The social security system in Russia incorporates various forms of government support intended to provide adequate standard of living and improve the quality of life of the particular categories of citizens, including those from vulnerable groups. Such support include both social insurance programs (i.g., pensions) and social assistance programs (i.g., social benefits),[1] and can be tangible (i.g., money, things, services) and intangible (i.g., psychological assistance).[2]
Russian legislation uses the expression "social services", instead of social security. Legislative definition is provided in article 3 of the Russian Federal Law No. 442-FZ "On the Basics of Social Services for Citizens in the Russian Federation": "social security is an activity aimed at the provision of social services to citizens".[3]