Not all retirees have the opportunity to work. Some are not allowed by their health, while others are denied official employment due to their age. Such pensioners belong to the category of vulnerable citizens and, like no one else, need support from the state.
In Russia for 2020, there are a large number of programs that are aimed at reducing the costs of life support for pensioners. These also include discounts on travel on different types of transport. This article will discuss benefits for pensioners on travel on long-distance trains in 2020.
Who can travel around Moscow and the Moscow region for free?
About 1.6 million Muscovites from among preferential categories of citizens can travel for free on all suburban electric trains, including express trains, from August 1, 2020.
These include: - pensioners;
— honorary donors of the USSR, Russia and Moscow;
- one of the parents of a large family;
- guardian, foster parent raising an orphan child, foster carer for a child in need of government support;
— parents, legal representatives of disabled children under 18 years of age;
- one of the parents of a disabled child under 23 years of age (if he receives vocational education).
The full list of beneficiaries who had the right to free travel before August 1, 2020 can be found in Appendix No. 3 of the Moscow Government Decree dated November 18, 2014.
Payment for train tickets for pensioners
at a ticket office on the territory of the Russian Federation that returns tickets, upon presentation of a control coupon or electronic ticket/order number and an identification document of the passenger, the number of which is indicated on the electronic ticket, in accordance with the established return periods. Refunds of unused international electronic tickets (far abroad) are carried out only at international ticket offices.
When issuing electronic tickets for travel from stations in the CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, you must obtain a boarding pass on a standard form at ticket offices or self-service terminals of Russian railways on the territory of the Russian Federation. When purchasing tickets for trains for which electronic check-in is provided, you must print out your electronic ticket boarding pass yourself and present it when boarding the train.
What do you need for free travel on electric trains?
Only social card. You need to go to the suburban ticket office at the railway station, where the card will be encoded in a special way. After this, you can issue a free ticket using a social card at any suburban station ticket office or using ticket printing machines.
Attention: for each trip you need to issue single tickets in one or both directions (on the day of travel or earlier, but no more than 10 days before the train departure date), even if you are entitled to free travel.
Benefits for pensioners provided by JSC Russian Railways
Railway tracks cover all corners of the Russian Federation, which makes it possible to reach any locality quickly and comfortably. Rail transportation on the territory of the Russian Federation is carried out by JSC Russian Railways. To clarify any information, the organization has a telephone line and an official website on the Internet.
The official website provides data on all categories of citizens who can receive discounted train tickets at the box office or when purchasing via the Internet. This series includes all groups of people established by federal legislation as preferential. The costs of providing travel for this class of residents are borne entirely by the Russian federal budget. This category includes Heroes of the Russian Federation and the USSR, residents who received the Order of Glory and Socialist Labor.
Slightly smaller amounts of support are provided to full holders of the Orders of “Labor Glory” and “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR.” The status of a beneficiary for such pensioners is fixed at the federal level, i.e., it does not depend on the region of residence. Regional authorities may provide additional subsidies depending on budgetary capabilities. The region's budget is adopted every year, so the list of possible benefits changes annually, depending on the changes that have occurred.
For more detailed information on the list of beneficiaries approved by JSC Russian Railways, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the table below:
| Pensioner status | Support form | Hero Badge/Order Book for presentation at the box office | Ticket book (also shown at the station ticket office) |
| Heroes of the Soviet Union | 100% state-paid tickets 2 times annually for any purpose and once to the sanatorium complex for any composition | Yes/- | Yes |
| Heroes of the Russian Federation | Yes/- | Yes | |
| Full Knights of the Order of Glory | -/Yes | Yes | |
| Heroes of socialist labor; | Yes/- | Yes | |
| Knights of the Order of Labor Glory, 3 degrees; Knights of the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3 degrees | 100% state-paid ticket annually to any destination and for personal purpose in the composition category of the pensioner’s choice | -/Yes | Yes |
Will both parents of a disabled child be able to use free travel or only one?
The benefit for free travel on suburban railway transport will apply to both parents of a disabled child.
If a disabled child enrolls in a college or university, the benefit for free travel on commuter rail will remain for one of the parents until the child reaches 23 years of age. It applies to the student’s parents during the period of his studies in secondary vocational and higher education programs (bachelor’s, specialist’s or master’s degrees) from 18 to 23 years of age.
Let us remind you that Moscow beneficiaries can travel for free not only on buses, trolleybuses, trams and the Moscow metro, but also on public transport in the Moscow region.
Benefits for using public transport - how to get them?
Many pensioners think that benefits for using public transport are already included in their pension. Actually this is not true.
Benefits are not accrued automatically. They need to be formalized. As a rule, the entire registration procedure is carried out at the Russian Pension Fund. Let's take a closer look at it.
Drawing up an application
The first step is drawing up an application. It is necessary to express a desire to receive benefits provided by law. The application must contain the following information:
- Last name, first name and patronymic of the applicant.
- Passport details.
- Types of benefits.
- Reasons for receiving them.
