comparative analysis of the hhs questionnaires of belarus
TRANSCRIPT
Comparative analysis of the HHS Questionnaires
of Belarus and the Model Questionnaire
PREPARED FOR UNECE
Rafkat Hasanov
1
Table of Content
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Measuring indicators of SDG 1 and SDG 10 in Belarus ...................................................................................... 4
Comparative analysis of the country HHS Questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on consumption
expenditures ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Comparative analysis of the country HHS questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on household
incomes ............................................................................................................................................................ 17
Comparative analysis of the country HHS questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on deprivations .... 26
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
Annex 1. Concordance of the sections of the Model Questionnaire and the Questionnaire of Belarus with
respect to consumption expenditures ............................................................................................................. 35
Annex 2. Example of income classification ...................................................................................................... 37
2
Introduction
This report is developed based on results of mission to the Main Department of Population Living Standards
Statistics and Household Surveys of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter
referred to as NSC RB or Belstat) from 12 November to 16 November 2018. The objectives of the mission
and, accordingly, this report are twofold:
to implement a comparative analysis of the country HHS questionnaire with the Model Questionnaire
proposed by the author in the report "Development of a Model Set of Household Budget Survey
Questions" (hereinafter referred to as the Model Questionnaire Report) prepared for UNECE in 2017
and
to develop findings and recommendations to the Belstat aimed at harmonising the questionnaires.
While developing the report, the author analysed the questionnaire forms and guidance materials provided
by Belstat, as well as other materials available on the website of the NSC RB http://www.belstat.gov.by in
regards to expenditure, income and deprivation sections of the household.
In Belarus the following forms of questionnaires approved by the NSC RB Resolution on 28.08.2018 No. 79
are used to conduct a sample survey of households in terms of the standard of living (hereinafter – HHS).
1. 1‐hh (main) "Questionnaire for the main interview" (hereinafter referred to as the Main
Questionnaire) with 1 time per year frequency;
2. 1‐hh (welfare) "Questionnaire to study of the level of welfare of households" (hereinafter referred
to as the Welfare Questionnaire) with 1 time per year frequency;
3. 1‐hh (ICT) "Questionnaire on the study of household access to information and communication
technologies" (hereinafter – the ICT Questionnaire) with 1 time per year frequency;
4. 4‐hh (diary) "Diary of expenditure on food products" (hereinafter – the Diary) of quarterly frequency;
5. 4‐hh (questionnaire) "Quarterly questionnaire on household expenditures and incomes" (hereinafter
referred to as the Quarterly Questionnaire) of quarterly frequency;
6. 12‐hh (journal) "Journal of monthly expenditures and incomes" (hereinafter referred to as the
Journal) of monthly frequency.
There is an Instruction on the organisation and conduct of a sample survey of households by the standard of
living (hereinafter – the HHS Instruction). The Main Department of the Population Statistics of Living
Standards and Household Surveys of the NSC RB also provided a Guidelines for completing the relevant forms
of state statistical observation (hereinafter referred to as Guidelines), approved by order of the National
Statistics Committee of the Republic of Belarus of 28.08.2018 No. 143 and other methodological documents.
In addition, training was conducted on the Model Questionnaire for the staff of the NSC RB, a report on
training and discussion of individual details of the questionnaire was prepared in parallel to this report and
submitted separately. Also, in accordance with the terms of reference, the author conducted a comparative
analysis of the questionnaires of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus in order to determine the
better practice. The results of this analysis are provided separately.
The first section of the report discusses the measurement of indicators for SDG 1 and SDG 10 in Belarus. It
should be emphasised that this report refers to the recommendations of the "Guide on Poverty
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Measurement"1 (hereinafter referred to as the Poverty Guide) developed by the UNECE in 2017, where
necessary.
The following sections provide an analysis of the questionnaires on expenditure, income and deprivations
respectively, and the methodological documents cited above are also reviewed to clarify the content of
various issues. It should be noted that the content of these documents was discussed separately with a view
to improving them.
Each section presents specific recommendations. On the last day of the mission, recommendations prepared
during the mission by the consultant were discussed. These recommendations, although they became the
basis for the relevant sections of the text, were nevertheless expanded as a result of the subsequent desk
review analysis.
1 The Guide on Poverty Measurement, UNECE, 2017, is used as the main source for measuring poverty methods. A list of all the recommendations is given on p. 97 of the Guide.
4
Measuring indicators of SDG 1 and SDG 10 in Belarus
The Belstat website presents a significant amount of information regarding the Sustainable Development
Goals2 in the country. This page presents a National List of Sustainable Development Goals Indicators, a Road
Map for the Development of SDG Statistics, News and Events, Partners and Contacts.
