Million of Belarusians on verge of survival

• 28.12.2007, 8:38

About 10 per cent of Belarusian population, or about 1 million people, have an income lower than minimum subsistence income, or belong to the category of poor citizens. These figures have been citing at a press-conference on December 27 in Minsk by the head of the state social support of the population department of the Labour and Social protection Valyantsina Syarheeva.

As said by her, all these people have a right for receiving targeted social assistance in line with the decree of the president which came into force on December 17. It came into force on the same day with the Law “On State Social Benefits, Rights and Guarantees of Citizens”.

The expert reminded that the eligibility criterion has been raised: earlier it was equal to 60% of minimum subsistence income, and now it is equal to 100% now. As informed by V. Syarheeva, in this connection the number of citizens eligible for receiving targeted social assistance has grown by 3.6 times, BelaPAN writes.

V. Syarheeva noted that the main criterion for receiving targeted social assistance is a person’s income. The assistance is granted as a monthly social allowance, or one-time social relief. One-time social allowance could be paid once a year in connection with a hard situation. It ranges from 0.5 minimum subsistence income to 5 minimum subsistence income.

A representative of the Labour Ministry has also informed that the Decree shortens the list of documents necessary for receiving a targeted social assistance. Term of its receiving and liability for false information about income are fixed.