The about 40,000 socially deprived families that are entitled to social benefits, the persons older than 65 year who receive pensions and allowances lower than 700 lei and the budget-paid employees of the first-seventh remuneration categories will benefit from social compensations, as stipulated in a bill approved by the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said the number of recipients of social compensations paid to offset the rise in the electric power, gas and heat charges will total over 250,000. The compensations will be paid during the heating season (five months) and will be about 100 lei. They will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries, not the service providers, by the National Social Insurance House through the agency of a financial institution that will be selected by contest. In a news conference on February 17, Prime Minister Vlad Filat said 82 million lei will be needed to implement the law. The money will be provided by two development partners of Moldova – the European Commission and the UK Department for International Development. The bill is to be passed by the Parliament this week. The law will be valid for the current cold season only. A new law will be later adopted to support the socially disadvantaged groups of people.