Social Security and Labor Minister Donatas Jankauskas told journalists after the government's meeting on Monday that ministers supported his ministry's proposal to revise the organization of benefits in all municipalities as early as next year.
"After today's meeting, I can say with certainty that we will propose that municipalities take over part of social benefits as a separate function from 2013, while compensations for heating, hot and drinking water should be left a state function delegated to municipalities and financed from the state budget," Jankauskas said.
In his words, distribution of compensations for heating will not be handed down to municipalities because it was "hard to forecast prices of resources."
Since the beginning of 2012, social benefits have been distributed by municipalities of Šilalė, Akmenė, Raseiniai, Radviliškis and Panevėžys districts. The government says the initiative serves its purpose.