Authorities to monitor how social assistance allocated to deprived families is managed

The local public authorities will be empowered to supervise how the money provided to families as social assistance is used and will be able to engage the recipients of such benefit in public works, Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said in a radio program, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the minister, the move is aimed at diminishing the dependence of the socially underprivileged families on state assistance and at involving them in community activities. There are about 72,000 families in Moldova that receive social benefits at present. The average social benefit last year was over 800 lei. A sum of 438 million lei was allocated for paying such benefits in 2012. The social benefits in Moldova are provided based on the Law on Social Assistance. In January 2011, there was introduced the cold-month assistance that is offered besides the social benefit.