Belarus raises benefits amid election cycle

January 26, Pozirk. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security plans to raise the subsistence minimum budget (SMB) by 10.6 percent on February 1 and until April 30, says a document published on the National Legal Internet Portal.

The hike comes amid the election cycle: a parliamentary vote scheduled for February 25 and a presidential race coming up next year.

The SMB will amount to 406.7 rubels (about $129 at the current exchange rate).

The SMB for the able-bodied population will amount to 435 rubels and for pensioners, 298 rubels.

The SMB is used for calculations of social benefits, including allowances, benefits for families with children, social pensions, allowances paid in addition to pensions, and benefits for people who take care of people with disabilities or seniors over 80. The changes will affect about 1.5 million recipients of social benefits.

Lump-sum allowances in connection with the birth of the first child will rise to 4,067 rubels, for the second and subsequent children, to 5,694 rubels.

From February 1 to July 31, childcare allowances for children under three years will amount to 725 rubels for the first child; 828 rubels for the second and subsequent children; 932 rubels for children with disabilities.

Allowances for children under three depend on average pay, while other allowances are linked to the SMB.