Putin insists on 7% increase in pensions

Pensions in Russia will increase by 7%, instead of 6.1%, on February 1, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a session of the government, RIA Novosti reports.

Putin added that the rate will be adjusted according to the inflation level. Additional funds for pensions will total 1.3 billion rubles.

The prime minister noted that social pensions will increase by 14.1% on April 1. He said earlier that retired servicemen will have pensions increased 1.6-fold on January 1, which is a gap of 28%, compared with civil pensions. Putin added that the government will continue gradual reduction of the gap.