Disability pensions and benefits to be increased in August
Belarus is set to make significant changes to its social benefits system, with adjustments to the Minimum Living Wage (BML) and various payments and supplements taking effect from 1 August 2025.
The BML, currently set at 726 BYN per month, will see a revision on 1 August 2025, with the new per capita rate set at Br487.72, as announced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. This adjustment is a response to inflation and economic conditions, aiming to preserve the purchasing power of these payments.
One of the most significant changes concerns social pensions. People who have reached a certain age (men - 65 years, women - 60 years) and do not receive labor pensions will receive a social pension of Br243.86 from 1 August 2025. Social pensions for disabled persons, categorised into three groups, will also see increases. Disabled persons of the 1st group, including those disabled since childhood, will receive Br536.49, while those in the 2nd group will receive Br414.56, and those in the 3rd group, including disabled persons since childhood, will receive Br365.79.
Care allowances for pensions will also change, with those caring for an invalid of the 1st group receiving Br121.93, and those caring for someone aged 80 and above receiving Br60.97. Additionally, social pensions for children with disabilities under 18 years old with varying degrees of health loss will see increases, with amounts ranging from Br390.18 to Br536.49 depending on the degree of health loss.
Pension increases, introduced for certain categories of pensioners, including war invalids, siege survivors, former prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, and donors, will also rise from 1 August 2025, with amounts ranging from Br48.77 to Br609.65 for different categories of pensioners (a total of 17), as provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
The BML affects various social payments, supplements, and increases, including social pensions, increases for certain pensioners, supplements and allowances for the elderly, and allowances for caring for people with disabilities. As a result, these changes aim to ensure that social protection payments keep pace with living costs and economic changes, thereby maintaining their relative value and support to low-income citizens.
It is worth noting that labor pensions in Belarus were last increased on 1 February and saw an increase of 10%. Employer payroll contributions based on employee salaries, such as pension contributions (28%), health insurance (6%), and mandatory work-related insurance (0.1% to 1%), also scale with the minimum wage, meaning that increasing the BML also impacts the magnitude of these contributions because they are calculated as percentages of salaries.
These changes reflect the Belarusian government's commitment to providing adequate social protection for its vulnerable populations, ensuring that they can maintain a decent standard of living amidst economic fluctuations.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has announced that the Minimum Living Wage (BML) will undergo a revision on 1 August 2025, which might precede adjustments in various social payments, supplements, and increases, such as social pensions, increases for certain pensioners, and allowances for caring for people with disabilities. These changes are aimed at preserving the purchasing power of these payments and ensuring that social protection payments keep pace with living costs and economic changes, thereby maintaining their relative value and support to low-income citizens.
In line with this, wealth-management advisors and personal-finance experts may want to review and update financial plans for Belarusian citizens, particularly those who rely on social benefits, considering the anticipated changes in income levels and corresponding adjustments in various expenses.