From the point of view of this report, both the National List of Indicators of the Sustainable
Development Goals and the Roadmap for the Development of SDG Statistics are important.
For each of the goals, the National List of Sustainable Development Goals Indicators contains the following:
indicators defined at the global level;
global indicator level;
national indicators;
responsible agencies for the indicator.
For each of the national indicators, metadata is presented, which will be discussed below in relation to the
relevant indicators of SDG 1 and SDG 10. It is also important that the responsible government authorities are
indicated in the respective columns. This allows coordinating actions between government agencies.
A very informative document is the Roadmap for the Development of SDG Statistics3. This roadmap identifies
actions related to the preparation of information for monitoring indicators of the achievement of SDGs, in
particular, the next questions are addressed: What should be done? Who should do what and when? Who
are the stakeholders? What are the opportunities for cooperation? The roadmap consists of six main
sections, which are devoted to creating mechanisms for cooperation, reporting on SDG indicators, capacity
building and dissemination of statistics on SDGs. Separate information from this document will also be
presented below when considering relevant SDG indicators.
The following positive aspects related to the presentation of the SDG on the Belstat website should also be
noted. The institutional mechanism for managing the processes of achieving the SDGs in the Republic of
Belarus is presented and described in detail, as well as relevant information on the SDGs at the global level
is provided.
Overall it can be noted that Belarus has taken all the necessary managerial actions that allow it to organise
the formation and debugging of the SDG monitoring system. At the same time, the country has adopted for
measurement the main global indicators of SDG 1 and SDG 10.
1.1.1. Proportion of population below the international poverty line, by sex, age, employment status and
geographical location (urban/rural)
According to the metadata, Belstat, based on the HHS calculates the proportion of the population living in
households with the average per capita disposable resources per day below $ 1.9 per PPP (2011 round) in
the total population, as a percentage by sex, age, place of residence and employment status.
1.2.1. Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
Belstat computes the following indicator – "The proportion of the population with the average per capita
disposable resources below the subsistence minimum budget in the total population, as a percentage, broken
2 See http://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya‐statistika/SDG/ 3 See http://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya‐statistika/SDG/Naz_perechen_pokas_SDG/
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down by sex and age". This data allow calculating the corresponding inequality indicators. Disposable income
is not calculated.
1.2.2. Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according
to national definitions
In accordance with the roadmap mentioned Belstat intends to introduce the Multidimensional Poverty Index
in 2021 into the practice. Prior to this, it is envisaged to study advanced international approaches to the
Multidimensional Poverty Index, to carry out pilot calculations of the indicator based on HHS and also to
develop an official statistical methodology taking into account national specifics. During the mission of the
consultant to the Belstat additional issues were discussed that will allow calculating the MPI in accordance
with the methodology4 of this index given in the 2016 Human Development Report. These issues are listed
in the appropriate section.
1.3.1. Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children,
unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work‐injury
victims and the poor and the vulnerable
In accordance with the national list of indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals, the following
indicators are expected to be calculated:
1.3.1.1. The share of the population in the generally established retirement age and older, receiving a
pension in the total population that has reached the generally established retirement age.
1.3.1.2. The proportion of children provided with state benefits in the total number of children aged 0 to
18 years.
1.3.1.3. The proportion of children provided with state benefits for the care of a child under the age of 3
years in the total number of children from 0 to 3 years.
1.3.1.4. The level of provision of social services to disabled people and senior citizens.
In all cases, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is responsible for these indicators. However, it should
be noted that metadata is indicated only for indicator 1.3.1.1. It should also be noted that these indicators
do not cover all dimensions indicated in the global index. Although it is advisable to use administrative data
for the calculation of these indicators, it should be noted that before finalising all metadata, it may be
necessary to include the calculation of this indicator in the HHS as an auxiliary one.
1.4.1. Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services
In accordance with the national list of indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals, the following
indicators are expected to be calculated:
1.4.1.1. Percentage of the population using improved drinking water sources / improved sanitation
facilities.
1.4.1.2. The proportion of the population living in well‐equipped dwellings.
It should be noted that the global metadata on this indicator appeared relatively recently and, apparently,
will be refined further5. It should be noted that the basic services in accordance with the specified metadata
are interpreted more broadly than above‐mentioned indicators cover. These include, at a minimum, services
4 See Technical Note 5 of the National Human Development Report: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2016_technical_notes.pdf. 5 See https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/files/Metadata‐01‐04‐01.pdf
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such as drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, energy, mobility, waste collection, health care, education,
and information technology. It seems that the national methodology for calculating this indicator should be
further improved with the support of the UN system.
