Moldova to Open Applications for Winter Energy Compensation on October 1

Applications for winter season allowances open on 1 October

The authorities have not yet decided how they will distribute the compensation funds: whether to offer larger sums to a smaller number of families or to maintain support for as many households as possible. In any case, applications to receive compensation towards bills will open on 1 October.

Natalia Plugaru

Add Logos Press as a preferred source on Google

The Minister for Labour and Social Protection, Natalia Plugaru, says that the authorities are currently analysing several scenarios to determine the number of beneficiaries and the amount of compensation.

“It remains the same for the whole winter period, the cold season, as we’re used to: November, December, January, February, March – so five months. Applications will open on 1 October, as people are used to, when you submit your application and register. We are currently in discussions and carrying out calculations to see how we can better target the households that will be affected, and where we need to adjust the criteria to highlight, in particular, the families who will face the greatest burden in paying those bills,” the minister stated on the public radio station.

According to the minister, the decision regarding the number of households that will receive compensation and the amount of that compensation is due to be announced at the end of September or the beginning of October. At present, according to the minister, the authorities face a dilemma:

More money for fewer families or less money for more?

“Last year, 620,000 households received compensation, which represents a fairly large proportion that we covered. Therefore, the decision comes down to this: do we give a larger sum to a smaller group of households, or do we distribute the budget amongst more households to ease the burden on more families? We are working through various scenarios and simulations, and we have very good databases.”

The minister stated that the authorities will use several databases to verify eligibility. Declared income, bank accounts, property, social benefits and ownership of assets will all be checked. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying undeclared income.

Plugaru says that car ownership could also become a criterion this winter, though simply owning a car will not automatically mean losing the right to compensation.

“We are considering including car ownership, which was not a factor in previous years, but discussions are underway to ensure we do not disqualify a family simply because they own a car. It will probably be a more significant factor if you have two vehicles, or if they are less than five or seven years old; so it’s not necessarily the case that owning a car automatically disqualifies you, but we want to introduce criteria here as well.”

How did this story make you feel?