Like representatives of other professions, teachers are anxiously awaiting what their pension payment will be under the new pension reform and whether the so-called “service to teachers”, which previously allowed employees in the education sector to qualify for early retirement, will be preserved in 2020.
The opportunity to retire based on length of service is a good bonus in this profession, because the work of a teacher is very important and at the same time associated with constant nervous tension.
Regulatory framework for preferential pensions for teachers.
The assignment of benefits if you have experience in an educational organization in a teaching position is regulated by the following documents:
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 665 of July 16, 2014;
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 781 of October 29, 2002;
- Order of the Ministry of Education and Science No. 1601 of December 22, 2014, etc.
The pension reform, which came into force on January 1, 2019, introduced changes to the retirement age. However, she did not touch upon the requirements for the number of years worked and position.
In what cases can they refuse?
A retired teacher’s request for benefits may be refused if the package of documents submitted is incomplete or any of the papers are completed incorrectly.
In some cases, a pensioner may be denied a benefit by mistake, for example, when a rural teacher is not accrued a preferential pension due to non-compliance with working time standards: in this case, the refusal will be illegal.
The same applies to cases where all the conditions for calculating a preferential pension are met, but the applicant is under 45 years of age - long-service payments can be assigned at any age.
Thus, retired teachers can take advantage of such types of social assistance as a preferential pension, discounts on utilities, cash payments, etc. The most significant support is provided for rural teachers and holders of the title “Honored Teacher”.
The procedure for applying for preferential pensions for teachers.
A preferential pension for teachers based on length of service is issued if the following requirements are met:
- teaching experience 25 years;
- the presence of a minimum individual pension coefficient on the date of registration of benefits;
- the load is not less than that set for the rate;
- position approved by legislative acts.
Receiving a preferential allowance is possible only if the teacher has a full workload.
The standard hours per rate depend on the position and should be no less than:
- 36 hours a week for methodologists, university teachers, teacher-organizers;
- 30 hours – for a senior teacher in a preschool educational institution;
- 20 hours – speech therapists;
- 18 hours – subject teachers in public education, additional education teachers, teachers of art schools, coaches in sports schools.
When applying for a preferential pension, the age of teachers is not taken into account. All that matters is having teaching experience and the required number of pension points.
Where to contact
For questions about applying for a preferential pension, teachers should contact the Pension Fund office at their place of residence.
You can make a request using one of the existing methods:
- appear in person at the Pension Fund with a package of prepared documents;
- through an authorized representative who has the appropriate notarized powers;
- through the Internet portal “Government services. In this case, registration on the state website will be required.
To apply for benefits, rural teachers should contact the educational institution where the teacher worked.
List of pensioners' benefits.
It is important not only the experience of teachers’ preferential pension, but also the inclusion of the position in the list provided for by law. The full list is contained in Resolution No. 781 of October 29, 2002.
Among the workers who can receive benefits early are:
- directors and their deputies;
- teachers;
- kindergarten teachers;
- speech therapists and defectologists;
- social educators;
- senior teachers;
- teachers of out-of-school centers.
Some categories have restrictions. Thus, administrative employees can retire before the due date only if they combine their main position with a teaching load of at least 6 hours.
The exception is directors and head teachers of correctional schools and orphanages.
Teachers of club and extracurricular activities, and leaders of children's associations can receive a preferential pension if, as of January 1, 2001, their work experience is at least 16.8 years.
This fact must be recorded in the work book and orders of the organization’s personnel department.
When calculating the length of service of a teaching worker, the following periods are taken into account:
- working hours for which contributions to the Pension Fund were transferred;
- time of illness, if confirmed by a certificate of incapacity for work;
- vacation;
- maternity leave until October 6, 1992.
If a teacher gets a job in an educational organization and then goes to study in his specialty, the years of training are included in the teaching experience.
The right to early assignment of pension: labor and insurance.
How to apply for a long service pension for teachers
To apply for a preferential pension, you should contact the Pension Fund branch at the place of registration. The necessary actions can be taken not only by the applicant himself, but also by his representative. To do this, the latter must have a power of attorney certified by a notary.
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Based on the data provided by the applicant or his authorized representative, Pension Fund employees will decide whether to grant a pension or to refuse the application . In the latter case, the teacher has the right to appeal against it through legal proceedings in court.
Documents for obtaining a teacher's pension
To apply for early retirement in 2020, the applicant must collect a certain list of documents:
- Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
- Work book;
- A certificate clarifying the preferential nature of the work, which gives the right to early retirement;
- A certificate of income for 60 consecutive months until December 31, 2001 (with the total amount of insurance premiums for 2000-2001 being 44,000, such a certificate is not needed. You can find out by requesting an extract from the ILS);
- Birth certificates of children (if available);
- Military ID (for men);
- Marriage certificate (if there is a change of surname).
