In Belarus, 77.3 thousand people received state targeted social assistance (GASР) in January-March of the current year. The funding for these purposes amounted to Br162.7 billion, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection informed a BELTA correspondent.
In Belarus, 77.3 thousand people received state targeted social assistance (GASР) in January-March of the current year. The funding for these purposes amounted to Br162.7 billion, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection informed a BELTA correspondent.
Compared to the first quarter of last year, the number of GASР recipients increased by 15.1%, and the amount of assistance by 28.7%.
State targeted social assistance is provided to low-income families (citizens) and those in difficult life situations. The GASР system provides five social benefits, including two for low-income individuals: a monthly social benefit and provision of food products for children under two years of age.
In the first quarter of this year, a monthly social benefit was granted to 16.7 thousand people for Br31.6 billion, and a one-time social benefit to 9.1 thousand people for Br10.3 billion. The main recipients of monthly and one-time social benefits are traditionally large families and single-parent families raising minor children (67.3% of the number of recipients of these benefits).
For the first quarter of the current year, the average amount of GASР in the form of a monthly social benefit was Br316.2 thousand per month per recipient, and a one-time benefit was Br1 million 121.8 thousand. By the way, the majority of recipients of the monthly social benefit (66%) received it for 6 months, and 50 single pensioners and disabled individuals, and single-parent families with disabled children received it for 12 months.
According to specialists, in January-March 2016, compared to the same period in 2015, the number of unemployed people who received assistance in the form of monthly and one-time social benefits increased by 71.8%.
In January-March, almost 14 thousand children were provided with free food products worth Br35.4 billion. The average cost of a food package for children under two years of age was Br423.5 thousand.
In the first quarter, 31.1 thousand people received a social allowance to cover the costs of purchasing diapers, amounting to Br67.6 billion. In January-March, the size of this social allowance was Br2 million 171.4 thousand. A social allowance for the payment of technical rehabilitation means was provided to 6.4 thousand people for the payment of 8.6 thousand rehabilitation means, with the volume of funds for these purposes amounting to Br17.8 billion. These two types of allowances are provided regardless of the per capita income of the family (citizen), subject to a medical advisory opinion from a state healthcare organization or based on an individual disability rehabilitation program.
The Ministry noted that due to the increase in the subsistence minimum budget per capita (BMP) from March 1 of the current year, which serves as a criterion of need for the provision of state targeted social assistance, a recalculation of previously assigned monthly social allowance amounts has been carried out; decisions of district commissions on the provision (refusal to provide) monthly and one-time social allowances, provision of food products for children under two years of age, and social allowance to cover the costs of purchasing diapers for citizens who applied for assistance in March of the current year have been revised.
The number of recipients of the monthly social allowance for whom a recalculation was made was 20.2 thousand people, with the recalculation amount being Br2 billion 641.4 million. Positive decisions on the provision of monthly and one-time social allowances were revised and adopted for 853 citizens, and for the provision of food products – for 45 children. For 4.6 thousand Group I disabled persons and children with disabilities who have a fourth degree of health loss, decisions were made to increase the size of the social allowance to cover the costs of purchasing diapers due to the increase in the BMP.
In Belarus, in 2015, 251.2 thousand people became recipients of state targeted social assistance for a total amount of Br554.8 billion; in 2014, 217.8 thousand people received assistance for Br424.8 billion; and in 2013, 200.7 thousand people received assistance for Br372.9 billion.
News of Belarus (BELTA)