The student awards will not be taken into consideration when calculating the incomes of the families that apply for social benefit. A bill to this effect was approved by the Parliament’s legal commission for appointments and immunities in the January 16 meeting, Info-Prim Neo reports. The bill authors – MPs of the Liberal-Democratic faction – proposed that the allowances of persons with disabilities and of pensioners should not be considered sources of income when the incomes of the applicants for social benefit are calculated. The bill also suggested that a member of the family that receives social benefit should provide services for the community when asked by the mayor. The legal commission voted against yet. “If a university lecturer is in the situation to ask for social benefit, we cannot force him to paint fences. The social benefit cannot be provided on condition,” said Democratic MP Adrian Candu. Liberal lawmaker Victor Popa stated that the social benefit is no longer support if one must pay for it by work. The members of the commission suggested yet that the bill authors should divide the student awards by categories as there are awards of up to 2,000 lei and they should be considered as income so as to ensure equity among the applicants for social benefit. The bill was endorsed by the commission with the amendments proposed by the MPs.