As from October 1, the families having at least one disabled member can apply to get social assistance, calculated on the basis of their monthly income, according to the new Law on social assistance enacted on 26 Sept., Info-Prim Neo reports. Families with small children will be covered by this law as from January 1, 2009, while the other beneficiaries will be able to use it from 1 July, 2009. The Minister for Social Protection, Family and Child, Galina Balmos, told a news conference on September 29 the social aid will be granted to the whole family, not to separate members. The level of the minimally guaranteed monthly income will be established in the State Budget Law. It will be computed on the basis of indices as the minimum salary, the minimum pension, incomes from work. The social assistance to be received by a family will represent the difference between the monthly guaranteed minimum and the family's actual income. According to Galina Balmos, the minimally guaranteed monthly income per one family member established in the 2009 draft budget law is 430 lei. In computing the minimally guaranteed income for a family, the state will calculate 100% for the applicant, and 70% for the other adult members, or 50% in case of the minors. 50% will be added in case there is a disabled child, 30% -- in case of a disabled grownup and other 10% if the applicant is the only adult in the family. The assistance applicant will fill in a blank application helped by the social assistant and it will be submitted to social assistance office in his/her locality. He/she shall also attach confirming documents regarding the incomes of the family members. The compensations from which some family members may benefit will also be taken into account, but the minister is inclined to think many will give up those to get larger social assistance. Other assets owned by the applicant will also be taken into consideration in assessing a family's income. The data will be verified as a special software will decide where the family is eligible and the amount of the social assistance they can benefit from. In accordance with the law, the social assistance will be granted to poor families where all the adult members match at least one of the following situations: have reached the retirement age, are disabled, are unemployed, nurse a child younger than three, nurse a disabled member, a disabled child or a person older than 75, study – till graduation, but not after reaching 23. The families where at least one member is kept by the state (in prison or army) are not entitled to get social assistance. The Ministry estimates that some 72,000 families or some 216,000 will benefit from this assistance. Now, all the money aid is granted if one belongs to certain social categories, as the living standard and the needs of applicants are neglected. The largest social subventions are granted 11 categories (some 262,000 beneficiaries) to pay for utilities and electricity.