Also some other softenings were foreseen, e.g. for women having 3 and more children.
(meta data) TITLE: Russia's Putin softens pension reforms after outcry - BBC News (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews ## Accessibility links ## BBC News Navigation Family & Education Entertainment & Arts Video & Audio In Pictures Reality Check Special Reports The Reporters Have Your Say World selected Latin America Middle East US & Canada # Russia's Putin softens pension reforms after outcry Image copyright Image caption Protests have taken place across Russia Russian leader Vladimir Putin has softened planned pension changes following angry protests and a slump in his approval rating. He said the retirement age for women would be increased from 55 to 60 instead of to 63. But a five-year increase for men, to 65, would stay. In a rare TV address, Mr Putin said the country's working-age population was shrinking, making change essential. Unions have warned that many will not live long enough to claim a pension. Russian men have a life expectancy of 66 while for women it is 77, the World Health Organization says. The issue has seen support for Mr Putin fall to 64% from 80%, according to VTsIOM state pollster. Defiant Putin embraces higher pension age for Russia '43% of Russian men won't live to retirement' World Cup fails to quell rage at Russian reforms Life in Putin's Russia explained in 10 charts Mr Putin said the move to raise the retirement age for men and women had been delayed for years and risked causing inflation and increasing poverty. Postponing it further would threaten the stability and security of Russian society, he said. "Any further delay would be irresponsible," he said. "Our decisions should be just and well-balanced," he added. Image copyright Image caption The outcry forced Mr Putin to make a rare address to the nation Until his TV address he had attempted to distance himself from the row, and had in the past promised that the pension age would never be raised on his watch. ## What are the plans? Under the new plan, to be implemented from 2019, the retirement age for men will be increased gradually from 60 to 65. Before Mr Putin's intervention women were to have to work another eight years from 55 to 63 - their planned retirement age has now been reduced to 60. Mr Putin said that Russia "cherished women". "Women not only work but they also take care of the house and children and grandchildren. Their retirement age should not increase by more than that of men," he said. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption These women protested in the Ivanovo region near Moscow Women with three or more children could retire earlier, he added. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has previously said the decision was motivated by the fact that Russians are living longer and leading more active lives. He said there were 12 million working pensioners in Russia, equal to nearly a quarter of all pensioners. ## What protests have there been? Tens of thousands have rallied across Russia in recent weeks. "Help the state, die before your pension," read one home-made placard in the Siberian city of Omsk in early July, where about 3,000 people turned out. "The government must go," read another. Image copyright Image caption 'Pay taxes and die before retirement' reads this banner at a protest in Moscow This activist posted photos from a protest in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia's far-eastern region in early July. ## Who has protested? Unusually for Russia, protesters have been from all sides of the political debate. Communist Party red flags and nationalist banners flew side by side, and opposition supporters joined in too. The initial announcement was made at the same time as the World Cup in Russia began, prompting criticism that the Russian government was trying to bury bad news. ## Why does Russia want to raise the pension age? Most economists and many Russians agree there is a problem. The population is getting older and the state is spending more and more on pensions. After the economic chaos of the early 1990s, Russia's population plummeted. The birth rate has since shown some signs of improvement, but it is not happening fast enough. Based on current trends, 20% of Russians will be over 65 by 2050, says the UN. President Putin has just signed a new bill on pension spending, envisaging a deficit of more than 265bn roubles (£3.1bn; $4.2bn) in 2018. That's 1.6% of the entire state budget expenditure. It is clearly not a sustainable situation, especially in tough economic times. ## Related Topics RussiaVladimir Putin ## Top Stories Brazil sends army to tackle Amazon fires President Jair Bolsonaro orders soldiers to be sent to the region, after pressure from EU leaders. 23 August 2019 Amazon fires: Ten of your questions answered 23 August 2019 Trump says US firms 'hereby ordered' to quit China 23 August 2019 ## Features ### Amazon fires: Ten of your questions answered ### 'It feels like the Ashes are gone' ### In pictures: Patients share views of hospital food ### A North Korean defector's 'death by indifference' ### 'Being trans felt dirty - so I asked to be electrocuted' ### Quiz of the week: Did you read about Bowie's bandstand? ### "I stabbed someone to get into a white supremacy gang" ### The fake baby Instagram adoption scam ### Could your face be your passport? # Elsewhere on the BBC ### Heartbreak Holiday Ten single strangers on the ultimate holiday Full article Heartbreak Holiday ### Daily news briefing direct to your inbox Sign up for our newsletter Full article Daily news briefing direct to your inbox Why you can trust BBC News ## BBC News Services On your mobile On your connected tv Get news alerts Contact BBC News
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2018 Russian pension protests
Reaction of authorities.
The president of Russia Vladimir Putin has decided to reduce the hike of the retirement age for women from 63 to 60 years (i.e. +5 instead of +8).