10.1.1. Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40 per cent of the
population and the total population
10.2.1. Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex, age and persons with
disabilities
The Belstat computes various inequality measures. The data obtained from the HHS Questionnaires allow
computing these indicators disaggregated by the mentioned dimensions. However, it should be noted that
the indicator of disposable income should be used to calculate these indicators, as indicated in the
Recommendation 5 of the Poverty Guide. The same is true also for the indicators 1.1.1 and 1.1.2. In the
income section the issue of calculating the disposable income is discussed in more detail.
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Comparative analysis of the country HHS Questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on consumption
expenditures
The recording of household consumption expenditures in the Republic of Belarus is made in the following
household survey forms (total 3 out of 6):
4‐hh (diary) "Diary of expenditures for food" of quarterly frequency;
4‐hh (questionnaire) "Quarterly questionnaire on household expenditures and incomes" of
quarterly frequency;
12‐hh (journal) "Journal of monthly expenditures and incomes" of monthly frequency.
According to the HHS Instruction6, the Diary and Journal are completed by a member of the household who
is most knowledgeable about the expenditures and incomes of all members of the household. The quarterly
questionnaire is filled in by a survey specialist by interviewing household members with the obligatory use
of the primary statistical data of the Journal, and in accordance with the guidelines for its completion adopted
by the Belstat.
Analysis of the HHS statistics forms
The Diary collects household consumption data for food, as well as food received free and consumed in a
household. The Diary has the following main tables:
Table 1. Expenditures for the purchase of food and alcoholic beverages.
Table 2. Expenditures for payment for public catering services.
Table 3. Expenditures for the purchase of food products for feeding pets and farm livestock.
The recording of expenditures is done in kind and cash. The place of purchase is also marked. Table 3
separately takes into account the expenditures of food used to feed pets and farm livestock. These
expenditures are further coded by group of expenditures 09.3.4 "Pet foods" and according to the
identification codes for personal agricultural farms.
Table 4 of the Diary contains separate records of the consumption of food and beverages purchased earlier
or received without payment (from personal agricultural farm, as a gift, as well as harvested berries /
mushrooms obtained from hunting / fishing). Therefore there is the possibility of more accurate and
complete recording of food consumption in the household.
Thus the Diary provides complete information on the sections 01 and 02 of the COICOP, as well as on the
sections 09.3.4 (pet foods) and 11.1 (out‐of‐home eating expenditures, including home delivery).
The Journal is intended to record the cash expenditures (except for the expenditures for the purchase of
food products) made by the household members during the month in the following tables:
Table 1. The expenditures for the purchase of non‐food items.
Table 2. The expenditures for services.
Table 3. Other expenditures.
All tables in a separate column have the expenditures associated with tourist trips (personal, business and
professional).
6 HHS Instruction. Page 9.
8
The advantage of the primary statistical forms, the Diary and the Journal, is their brevity and simplicity. The
household should indicate only the place of purchase of the goods / services and the source of consumption
(for food received without payment).
The disadvantages of the considered primary statistical forms include:
lack of detailed examples of filling in the Diary and Journal: in the letter to respondent only general
and brief instructions were given on filling in the primary statistical forms;
the absence of at least the minimum composition of expenditures on non‐food items in the Journal,
as well as an incomplete list of "tips and reminders" in the table "Expenditures for payment of
services";
the requirement of a separate fixation of expenditures associated with tourist travel;
the vague wording and, accordingly, unclear content of expenditures recorded in Table 3 "Other
expenditures" of the Journal: it is not at all clear from the name of the table which expenditures either
for food or services and what services exactly should be recorded there.
The noted deficiencies, especially in the absence of the necessary explanations in the letter to respondent,
can make it difficult to fill the Journal in by a member of the household. Limiting the list of services in Table
2 of the Journal to the list of the most frequently repeated services may cause a "fading out effect" on the
respondent. If expenditures are recorded according to only the list provided in the Journal (and this is most
convenient for the respondent), there is a risk that some of expenditures will not be recorded, and by the
time of the on‐site visit of the HHS specialist the respondent may forget about them. In table 3, "tips and
reminders" are mostly absent.
It also appears that a disproportionate number of questions has been paid to the survey of expenditures
associated with tourist travel, and their level of detail is much higher than for the main sections.
The Quarterly Questionnaire is completed by an HHS specialist at the end of each quarter and provides data
on expenditures on non‐food goods and services in the sections II – VII, namely:
II. The expenditures of buying clothes, shoes, household goods, household appliances and other goods.
Table 2. The expenditures of buying clothes.
Table 3. The expenditures of buying shoes.
Table 4. The expenditures for the purchase of household goods, household appliances and
other durable goods.
Table 5. The expenditures for the purchase of other goods.
