Increase in pensions, simplification of tenant registration, and ranking of driving schools: a guide to the laws of May

      Large families will not be denied the unified benefit due to a 10% increase in income

      Who will receive pension increases in May

      In May, pension payments will traditionally be recalculated for a number of categories of Russians. The increase will primarily affect those who turned 80 in April, as well as first-group disabled individuals: their fixed payment to the insurance pension will be doubled to approximately 19,200 rubles. The recalculation will be conducted automatically, without applications. Changes will also affect former civil aviation pilots and workers in the coal industry—the amount of additional payments for them will be determined based on their work experience and income level. Payments to citizens with northern and rural work experience will also increase. Additionally, a one-time federal payment of 10,000 rubles will be provided in May for participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

      Homeowners will be able to more quickly deregister "dead souls"

      Starting May 1, it will be easier for homeowners to deregister "dead souls" from their properties. If a citizen does not actually live at the address, just one "registration on paper" is no longer sufficient. The procedure will now be simplified: the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be able to annul registrations administratively based on the results of its own checks. Homeowners will be able to annul the registration of those who have not lived in the apartment for years and do not pay for utilities. Evidence such as neighbor testimonies or acts from the management company will be acceptable. As a result, the entire procedure from verification to deregistration will take just over a week. Previously, to deregister former family members or outsiders, one had to go to court, gather evidence, and wait for a decision for months.

      Dietary supplements will be evaluated for quality and effectiveness

      The Russian government has approved criteria for the quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements. The relevant decree will come into effect on May 1. Among the quality criteria are the presence of a valid state registration certificate for the supplement from the manufacturer, proper labeling, and compliance with safety indicators and composition, confirmed by an accredited Russian testing laboratory. The quality of dietary supplements will be determined only if all mandatory conditions are met. The effectiveness of dietary supplements can be confirmed by scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals and included in Russian and international scientific citation databases. Manufacturers' own data will also be acceptable as evidence of effectiveness. This may include results from clinical trials or observations that document the effects of supplements on human health and describe their usage regimens.

      Exporting gold from Russia will become more complicated

      Starting May 1, the export of refined gold in bars weighing more than 100 grams from Russia to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union will be prohibited. It should be noted that the EAEU includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, in addition to Russia. There are exceptions. First, it is allowed to export gold in bars weighing more than 100 grams through Moscow airports (Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo) and Vladivostok (Knevichi) with a permit from the Federal Assay Chamber (FAP). Second, individuals are allowed to export precious metals to countries outside the EAEU through the airports of Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Knevichi with a permit from the FAP. The provisions of the decree do not apply to cases of gold export from Russia abroad by credit organizations. It is expected that the ban will help reduce the risk of capital outflow abroad through the purchase and export of bars. In addition, it will make such operations more transparent, especially when moving to EAEU countries and when individuals export to third countries. The measures are also aimed at preventing the use of gold in gray schemes—such as illegal trade or money laundering.

      The incomes of disabled individuals and veterans will be protected from enforcement actions

      Starting May 6, the list of incomes of disabled individuals and veterans that will be protected from enforcement actions will be expanded. For example, payments for rehabilitation equipment purchased before January 1, 2025. Also included are prosthetics (except dental) and prosthetic-orthopedic products acquired before this date. Expenses for travel to the place of receipt or manufacture of such equipment and back are separately protected. This applies to disabled individuals, veterans, and accompanying persons. Additionally, funds for the maintenance and veterinary care of guide dogs cannot be seized.

      The Ministry of Culture of Russia will determine priority topics for state support of cinema

      Starting May 6, the Ministry of Culture of Russia will receive the authority to annually approve the funding volumes for national films and priority topics. Full or partial state funding for the production of national films will be provided in accordance with the approved volumes and only for projects that correspond to priority topics.

      It will become easier to appeal court decisions

      Starting May 10, the procedure for appealing decisions made by magistrate judges that have already entered into legal force will change. The key change concerns the place of filing cassation complaints. Now, such complaints regarding the verdicts of magistrate judges and decisions of district courts made following appellate review must be sent not to the cassation courts of general jurisdiction, but to the presidiums of regional, territorial, and other equivalent courts (for example, the supreme courts of republics). If a complaint is submitted before May 10 of this year, it will be considered under the old rules. The new norms apply only to appeals submitted after this date.

      Large families will not lose benefits due to a slight increase in income

      Starting May 22, large families receiving a unified benefit will be able to maintain their right to the payment for the next year, even if their average per capita income slightly exceeds the subsistence minimum, but not by more than 10%. In this case, the benefit will continue to be paid at 50% of the regional subsistence minimum. In Tatarstan, it is 16,098 rubles. "In general, the following formula applies: if 50% of the subsistence minimum allows the family's income to reach the need criterion, this level is assigned. If not, the payment may increase to 75% or 100%. However, in this case, we are talking about families whose income exceeds the need criterion by about 10%, so they will automatically be assigned 50%," explained Svetlana Bessarab, a member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy, and Veterans Affairs, to Tatar-inform. Denials issued from January 1, 2026, due to a slight income excess will be automatically reviewed—no need to reapply, and the result will be sent to the personal account on the State Services portal. This innovation was introduced so that families do not lose support due to a slight increase in income.

      The Bank of Russia will gain access to a unified register of population information

      Starting May 28, the Central Bank of Russia will be granted access to the federal register of population information. Thanks to this innovation, the regulator will be able to more accurately identify individuals in the credit history system. Data from the register will be used in the Central Catalog of Credit Histories to avoid errors. For example, when a client is denied a loan because their credit history cannot be found. The new law addresses this issue, as the Central Bank of Russia will have access to the most modern and reliable data for identifying borrowers.

      The effectiveness rating of driving schools will be compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

      Starting May 28, a law on a unified rating of driving schools will come into effect in Russia. The effectiveness of their work will be determined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). Among the criteria are the percentage of driving school graduates who passed their exams on the first attempt; the percentage of graduates who did not pass the test; and the number of traffic accidents caused by graduates with less than two years of driving experience. "Statistics and analytics will work to see which driving schools truly produce qualified, worthy drivers and which just pretend. I have always been for road safety, so, of course, monitoring is necessary. I fully support this," commented auto lawyer Dmitry Slavnoy to Tatar-inform. The MVD will compile the indicators for the rating annually by February 15 at the latest, starting next year, and will publish them on the website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GIBDD).

      Photo: © Sultan Iskhakov / Tatar-inform