Some Russian pensioners may receive two payments in December 2026

Two payments in December: who may be affected by the early transfer

Some pensioners in December 2026 may receive two sums at once — the regular December payment and the January 2027 pension transferred early. Candidate of Economic Sciences, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Igor Balynin told Gazeta.Ruthat this primarily concerns those who receive payments through banks whose regular transfer dates fall on the New Year holidays. According to him, with a five-day working week, the rest period will last from December 31, 2026 to January 10, 2027, which is what forces the payment schedule to be shifted.

What recipients should know

“Based on the practice of previous years, the early transfer may affect those who usually receive their insurance pension in the first ten days of the month. The exact dates should be clarified after the Social Fund of Russia publishes its schedules. As a rule, no special applications will be required for the early payment of the pension due to the holidays,” the outlet quotes Balynin as saying. The economist warned that two sums in December do not mean an additional pension — the January money will be transferred in advance, so there will be no repeat payment on the usual date.

Differences between banks and the post office

For recipients via Russian Post, the procedure may differ: delivery usually takes place on the usual dates taking into account the operating hours of post offices, and if the delivery day coincides with an office's day off, it may be moved to the preceding working day. Balynin recommended checking the specific date with one's bank, post office, or regional branch of the Social Fund. Earlier, Gazeta.Ru notes, Russians were explained how to prepare for retirement.