The State Duma proposed issuing food vouchers to poor Russians.

      01 October 2025 16:35 Society

      In Russia, 11.9 million citizens live below the poverty line, which makes social support issues especially important. This was stated by the head of the State Duma committee on labor, social policy and veterans' affairs, Yaroslav Nilov, the 360 TV channel reports.

      He emphasized that the introduction of food vouchers would become an effective support measure for people with incomes below the regional subsistence minimum. These vouchers will allow them to purchase a basic set of food items. At the same time, the money will not be "colored" to control their use. Alcohol and cigarettes will not be included in the list of products, while goods such as milk, eggs, bread and other essential products will be included.

      Nilov also noted that the size of the monthly payment under the proposed voucher would amount to 30% of the subsistence minimum established in the region. Such social programs already exist in some federal subjects of Russia, but not all regions have sufficient financial resources to implement them. Therefore Nilov considers it necessary to implement a system of food vouchers at the federal level.

      Earlier, Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Fair Russia — For Truth party, proposed classifying Russians with incomes below 43,000 rubles as poor. He noted that the real poverty rate in the country is significantly higher than official figures and amounts to about one-third of the population.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about major events, exclusive materials and timely information.

      Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.