Pensioners line up in the cold for payments near Ufa

A line of pensioners was spotted on the street near Ufa—they had come to receive the payments due to them. The situation outraged local residents, who wondered how it could be that elderly people were standing in the cold. However, according to the authorities, there was nothing wrong with it.

The incident occurred in Chesnokovka in the Ufa District.

“I witnessed pensioners standing in huge lines on the street at a temperature of -14°C (7°F). The pension money is being handed out from a UAZ vehicle with the inscription ‘Russian Post’,” a local resident wrote on social media.

He also expressed outrage that the authorities could not organize the distribution of pensions indoors.

The administration of the Ufa District said they contacted the Post Office, and were told that the people themselves wanted to stand outside in the cold.

“In Chesnokovka, pensions are delivered to homes and handed over personally. In this situation, some residents decided to collect their pensions on their own in front of the Russian Post building. As of January 20, no complaints about problems with pension collection had been received,” the district authorities stated.

However, a local resident pointed out that the line formed on Monday when the building was closed.