Child benefits policies: comparative analysis of Russian regions Anna Philippova, Marina Kolosnitsyna National Research University Higher School of Economics Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 2017 www.hse.ru

Child benefit system in Russia Child benefits provided by the federal budget or Social Security Fund (prenatal and maternity benefits, lump-sum childbirth benefits and child care allowances for children under 1.5 years, etc.). All these benefits are categorical. Most of them are of insurance nature and targeted at families with children under 1.5 years. Child benefits provided by regional budgets (nursing benefits, etc.). Most of these benefits are means-tested. Regional authorities not only choose the recipients according to the families’ incomes, but also set the size of the benefits. photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

The aim of the research The aim of the research is to compare child benefits policies across the regions of Russia by estimating costs of child benefit packages for model families in various regions. photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Literature photo photo photo Bradshaw. The case for family benefits (2012). Bradshaw, Ditch, Holmes, Whiteford. A Comparative Study of Child Support in Fifteen Countries (1993). Bradshaw, Finch. A Comparison of Child Benefit Packages in 22 Countries (2002). Kamerman, Kahn. Income transfers, work and the economic well-being of families with children: A comparative study (1982). Kamerman, Kahn. Income Transfers and Mother-Only Families in Eight Countries (1983). Kamerman, Phipps, Ben-Arieh. From Child Welfare to Child Well-Being: An International Perspective on Knowledge in the Service of Policy Making (2010). Ovcharova et al. Determinants of reproductive behaviours and factors of families ill-being: panel research results (Детерминанты репродуктивного поведения населения и факторы семейного неблагополучия: результаты панельных исследований) (2010). Ovcharova et al. Analysis of the situation of children in the Russian Federation: towards a society of equal opportunities. A joint report from the Independent Institute for Social Policy and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). (Анализ положения детей в Российской Федерации: на пути к обществу равных возможностей. Совместный доклад Независимого института социальной политики и Детского фонда ООН (ЮНИСЕФ)) (2011). photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Methods Model families are common types of families analyzed in the context of their incomes and benefits receipt. Regional child benefit package includes all regular transfers from regional budgets targeted at families with children (except of lump-sum benefits which do not significantly affect family welfare). photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Data The study is based on data from the official web-sites of regional authorities and the Federal State Statistical Service (Rosstat), taking into consideration regional legislation. 4th quarter of 2015 – data on average monthly wages and subsistence minimums 2016-2017 – data on child benefits and prices photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Components of child benefit packages Child benefits in cash: nursing benefits (for families with children under 16 (18) years monthly payment for the third and subsequent children until the child reaches the age of 3 Child benefits in kind: free medicines free travel cards compensations for kindergarten photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Budget security classification (by Zubarevich and Gorina) Rich regions: 9 regions with highest level of budget security. They are the leading oil and gas producing regions and federal cities agglomerations. Responsible regions: 12 regions with medium and low level of budget security and transfers (except Sakha Republic). They have low debt level and deficit budgets. Middle regions: 33 regions with medium characteristics. Almost all of these regions have low level of budget security and high debt level. Default: 20 regions with low level of budget security, high level of debt load, medium or high budget deficit. Formally, default of Russian regions is impossible for political reasons. However, actual characteristics of these regions correspond with the situation of default. Heavily subsidized regions: 9 economically weak republics with high level of subsidies. Transfers from the federal budget are main driver of their economies. photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Average wage and subsistence minimum for children, in rubles, 2015 photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Birth rate (the number of births per thousand people), 2015 photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages We estimated child benefit packages for: family couples / single mothers families with one child / three children families with per capita income below subsistence minimum / equal to the subsistence minimum / equal to the average wage in region photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers with three children (aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor family couples with three children (aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (aged 7 and older), as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (aged 7 and older), as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Results Benefits in cash provide a larger share of all packages. Child benefit packages are positively connected to the level of budget security. Regions of Russia conduct pro-natal policy: regional packages for multi-child families are significantly greater than regional packages for families with one child. Packages for single mothers exceed packages for family couples. All packages are less than 35% of subsistence minimum for children (for packages for families with one child) or 80% of subsistence minimum for children (for packages for multi-child families). photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

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Child benefit packages for poor single mothers with one child (aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor family couples with one child (aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with one child (aged 7 and older), as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with one child (aged 7 and older), as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers with one child (aged 2), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor family couples with one child (aged 2), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with one child (aged 2), as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with one child (aged 2), as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older), in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older), as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older), as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to subsistence minimum for children, as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to average wage in region, in rubles photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to average wage in region, as a share of subsistence minimum for children photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017

Child benefit packages for poor single mothers and family couples with three children (one aged 2 and two aged 7 and older) and per capita income equal to average wage in region, as a share of the average wage photo photo photo Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2017