MOSCOW, September 17 (RAPSI) – A bill on a right to receive special maintenance by disabled citizens, who are close to retirement age, has reached the State Duma.

Russia’s Family Code provides that disabled persons have a right to receive maintenance from their relatives, including payments by adult children as well as current and former spouses.

According to the bill, women, who have already reached 55 years, and men, who have already reached 60 years, will keep the right to receive the maintenance payments. Other conditions concerning the matter were unchanged. An explanatory note to the bill reads that the proposed amendment is related to the currently deliberated pension reform in Russia.

Earlier in September, President Vladimir Putin submitted amendments to a pension reform bill to the lower house of Russian parliament. The amended bill is to be considered by the State Duma in the second reading.

The President issued a set of suggestions on the pension system change on August 29.  Putin proposed to lower the women’s retirement age to 60 years. Moreover, he made several proposals aimed to strengthen guarantees for persons nearing retirement age, in particular to protect them from discrimination and dismissal without a valid reason.

On July 19, the State Duma passed the pension system bill in the first reading. Initially, the document, which was suggested in mid-June by the government, provided a gradual increase in the retirement age of up to 65 years for men and up to 63 years for women.