The Ministry of Social Protection is encouraging low-income families to start preparing documents needed to apply for cold season benefits so as to avoid queues when the cold season starts. The Ministry recalled in a press release that eligible to apply are the households whose gross monthly income is lower than the minimum guaranteed monthly income multiplied by 1.4, including households that receive other benefits. Starting January 1, the minimum guaranteed monthly income is 896 lei, as compared to 805 lei in 2011. The cold-season payout is offered for the months November through March. To claim the benefits, eligible households should submit an application to the local social assistant. Based on the information stated in the application, the local assistance division decides whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria. Introduced in January 2011, the cold-season benefits aim to help low-income households cope with their heating bills.