Government to Remind Residents About Benefits Online
Automatic notifications about available benefits and reminders to renew documents are to appear on the Gosuslugi public services portal and in the MAX messaging app. Over time, more government services are expected to be delivered proactively.
Russia is moving beyond digitizing individual government services toward a unified system for interaction between the government and citizens. The Gosuslugi public services portal is set to begin sending automatic notifications about benefits people may be entitled to, along with reminders to renew licenses and permits. The Russian government announced the plans.
These features will also be available through MAX, Russia’s national messaging app. This marks another step toward proactive public services, a model in which the government itself informs people about the benefits, deadlines and support available to them. The system uses data from state information systems (GIS) and can prepare draft applications based on information already on file. However, being notified that someone is eligible for a benefit does not mean that the benefit is to be granted automatically.
These changes are also creating opportunities for the IT sector to develop solutions for integrating information systems, verifying data, sending digital notifications and processing applications. Residents, meanwhile, will gradually spend less time searching for information about benefits, tracking document expiration dates and navigating government procedures. Proactive notifications could also help people access support they did not know they qualified for or had avoided applying for because the process seemed too complicated.
Support for Different Life Events
Although the technology is designed for Russia’s public services system, some of its individual components could also interest specialists in other countries. However, deploying these solutions internationally would require adapting them to local laws, national identification systems and personal data protection rules.
Within Russia, the potential applications are much broader. The system could help people discover available support when major life events occur, such as the birth of a child, retirement or a disability determination, as well as other changes in their circumstances. The Social Fund of Russia already provides certain benefits and documents without requiring people to submit an application. Organizations, meanwhile, could find it easier to handle mandatory administrative procedures. Integration with MAX would also make information more accessible.
Benefits Without Proof-of-Eligibility Cards
Proactive service delivery is not new to Russia. As of April 2023, the Social Fund of Russia had provided more than 776,000 services proactively. In September of that year, the fund reported that 1.6 million people had received notifications through Gosuslugi about their upcoming pensions since the beginning of 2023. In August 2026, Sberbank and the National Payment Card System launched a pilot program to automatically verify eligibility for benefits when customers pay with a Mir card. The trial covers the Rostov and Tyumen regions and the Republic of Bashkortostan. Once a card is linked to Gosuslugi, the system can confirm eligibility for certain benefits when people pay for goods and services, eliminating the need to present proof of eligibility each time.
Similar changes are underway in other countries. In June 2025, the UK government introduced the GOV.UK App, which included personalized notifications about important dates and deadlines, reminders to take specific actions, and services organized around users’ life events. Portugal, meanwhile, has a project that automates applications for benefits following the birth of a child. It has cut the waiting time from 30 days to just two.
Less Information Overload, Fewer Errors
Public services in Russia are gradually becoming proactive. In many cases, people will no longer need to visit government offices in person or search websites to find the information they need. Government agencies, in turn, will be able to hand routine tasks over to digital systems. The range of automatic notifications is likely to expand in the coming months, with MAX becoming a separate channel for keeping people informed. Some services may also be provided without an application. Over time, this could lead to a unified proactive public services model built around major life events, such as the birth of a child or retirement.
For the new technology to work well, however, potential risks must also be addressed. Data must be secure, complete and up to date, and algorithms must operate reliably. Notifications must not turn into information overload, with users deleting messages without reading them simply because they receive too many.
Digital inequality is another concern: not everyone regularly uses Gosuslugi or messaging apps. Other ways of accessing information must remain available to these residents. Ultimately, the number of people who successfully claim benefits as a result of proactive notifications will be a key measure of whether this next stage of public service digitalization succeeds.
