From November 1, citizens can register on the compensatii.gov.md platform to take advantage of compensation during the cold season.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu emphasized that this year only citizens who registered in the system will receive compensation (for comparison, last year unregistered households received minimal compensation). At the same time, through the platform this season, compensation will be provided in energy bills (electricity, gas, heat), and the beneficiaries of financial assistance during the cold season will be determined - 800 lei for low-income households that heat their houses with wood and coal. Compensation will be provided for 7 categories of energy vulnerability, including 2 new categories – extreme and primary. Applicants must complete 20 fields in the online application, including personal and contact information, monthly income from May to October 2023, information about other residents and their income, if any, information about the availability of a mortgage loan (indicating the last monthly payment ) etc. It should also be indicated the main source of heating for the home (natural gas, central heating, solid fuel), as well as additional energy sources to which the household is connected. To receive compensation from November, citizens must register in the Energy Vulnerability system by November 25. Those registering after this date will receive compensation starting in December. The authorities will have access to information on the income of individuals held by the State Tax Service, the National Social Insurance House and other government institutions, as well as banking institutions, credit bureaus and other financial institutions, in order to verify the accuracy of the data. When determining the degree of energy vulnerability, the degree of severe disability of household members will also be taken into account, and the cost of servicing the mortgage loan will be deducted from the income indicated in the application. This will allow more applicants to take advantage of the higher vulnerability category. Citizens who do not have access to the Internet or who encounter difficulties in the registration process can seek help from social workers or librarians. You can also contact the call center at 0 8000 5000. The minister called on all citizens to register in the system, while at the same time calling on the population to consume energy rationally and efficiently so that the country can cope with the challenges of the cold season. Support for the population during the cold season is provided through the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund, created in 2022 by the Government of Moldova with the support of the European Union, Slovakia and UNDP. This year, the EU contributed financially to the capitalization of the fund through direct budgetary support amounting to almost 1.5 billion lei. In 2022-2023 895 thousand households received compensation for their bills. UNDP estimates that offsets have reduced energy poverty by 43% and have had the greatest impact on the most vulnerable families. In total, up to 57% of natural gas costs and 59% of heat costs were compensated.// 01.11.2023 — InfoMarket
