of Law 1031-1.
2. Unemployment benefits in all other cases, including for citizens seeking work for the first time (who have not previously worked); those seeking to resume work after a long (more than one year) break; dismissed for violation of labor discipline or other guilty actions provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation; dismissed for any reason during the 12 months preceding the start of unemployment, and who had paid work for less than 26 weeks during this period, as well as citizens sent by the employment service for training and expelled for guilty actions, is established in the amount of the minimum amount of unemployment benefits, if otherwise not provided for by this Law.
For citizens living in the regions of the Far North and equivalent areas, as well as in areas and localities where regional coefficients are applied to wages, unemployment benefits, established in the amount of the minimum amount of unemployment benefits, are increased by the size of the regional coefficient.
When leaving voluntarily, the important parameter is the time worked during the last calendar year before leaving work. It must be at least 26 weeks. If it turns out to be less, the unemployed person will be assigned a minimum benefit.
How many times can you register?
There are no restrictions on the number of times you can register with the employment center. Registration is possible even if:
- deregistration due to failure to appear at the employment service;
- deregistration as a result of receiving benefits unlawfully;
- refusal to cooperate with the employment center at your own request;
- lack of employment of a citizen after deregistration.
You can re-register with the employment service only after 6 months. If re-registration is carried out at the employment center within one year (from the date of first registration), then payment is not assigned until the expiration of this period.
Amount of redundancy benefit
An employee may be dismissed due to the liquidation (reduction) of the salary. In this case, the employer is obliged to pay him average earnings for a period sufficient for the citizen to be able to find a job in another organization. Please note that this period is limited to two months from the date of reduction.
The average salary can be paid to a laid-off worker for the third month after dismissal (according to Part 1, 2 of Article 178 of the Labor Code) by decision of the Employment Service, if:
- the citizen applied to the Service for registration within two weeks after the layoff;
- The labor exchange was unable to find him a job within two months.
After the period of receiving average monthly earnings due to reduction, a citizen has the right to receive unemployment benefits in the usual manner. It is accrued from the first day immediately after the period of receiving average earnings according to the norms of paragraph 3 of Article 31 of Law 1032-1.
When can unemployment benefits be suspended?
Financial assistance to the unemployed may be suspended in a number of cases:
- Refusal from places of work - from two suitable offers;
- Refusal of public works, training, advanced training;
- Visiting an employment center while under any type of intoxication - alcohol, drugs;
- Dismissal from work or expulsion from an educational center due to gross violations of labor/educational discipline;
- Failure to comply with the terms and conditions for extending the status of unemployed;
- Termination of training to which the unemployed person was referred by the employment center.
When do they stop paying benefits?
Payments are terminated in the following cases:
- Obtaining a place of employment;
- Sending for training from the employment service (the student will be paid a stipend);
- Failure to appear at the center for a period of more than a month (in order for the payment not to be stopped, you must provide documents confirming a valid reason for failure to appear: the death of a relative, being in the hospital, etc.). At the same time, unemployed citizens must undergo re-registration (mandatory attendance) within the time limits established by the employment service, but no more than twice a month;
- Moving to another administrative center;
- Obtaining unemployed status by deception;
- Imprisonment or performing correctional labor by court decision;
- Assignment of pension benefits - both by age and early;
- Personal refusal to cooperate with the employment center;
- Death of a person registered as unemployed.
When can they be deregistered?
In addition to the obvious case when a person gets a job, there are several other reasons why he may be deregistered at the labor exchange.
According to Article 35 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Employment of the Population in the Russian Federation” dated April 19, 1991 N 1032-1, a citizen can be deregistered if he:
- reaches retirement age and becomes a pensioner;
- moves, in which case it is necessary to register with the employment center at the new place of residence;
- twice refused training offered by the labor exchange, and at the same time had not previously studied or worked anywhere;
- does not appear at the employment center without a good reason: in such a situation, they may either reduce the benefit or completely remove it from the register;
- is registered illegally; for example, if a citizen falsifies documents, the Center for Labor Protection has the right to recover through the court the amount of illegally paid benefits, and law enforcement agencies can initiate a criminal case;
- came to the employment center drunk;
- was sentenced to correctional labor or imprisonment;
- he himself refused to receive benefits;
- died.
What is a voluntary qualifying exam and how to take it? More details
How much do they pay at the labor exchange for unemployment?
Despite the differences in payment recipients, for Moscow the calculation is carried out within the framework of federal law. And this amount will not differ depending on the place of residence. For residents of regions, benefits may be increased by the regional coefficient, in accordance with local legislation.
Minimum and maximum amounts
| Maximum, rub | RUB 12,130 for all categories of recipients. |
| Minimum, rub | 1.5 thousand rubles. for all categories of recipients. |
What determines the size of payments?
The benefit is based on the average income of a citizen. If it was not there, then an amount is assigned, not lower than the minimum wage - it is increased due to the regional coefficient.
So, for example, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, taking into account the regional coefficient (+50%), payments will be:
| Maximum, rub | RUB 18,195 for all categories of recipients. |
| Minimum, rub | 2250 rub. for all categories of recipients. |
How is unemployment benefit calculated?
Those who are fired within a year before receiving unemployment status receive payments in the following order:
- in the first three months – 75% of average income;
- the next three months – 60% of this figure.
