Benefit for children aged 8–17. A parent or legal representative of a child aged 8–17 may receive this benefit if the other parent has died, is not recorded on the birth certificate or was recorded on the mother’s statement, has been declared missing or dead, or is required by a court to pay maintenance. Per-capita family income must not exceed the regional per-capita subsistence minimum. The monthly payment is 50% of the regional subsistence minimum for children, averaging 5,650 rubles nationwide.

Survivor's pension. If a spouse has died or gone missing, a parent may receive a survivor's pension until the children reach age 14, provided the parent is not working and is caring for the children. This pension may also be obtained if a bailiff has been unable to locate a child-support debtor for one year from the receipt of the last information about them. The court must first declare the debtor missing.

Double tax deduction. For a sole parent, the child tax deduction is doubled to 2,800 rubles a month for the first and second child and 6,000 rubles a month for the third. The employer will not withhold personal income tax from this amount if an appropriate application is submitted. A double deduction is available if the other parent is not named in the documents, has died, or is missing. If the sole parent remarries, the increased deduction is no longer available from the following month.

Who can receive employment benefits? If a spouse has died, been deprived of parental rights, declared missing or incapacitated, is in prison, or simply does not participate in raising the child, the other parent is entitled to employment benefits:

  • The employer cannot dismiss the employee on its own initiative;
  • Part-time work is established at a parent’s request. Pay is proportional to the time or volume of work;
  • You may take two additional weeks of unpaid leave;

All this applies where the child is under 14

  • You may refuse overtime, weekend or night work.

If the parent is raising children under five.

Additional help. Some sole parents can also receive assistance as low-income families. Relevant benefits exist at both federal and regional levels—for example, housing and utility subsidies.