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- Take it on health: the maximum sick leave in three years will grow to 9.4 thousand per day.
Take it on health: the maximum sick leave in three years will grow to 9.4 thousand per day.
In 2029, the maximum sick leave payment will amount to 9.4 thousand rubles per day — 37% more than the current level, Izvestia estimated according to the draft budget of the Social Fund. In 2027, the maximum amount will reach 7.9 thousand rubles, in 2028 - 8.6 thousand. But for most employees, the payments will be more modest. To get the maximum next year, you will need at least eight years of experience and an average salary before personal income tax of at least 230 thousand rubles per month in 2025 and 248 thousand rubles in 2026. How much Russians will be able to receive on sick leave and why many prefer not to take it — in the Izvestia article.
How to get the maximum amount of sick leave
This year, an employee can receive a maximum of 6.8 thousand rubles per sick day. In 2027, the amount will increase by 15%, to 7.9 thousand, in 2028 — to 8.6 thousand, and in 2029 — to 9.4 thousand. In three years, the maximum payout will increase by about 37%, Izvestia estimated according to the draft budget of the Social Fund. All amounts are indicated before personal income tax deduction.
However, not everyone gets the maximum payout. The amount of the benefit depends on the insurance record and official earnings for the previous two calendar years. With less than five years of experience, 60% of the average income is paid, from five to eight — 80%, from eight years — 100%, but within the established limit.
To calculate sick leave in 2027, earnings for 2025 and 2026, for which insurance premiums were accrued, will be taken into account, the press service of the Ministry of Labor told Izvestia. At the same time, no more than 2.8 million rubles will be taken into account for the first year, and 2.98 million for the second year. The amount will be divided by 730, according to the number of days in the time period being considered. Thus, the maximum payment will be about 7.8 thousand per day, the department said.
There is also a lower limit: for full-time employment, the payment in terms of a calendar month should not be less than the minimum wage.
For example, a person received 100,000 rubles per month in 2025 and 120,000 in 2026. His income for two years will amount to 1.2 million and 1.4 million rubles, respectively, and the average daily earnings will be about 3.6 thousand, Izvestia estimated. With six years of experience, he is entitled to 80% of this amount — about 2.9 thousand rubles per day of illness. After deducting personal income tax at 13%, there will be about 2.5 thousand, or 17.6 thousand rubles for seven calendar days in 2027. For comparison with ordinary income, it is necessary to take into account the salary that the employee would have received for missed working days.
To receive the maximum payment in 2027, you will need at least eight years of insurance experience and earnings before tax of at least 230 thousand rubles per month in 2025 and 248 thousand in 2026. At the same time, it is not necessary to receive the same amount monthly: the total income for each accounting year is important, independent economist Viktor Mangazeev emphasized. If these conditions are met, the allowance in 2027 will amount to 7.9 thousand rubles per day.
The increase in the maximum payout is due to an increase in the marginal base from which employers pay insurance premiums, the economist explained. It is calculated based on the projected average salary in the country. At the same time, shorter length of service still limits the amount of compensation, so income losses are especially noticeable for young professionals, he noted.
An increase is expected for those who do not receive the maximum amount, Viktor Lyashok believes. According to him, salaries increased by an average of 13.5% in 2025, and by 12.2% year–on-year in January—July 2026. Since the amount of the benefit depends on earnings, the expert expects a comparable growth rate.
How often do Russians take sick leave?
Few people will be able to count on the maximum benefit. According to Rosstat, in 2025, only 8% of employees received salaries over 200,000 rubles, recalled economist Viktor Mangazeev. Taking into account the income and length of service requirements, he estimates the share of applicants for the marginal payment at 5-7%. For the rest, increasing the maximum amount of benefits in itself does not change much: payments are calculated based on actual earnings.
Highly paid specialists, managers, employees of large companies and industries with salaries above average will receive the main effect, Yaroslav Kabakov, Director of Strategy at Finam Financial Group, listed. At the same time, the average length of sick leave used in SFR calculations is about 11 calendar days. Most often, people leave to be treated at home due to seasonal infections, respiratory diseases, injuries and the need to care for children, the expert added.
For low-paid workers, the benefit may increase following the minimum wage, to which its minimum amount is linked, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Global. In 2027, the minimum wage will increase by 6.8%, to almost 29 thousand rubles.
In general, the draft budget of the SFR provides for 918 billion rubles for sick leave payments in 2027, 979 billion in 2028 and 1 trillion in 2029. The expenses are calculated taking into account the current procedure: the employer pays for the first three days of illness, starting from the fourth — the Social Fund.
The document also provides 26 million rubles for self-employed benefits in 2027 and 51 million in 2028. Starting this year, self-employed people can voluntarily insure themselves in the Social Fund and pay contributions in case of temporary disability.
However, even with an increase in payments, people are afraid of a decrease in income, said Viktor Mangazeev. According to a September survey by Sberbank Insurance and Jobs.<url>", slightly more than half of Russians have been sick at least once in the last year.
In 2025, 19.5 million people received temporary disability benefits, the press service of the SFR told Izvestia. As of October 1, 2026, payments were made to 15.8 million citizens, the fund added.
According to the economist, employers' additional payments to full-time earnings could reduce the number of trips to work during illness. An incentive for business, he believes, could be tax incentives for such employee support.
Another measure could be to increase the share of average earnings that employees with short experience receive, the economist suggested. Now, with an experience of up to five years, it is 60%. At the same time, the allowance is calculated based on income for the previous two years, and not the current salary. Therefore, the real losses depend on the dynamics of the employee's earnings, the expert emphasized.
Transferring to another company by itself does not mean calculating benefits based on the minimum wage: The social fund takes into account earnings from previous employers. Thus, you do not need to work in one place for two years to receive a payment.
Natalia Milchakova believes that the benefit could be paid in the amount of 100% of average earnings already with five years of insurance experience, and not with eight years. In addition, in her opinion, payment for the first three days of illness should be transferred from employers to the Social Fund.
Thus, an increase in the maximum payment alone is not enough to reduce the number of trips to work during illness. In the future, the opportunity to be treated safely at home can bring economic benefits to the state.: reducing the number of infections among colleagues will reduce the burden on the healthcare system and the cost of medical care.
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