If a citizen has not provided a certificate of income, then the benefit is calculated based on the minimum indicator.
How to calculate average earnings for unemployment benefits
When calculating average earnings, income for the last three months is taken into account. They rely on the dates from the 1st to the 1st, but if the citizen quit earlier, then they calculate the amount in his favor - a larger one. Thus, the income is divided by three and the indicator is compared with the minimum and maximum values.
For example, over the last three months Ivanov received:
- March – 10 thousand;
- April – 12 thousand;
- May – 11 thousand.
Average income is calculated as follows: (10000+12000+11000):3=11000. In a standard situation, payments will be calculated based on 75% of this figure for the first three months. That is, Ivanov will receive 8,250 rubles for three months of being registered with the employment center. If during this period he still does not find a new place of work, then for the next three months the payment will be 60%. But 60% of 11,000 rubles is 6,600 rubles. And the maximum payment cannot be more than 5,000 rubles. Therefore, for another 3 months Ivanov will receive 5,000 rubles.
How to apply for benefits for the unemployed
Schemes for calculating unemployment benefits
For citizens officially recognized as unemployed, benefits are calculated in the following order:
- As a percentage of earnings: if you have worked for at least 26 weeks in 12 months before registering with the Employment Service. The following sizes apply:
- in the first three-month period – 75% of average earnings;
- then 4 months at 60% of average earnings;
- the rest of the time 45%.
In this case, the amount should be no more than the maximum established benefit amount and no less than the minimum.
- In a fixed amount: in the absence of 26 weeks of work experience in the 12 months preceding registration, as well as for those who have not worked for a long time or have been fired for violating work discipline. The minimum benefit amount applies, but for the first 6 months it is increased by 1.5 times.
The benefit is issued with an increase by the size of the regional coefficient.
The calculation of average monthly earnings includes all types of payments that the employer made to the employee before the dismissal over the last 90 days. This indicator is taken from a certificate from the last place of work, which is presented by the citizen as part of the necessary documents for registration.
SMZ = Z/Kr,
Average monthly earnings are calculated by calculating the average daily indicator for the period worked and multiplying it by the average monthly number of working days in the billing period (this indicator is taken from the production calendar, taking into account the length of the working week established in the organization).
For example , an employee was fired in April 2021. He needs to request a certificate from his place of work for January, February and March 2021. During this period, his salary was 15 thousand per month, a monthly bonus of 1 thousand.
According to the production calendar, there are 17 working days in January, 19 in February, 21 in March, but in March he worked only 15 shifts. Then his salary for March was 15,000 / 20 × 15 = 11,250 rubles, and the bonus was 1,000 / 20 × 15 = 750 rubles.
Average daily earnings for this period:
(15000 + 15000 + 11250 + 1000 + 1000 + 750) / (17+20+15) = 846.15 rubles.
The certificate for the employment service must indicate the average salary:
846.15 × ((17+20+20) / 3) = 16076.85 rubles.
How to receive unemployment benefits (step-by-step instructions)
To apply for social assistance from the state, you must:
- Contact the employment center - depending on your place of residence. After all, you will need to periodically come to this department for consultations and reporting.
- Submit the following documents: passport, application for registration, SNILS, INN. Work record book, if available (those who are looking for work for the first time will not be able to provide it). For additional identification, it is worth attaching a certificate of education - this will open up more vacancies. It is also worth using a certificate of income. In case of high earnings, the accruals will be higher than the minimum wage.
- Wait for the papers to be reviewed. The employment service will process the submitted data. If there are grounds, the citizen receives the status of unemployed.
After this procedure, they wait 10 days - during this period vacancies are selected. If there is no suitable place of work, then benefits are calculated. But not from the 10th day, but from the moment you contact the employment center.
How to register at the labor exchange and receive unemployment benefits?
It is necessary to register with the CZN at your place of residence.
For this you will need the following documents:
- application for unemployment registration;
- identity card - passport;
- TIN and SNILS;
- educational document (diploma, certificate, certificate);
- employment history;
- Bank details;
- a certificate confirming that you have not received a pension.
Additional documents if previously worked:
- a certificate of average earnings for the last 3 months from the previous place of employment;
- confirming document of termination of employment.
To confirm the authenticity of these documents, exchange employees have the right to contact the relevant organizations where these securities were issued.
What to do if you are not satisfied with the vacancy
There are often cases when a person worked in a highly paid position, and on the stock exchange he is offered vacancies with a much lower salary or unsuitable conditions. Unfortunately, the level of wages and its discrepancy with the expectations of the unemployed is not a reason to refuse a vacancy. A job can only be considered unsuitable if:
- it is associated with a change of residence without the consent of the citizen;
- working conditions do not comply with labor protection rules and regulations;
- the proposed earnings are lower than the average earnings of a citizen calculated over the last three months at the last place of work (service). This provision does not apply to citizens whose average monthly earnings exceeded the subsistence minimum for the working population (hereinafter referred to as the subsistence minimum), calculated in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the prescribed manner. In this case, a job cannot be considered suitable if the salary offered is below the subsistence level calculated in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the prescribed manner.
If a vacancy requires a salary above the subsistence level in the region, then the unemployed person’s refusal of this job is counted in the “refusal bank.” Several refusals and the Employment Center will stop paying benefits and deregister.
