The maximum sick leave payment in Russia could rise to Rb8,500 per day in 2028. However, not all working citizens will be eligible for this amount: it requires not only at least eight years of insurance coverage but also a sufficiently high official income over the previous two years. This was reported by News.ru Olga Soldatkina, Researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Best Practices Analysis Department.
According to the expert, the increase in the maximum sick leave benefit is not due to a change in the calculation method itself, but rather to an increase in the maximum base for calculating insurance contributions. This figure is set annually and determines the maximum income taken into account when calculating social benefits in subsequent years.
“The increase in the maximum sick leave benefit is a consequence of the change in the ceiling for insurance contributions. The calculation of the benefit takes into account the employee’s official income for the two preceding calendar years, so an increase in the ceiling affects the benefit amount with a certain time lag. However, a higher maximum benefit amount in and of itself does not mean that all employees will receive it: to qualify, one must have sufficient insurance coverage and income that reached the established limit in previous years,” explained Olga Soldatkina.
In 2026, the maximum base is Rb2.979 mn. Within this amount, insurance contributions are calculated at a rate of 30%, and on income exceeding the limit—at a rate of 15.1%. To calculate sick leave benefits, the total income for the two preceding years is divided by 730 days; the resulting average daily earnings are then adjusted based on the length of insurance coverage: 100% of average earnings is paid for 8 or more years of coverage, and 60% for less than five years.
To be eligible for the maximum sick leave benefit in 2028, an employee must have at least eight years of insurance coverage, and their official income in 2026 must total Rb2.979 mn—that is, an average of Rb248250 per month. The maximum base for 2027 has not yet been set; it is projected to increase to approximately Rb3.218 mn. In this case, the required average monthly income will be about Rb268200.