The Government of Belarus has fixed a new subsistence wage per capita for the main socio-demographic groups in the prices of September 2007 by passing resolution #1392 of the Council of Ministers. The new subsistence wage will be valid from November 1, 2007 to January 31, 2008. In November the subsistence wage will average Br185,670 per capita (to compare: Br185,670 during the period from August 1 till October 31; Br 179,100 from May 1 to July 31; Br170,500 within the period from February 1 till April 30), BelTA learnt in the Council of Ministers’ Office. The new subsistence wage for the people in prime working years stands at Br 206,160, for pensioners – Br 165,400, for students – Br 197,560, for children aged between 3 to 16 – Br 219,080, for children under 3 – Br 157,890. The new subsistence wage is 0.2% higher than the previous one valid from August 1 till October 31, head of the department for comprehensive problems of the development of socioeconomic and labour spheres of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Tamara Rak noted. Family benefits will increase by 0.2% as well. Social pensions and bonuses to the pensions to some groups of pensioners will rise. The minimum and social pensions will be indexed as well. In accordance with the Law “On Subsistence Wage in the Republic of Belarus”, the social standard is approved on a quarterly basis in the prices of the last month of a quarter. The standard is used to analyze and prognosticate the living standards, to provide state social assistance to low-income families, to estimate the minimum state social and labour guarantees. The subsistence wage is also used to assess the level of incomes of people, the amount of remuneration of labour, pensions, benefits and other social payments, to determine the scale of poverty. The subsistence wage for different socio-demographic groups features the following benefits and services: foodstuffs, clothes, underwear, footwear, medicines, sanitary and hygienic products and also utilities, transport and consumer services, services of children’s preschool institutions.