The cold-month allowances and social benefits paid to socially deprived families in November 2013 – March 2014 exceeded 200 million lei. Thus, about 100,000 families of Moldova received cold-month allowances at least once. One household got almost 900 lei a month on average, said Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga, quoted by IPN

Valentina Buliga stated that such allowances are mainly provided to pensioners. Thus, of the total number of recipient families, 70% had at least one retired person in their composition. Over 42% of the families that received assistance for the 2013-2014 cold season included persons with disabilities, while more than half of the households consisted of one person. Of these solitary persons, 80% were elderly.

According to the minister, about 200,000 families from all the country’s districts have received cold-month allowances since 2011, when this benefit was introduced. Since then, this allowance has been raised almost twice – from 650 lei to 1,250 lei per season in 2013-2014. The recipient families got by 250 lei a month.

The applications for social benefits and cold-month allowances can be submitted to the local social assistant at the mayor’s office throughout the calendar year.