Vulnerable people will receive assistance of 700 lei twice a year to pay their electricity bills, and vouchers of 250 lei for food and nutrition will be given every two months and next year, according to emergency decrees that had to be adopted by the government on Thursday.

The Ministry of European Investments and Projects (MIPE) announced the measures proposed in two draft emergency orders late last month.

1,400 lei for electricity bills, in two installments, until the end of the year

The first draft of the emergency decree aims to provide support in the amount of 1,400 lei for the payment of electricity bills for vulnerable groups of the population, which can be used until 31 December 2023 and will be provided per place of consumption/vulnerable household in two installments, therefore:

– 700 lei/semester, granted in February 2023 for the period 01.01.2023 – 06.30.2023;

– 700 lei/semester, awarded in September 2023 for the period July 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023.

• SEE THE OUG PROJECT HERE

Who are eligible beneficiaries?

According to the proposed ordinance, the following will benefit from this measure:

• a) pensioners of the state pension system, pensioners who are registered in sectoral pension houses, and beneficiaries of rights granted on the basis of special laws, which are paid by territorial pension houses/industry pension houses, aged 60 years and older and whose realized monthly income is less than or is equal to 2,000 lei, as well as pensioners with a disability pension, regardless of age, and whose realized monthly income is less than or equal to 2,000 lei;
• b) persons – children and adults – classified as disabled with a severe, severe or moderate degree of work capacity, whose own monthly income is less than or equal to 2000 lei;
• c) families receiving family maintenance allowance, in accordance with Law No. 277/2010 as amended;
• d) families and single persons entitled to social assistance, in accordance with Law No. 416/2001 on guaranteed minimum income, as amended.

For heating assistance European funds in the amount of 4 billion leifrom the Operational Program “Human Capital” and the Regional Operational Program for the program period 2014-2020, within the limits of the savings determined at the level of these programs and the amounts considered risky for withdrawal during the program period 2014-2020.

How the vouchers will reach the beneficiaries

The list of those who will benefit from this support will be drawn up by the Ministry of Labor and the support will be provided in the form of a voucher, printed and distributed by the Romanian Post Office, with no nominal value, valid throughout Romania, indicating the subject’s right to receive support to compensate for the price of energy , regardless of its nature, namely electricity, centralized thermal energy, gas, cylinder, wood for fire, fuel oil, pellets and other heating materials.

Aid beneficiaries will be able to pay current and/or outstanding debts to energy suppliers with the help of an energy card through the postal transfer service provided by Post Romania.

The Ministry of European Investments and Projects will provide funds for this assistance by transferring the amount to the bank account of Post Romania.

People who belong to more than one category will receive support related to the one category they belong to on the day it is provided. Detailed lists of individuals/families eligible for this benefit will be provided to the Romanian Post Office by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity.

Six new contributions of 250 lei each for groceries and hot meals also in 2023

The second draft of the emergency decree aims to extend the measure to provide social vouchers in the amount of 250 lei every 2 months for meals and hot meals during 2023.

• SEE THE OUG PROJECT HERE

The lists of persons who will receive these benefits will be established by the Ministry of Labor.

More recipients of social vouchers

According to the proposed regulatory act, they will be entitled to the following types of assistance:

• a) pensioners of the state pension system, pensioners on the register of sectoral pension houses and beneficiaries of rights granted on the basis of special laws, which are paid by territorial pension houses/industry pension houses, whose net monthly income is less than or equal to 1500 lei, for installments from 2022, respectively income is less than or equal to 1,700 lei for installments from 2023;
• b) persons – children and adults – classified as severe, severe or moderate disability, whose own net monthly income is less than or equal to 1,500 lei for installments from 2022, respectively income is less than or equal to 1,700 lei for installments from 2023;
• c) families with at least 2 dependent children, whose net monthly income per family member is less than or equal to 600 lei for installments from 2022, respectively, the income is less than or equal to 675 lei for installments from 2023;
• d) single-parent families whose monthly net income per family member is less than or equal to 600 lei for installments from 2022, respectively, the income is less than or equal to 675 lei for installments from 2023;
• e) families and single persons entitled to social assistance, in accordance with Law No. 416/2001 on guaranteed minimum income, as amended.

The mentioned incomes are net incomes, which are determined by adding all the incomes that a person can have: pensions assigned in systems not integrated into the state pension system, incomes from rights granted in accordance with special laws, incomes from the transfer of the use of goods, incomes from agricultural , forestry and fishing activities, income from prizes and gambling or income from other sources, determined in accordance with Art. 114 and 117 of Law No. 227/2015 as amended.

For beneficiaries recently introduced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity on the occasion of updating the lists of beneficiaries, new electronic certificates will be issued. In the case of the latest lists sent by the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity in 2023, the distribution and supply of newly issued cards can be carried out until March 31, 2024.