Ten thousand per student: what gift from the state should parents expect

Who can count on government subsidies

On the eve of September 1, questions about state assistance for preparing children for school are again relevant. Parents, like all people, quickly get used to the good. In 2021, on the Day of Knowledge, families received 10 thousand rubles for each child of school age 6-17 years old. And all – regardless of the level of income and the degree of need. Is such a massive payment provided for this year? Experts told about this “MK”.

In 2021, President Vladimir Putin said that families with school-age children should receive a lump sum payment of 10,000 rubles to prepare for September 1st. In 2023, in the State Duma, under the auspices of the Committee on Family, Women and Children, deputies sent a letter to Mikhail Mishustin with a request to pay parents with children from 6 to 18 years old the “September 1 capital”.

According to Mark Goykhman, an analyst at the Capital Skills Financial Academy, this year you can not count on the payment. There are many reasons for this.

“This allowance was seen as a necessary support measure during the pandemic, when people’s earning opportunities were reduced. And that is why money was paid equally to everyone – everyone suffered from quarantine and restrictions, and there was neither time nor opportunity to allocate those in particular need, – the expert recalls. – Now the situation is considered more benign. In addition, an extremely unpleasant phenomenon of a state budget deficit has appeared, which has not happened in recent years. The state does not have enough funds for current expenses, and it becomes difficult to provide additional support to schoolchildren.”

Meanwhile, the amount needed to prepare for school is increasing. In 2021, when the innovation was introduced, it averaged 19 thousand rubles, according to Rosstat’s calculations. This amount includes clothes and shoes for school, textbooks and notebooks, a backpack, and stationery. In 2022, it rose to 22.3 thousand rubles. for a boy and 26.8 thousand rubles. for a girl. The increase was 11.3% and 13.9%, respectively. This is adequate and the general inflation is 15.1%. For 2023, Rosstat has not yet considered these costs. But according to him, annual inflation in the 1st half of 2023 was 5.55%.

“Probably, the “price tag” for school fees has also increased by about the same amount. But now such a one-time allowance is not becoming general, but targeted, selective, – says Mark Goykhman. – For those children from 6 to 18 years of age who meet certain criteria for this, established by current legislation. Its size remains the same – 10 thousand rubles, not subject to indexation due to inflation. However, a letter was sent from the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children to the government with a request to pay the total “September 1 capital” in 2023 as well. Obviously, such a comprehensive measure is unlikely now for the reasons indicated by the expert above.

The State Duma is also considering the issue of more substantial benefits for a limited circle of needy families with children. We are talking about the amounts of 21,850 rubles. “for families with children aged 6 to 18, as well as for families with disabled children under 23.” And even about an additional allowance of 34,679 rubles. for poor families. “Well, the word is up to the legislators,” concludes Goykhman.

Economist, BitRiver Communications Director Andrei Loboda believes that the state will provide support to some families, but the payment will not be related to the one-time support by September 1, which was drawn up in 2021.

“This year there will be no one-time payments for schoolchildren. And there is no such option in the State Services. It was a one-time action in 2021 and it was not extended anymore, – continues the interlocutor of MK. “It is quite obvious that we are talking about targeted assistance to families with incomes below the average, targeted assistance to families with many children.”

According to Loboda, before the elections, the regional authorities began to publicize the payment on a grand scale, but the information must be given clear and honest.

“In 2023, given the deficit budget and the huge spending of the treasury against the backdrop of declining revenues from the oil and gas sector, it is hardly worth counting on a massive payment to school. The costs for this are not planned, and there are no more emergency “pods” from which it would be possible to withdraw the required amount at a time, – the expert emphasizes. – It is clear why such an initiative arises: inflation is rising this year, prices for everything are rising at once. Getting a child to school in 2023 could be 10-20% more expensive than in the past.”