- List of documents that confirm the social status of a citizen, etc.
The application is filled out in a strictly prescribed form. The form can be found and printed on the Internet or obtained from any nearest branch of the responsible government agency.
Depending on what category the citizen belongs to and what type of benefits he intends to receive, the contents of the document may change. It is necessary to clarify the data from the Pension Fund employees to fill out.
In order for the procedure for applying for benefits to be successful, you need to fill out the application correctly. Be sure to double-check all data to ensure that it corresponds to official documentation. Any errors in the application may cause it to become invalid and no longer valid.
Submitting an application and package of documents
After completing the application, you must submit it with a package of documents to the nearest branch of the Russian Pension Fund. In addition to the application, the package of documents must include:
- Citizen's passport.
- Documents that confirm that you belong to beneficiaries.
It is necessary to provide copies of these documents certified by a notary. If the document is not certified, it is not valid and will not be taken into account in the process of applying for benefits.
Obtaining transport documentation
The last step in this procedure is to directly obtain the transport documentation. The Pension Fund of the Russian Federation will notify you of its decision after reviewing the package of documents.
A date and time for receiving transport documentation is set. The pensioner must come to the branch of the government agency at his place of residence and confirm with his signature that he has received benefits. Only after this they come into force and can be used when traveling.
The topic of pensioners receiving benefits for travel on long-distance trains and other public vehicles is very relevant today and is covered in many media. You can learn more about it in the following video:
So, pensioners are considered socially vulnerable citizens. The state is trying in every possible way to improve the financial situation of this segment of the population and reduce their costs of life support.
Programs that provide benefits to retirees come into force every year. One of these includes a program of benefits for pensioners for travel on long-distance trains. It allows you to receive a free trip to the place of treatment every year or significantly reduce the cost of your ticket.
Discounts for pensioners on air tickets and trains
Naturally, air tickets are the most expensive. Therefore, it is not surprising that most companies provide discounts for pensioners on air tickets - the difference in price between the full cost of a boarding pass and a preferential travel option is significant, which allows a person of retirement age to save significantly.
The LineTicket e-ticket sales center conducts effective monitoring of all companies involved in the transportation and sale of plane and train tickets. This makes it possible to identify who provides discounts to pensioners on air and train tickets.
Discounts for pensioners on railway tickets in 2020
The Russian Railways holding has an extensive network of railway lines. It is not difficult for a traveler to create an individual route and get to any city in Russia. Elderly people often use this type of transport to visit relatives, visit new places, and get to places of rest or treatment. At the same time, every passenger wants to save money. What discounts does it offer for pensioners on train tickets in 2020?
The provisions of Federal Law No. 178 contain instructions according to which social assistance is provided to Russians. Article 6.2 provides a list of types of support, which includes free travel on intercity transport in the direction of authorized authorities for treatment. The social insurance authorities issue a special coupon; it must be presented to the cashier when registering the trip.
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Documents required to receive financial assistance
In addition to providing a passport, to receive transport benefits you must present:
- a document confirming membership in the lists of heroes of the Russian Federation, the USSR, and Heroes of Socialist Labor;
- social card of a Muscovite, valid in the Moscow region;
- document issued to members of the Federation Council;
- parliamentary, military or police ID;
- certificate from a pension organization;
- social card or student card.
The application is filled out by hand and submitted to the pension fund. It is also possible to complete documents on the government services portal. The application is reviewed within one working week.
Federal benefits
Federal benefits are available for certain categories and are valid in any region of the country. Place of residence does not affect the provision of compensation for the following citizens:
- disabled people of all groups and the person accompanying them;
- disabled people and war veterans;
- members of the Federation Council;
- railway employees;
- employees of the transport prosecutor's office;
- State Duma deputies;
- military personnel;
- private security officers;
- labor veterans;
- minor prisoners of fascism;
- population of besieged Leningrad;
- relatives of a deceased disabled person or war veteran;
- persons related to major disasters (Chernobyl and others).
Types of discounts on Russian Railways tickets and rules for receiving them
In 2020, a discount can only be obtained when purchasing a ticket for a commuter train or long-distance passenger . As a rule, this is decided regionally, where traffic routes are selected locally depending on the workload of the train.
As for schoolchildren, we also have interesting promotional offers for them. They will apply during the summer holidays and give the right to pay the cost of the ticket at half the full price. This benefit applies to travel in general and reserved seat carriages and in electric trains of 2 and 3 classes. The only condition when you have to pay in full is high-speed trains .
Who is eligible for benefits and discounts on trains in 2020?
- Federal level deputies are issued tickets upon request. You don't need to pay for them. They are also not limited to the class of cars. The rule applies to accompanying persons.
Assistants to deputies also travel for budget money. They are given tickets for compartment seats. The number of trips is not limited within the Russian Federation (or a federal subject).
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In addition, the carrier company is trying to stimulate people. For this purpose, preferential prices for children and discounts for group travel are practiced. Specialists monitor the occupancy of routes. Additional offers are also made for the most unpopular ones.