This is a standard list of documents. If there are discrepancies in the information in the work book, the Pension Fund may require additional clarifying documents.
Changes in pension legislation.
In 2020, a reform in pension legislation started in Russia. According to the changes, women can apply for old-age benefits at the age of 60, men 5 years later.
The preferential teacher pension for 2020-2021 will remain, however, adjustments have been made to the conditions for receiving it. The benefit will be assigned only 5 years after achieving the required teaching experience to receive it.
In other words, a teacher must work for 25 years in a position included in the approved list of preferential categories, and after 5 years apply to the Pension Fund for payment.
However, a gradual entry into force of the reform is planned. Teachers who have worked for 25 years by 2020 can apply for benefits six months after the day this right arises.
The following deadlines for transferring pension registration are provided:
- 2020 – 2021, 2022;
- 2021 – 2024;
- 2022 – 2026;
- 2023 – 2028.
In addition to the mandatory length of service, a teacher must accumulate a certain number of pension points. In 2020, their size is 16.2, but by 2023 at least 30 are planned.
Retirement table
So, according to the new rules, during the transition period the rule “+1 year every 12 months” will apply to teachers, not counting the first two years, where the conditions are more lenient – 0.5 and 1.5 years. This means that having accumulated the required 25 years of teaching experience, a teacher will be able to apply for a pension only after a certain number of years, namely:
In general about benefits
However, benefits for teachers have not been cut; there has only been a redistribution of their funding between different budget levels. In particular, the document describes what benefits are provided for teachers in the city and village. Let us list the main points: The salary of rural teachers is set not lower than the regional average. Its basic part is increasing. The need for advanced training at the expense of budget funds (every three years). Benefits have been established for compensation of utility bills and the purchase of housing. Rules for dividing budgets have been outlined. Teachers teaching in federal institutions are funded at the appropriate level. Everyone else is paid from the local budget. The region can establish its own benefits for teaching staff. Find out the nuances of local legislation from the regional or district administration.
General preferences for teachers:
Teaching is considered hard work. Therefore, all educators enjoy the following benefits: Working hours reduced by half compared to others - 18 hours a week. Unlimited part-time work. This is especially true in a village, where one person can teach several subjects. Long leave provided in the summer: from 42 to 56 days. Early registration of a long-service pension (25 years). The opportunity to go on vacation for a whole year, if you have more than continuous experience 10 years. The teaching position is retained.
How is it calculated?
The calculation procedure directly depends on the income certificate. That is, the size of your salary plays an important role. Depending on its size, future payments are calculated.
Elena Smirnova
Pension lawyer, ready to answer your questions.
Ask me a question
The calculation procedure is always calculated exclusively individually. But insurance premiums paid by the citizen also play an important role.
Limitations when calculating teaching experience
Until September 1, 2000, the length of service will include all the time spent teaching – regardless of the teacher’s workload. But from now on - from September 1, 2000 - work time will be taken into account in the length of service only when fulfilling the teaching or training load established for the salary rate.
As before, length of service does not depend on workload for a number of categories of teachers:
- Primary classes of general education institutions;
- Teachers of secondary schools in rural areas (except for evening and open shift schools).
- In institutions for children - at least 6 hours per week (240 hours per year);
- In institutions of secondary specialized education - at least 360 hours per year.
What in practice?
Lisa: My mother was denied a preferential retirement pension. It is legal?
Tatyana Lugina, lawyer: The pension fund has the right to refuse to grant an early pension in two cases - insufficient experience as a teacher, or the presence of gross errors in the documents. You can complete the missing experience and submit the papers again. And if there are gross errors in the work book or archival papers, it is advisable to seek help from a lawyer.
Elena: When I first contacted the Pension Fund, they said that a year of work as a pioneer leader would not be included in the preferential period of service (to be included, you had to teach at least one hour of any subject). I went to court, a statement of claim was drawn up by a lawyer, who indicated the date of receipt of the pension from the day the application was written. By a court decision, the year of work as a pioneer leader was counted as a preferential length of service, but the Pension Fund paid me a pension from the date of filing the application, that is, I lost a year.
Tatyana Lugina, lawyer: For any controversial issues, you need to ask for paperwork from the Pension Fund. For example, refusal to establish a preferential pension, and going to court. There are many controversial cases when it is possible to return those years of experience that the Pension Fund ignores. To successfully resolve the case, you should receive full advice from a lawyer, an experienced and knowledgeable one.
