The decision to abolish pre-retirement status in Moscow has sparked outrage among State Duma members, who argue that it creates inequality and harms a vulnerable segment of the population. The changes, effective January 1, 2025, limit the status to residents who reached 55 (women) or 60 (men) before December 31, 2024, potentially depriving over 200,000 Muscovites of social benefits.

Duma deputy Dmitry Gusev criticized the move, stating that it unfairly disadvantages those who did not meet the age requirement before the cutoff date. He emphasized the necessity of maintaining the pre-retirement status at the federal level, citing tax breaks and unemployment benefits as crucial support for individuals affected by pension reforms.

The pre-retirement status was introduced in 2018 alongside the raising of the retirement age. This status, granted five years before retirement (or earlier for those eligible for early retirement), aimed to mitigate the impact of the pension reforms. The reforms, initiated in 2019, gradually increase the retirement age to 65 for men and 60 for women by 2028.

Previously, the pre-retirement status provided several social benefits, including free public transportation, free dental care, and free sanatorium vouchers with reimbursed travel expenses for the unemployed. However, a decree signed in December 2024 by Sergei Sobyanin established new criteria, effectively eliminating the status for Muscovites who had not reached the specified age by the end of that year.

While Moscow has abolished the pre-retirement status, the benefits remain in place in other regions, including the Moscow region. Many Moscow residents were reportedly unaware of the change until they attempted to apply for the status.