III. The expenditures for payment of certain types of services.
IV. The expenditures of housing and utilities.
V. Personal Agricultural Farm and landscape gardening.
VI. The expenditures on health and education.
VII. Other expenditures.
A comparative analysis of the Model Questionnaire and the Quarterly Questionnaire of Belarus (Annex 1)
showed that, in general, there is a basis for harmonising household statistics with respect to consumer
expenditures. In a number of sections of the questionnaire, the principle of integrating household
expenditures on goods and services related to a particular consumption target function was partially
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implemented (in the section IV "The expenditures on housing and utilities", VI "The expenditures on health
and education").
However, the following shortcomings can make it difficult to collect, classify, aggregate and encode
household expenditure data and, accordingly, harmonise household consumption expenditure statistics and
further inter‐country comparisons:
The principle of including "tips and reminders" in the forms / sections of tables / tables at the level of
groups and classes of expenditures proposed in the Model Questionnaire is practically not implemented
in the questionnaire. The absence of at least a minimum structuring of expenditures in the tables of the
Quarterly Questionnaire may entail the risk of erroneous "posting" and subsequent coding of
expenditures into groups and classes of COICOP (especially if the questionnaire is filled in and data is
encoded by different employees);
The composition of the questionnaire in a number of sections looks not quite logical and incomplete. For
example:
1. The title of the section III "Expenditures for payment of certain types of services" seems incorrect –
what does the term "Certain types of services" mean? Are only personal / personal services and
repair services for clothes and shoes included? Does this section include other services, such as
maintenance and repair of household appliances, durable goods for recreation and cultural events?
2. The section IV "Expenditures for housing and utilities" includes a housing subsidy, which should be
taken into account in the household income section;
3. The section V "Personal Agricultural Farm and Landscape Gardening" keeps records of both
consumer and non‐consumer expenditures of households, which is methodologically not entirely
correct;
4. expenditures for two fundamentally different target functions of the household – health care and
education – are taken into account in one section (the section VI);
5. The section VII "Other expenditures" itself looks extremely cumbersome: it includes current
expenditures for transport, real estate repairs, leisure, sports, entertainment and tourist trips, as well
as capital expenditures on the purchase / construction of real estate, and household financial
expenditures;
6. Household financial expenditures are partially recorded: capital expenditures related to real estate,
real estate tax, land tax, state fees, membership and insurance premiums, fines, and alimony are
shown. Land tax is taken into account separately (in the section V on the Personal Agricultural Farm),
which is not quite correct. The list of financial expenditures given in the Guidelines for completing
the form of the Quarterly Questionnaire reflects not all household financial expenditures.
7. expenditures associated with tourist trips are given, in our opinion, a disproportionate importance:
this group of expenditures has 3 pages, which is more in size than the section on health care and
education;
8. Finally, in the absence of detailed "tips and reminders" in the tables of the Quarterly Questionnaire,
it is expected that the Guidelines for completing the Quarterly Questionnaire will provide detailed,
clear and comprehensive lists of expenditures, indicating which sections they should be placed in.
However, there are no such detailed lists in the Guidelines, which increases the risk of inaccuracies
and errors when a specialist completes the questionnaire.
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According to the HHS Instruction7, the coding of the information received by types of household expenditures
on goods and services is carried out "... in accordance with the Statistical Classifier SC 17.008‐2016
"Household Expenditures", approved by the resolution of NSC RB of August 3, 2016 No. 95"8 (Hereinafter –
the Classifier). This classifier practically coincides with the COICOP, with the exception of minor differences
between the classes:
02.3.0 "Narcotics" (this class is not in the classifier of Belarus, but there is a question in the
questionnaire about the payment of services in the area of drug abuse treatment);
04.2.1‐2 of the group 04.2 "Imputed rentals for housing" (this classes are not in the classifier of
Belarus);
04.4.1‐4 "Water supply and various services related to the maintenance of residential premises"
(all co0mmunal utilities are included in one class);
10.3.0 "Continued secondary education" (in the classifier of Belarus, these expenditures are
classified as class 10.2.0 "Secondary, vocational, specialised secondary education");
12.2.0 "Prostitution" (this class is not in the classifier of Belarus).
The noted differences by classes do not create systemic distortions when computing the total value of
household consumption expenditures. The codes of the Belarus Classifier strictly correspond to the COICOP
(with the exception of the classes noted), which is the real basis for the harmonisation of household
consumption expenditure statistics.
There are developed algorithms to aggregate the expenditure indicators for the purchase of food in 11 groups
and 26 groups, as well as aggregated indicators of household expenditures (total 35 aggregated positions).
However aggregation is carried out mainly at the level of sections and expenditure groups, not at the class
level, which is desirable to ensure harmonisation of expenditure questionnaires.
Thus, the use of the COICOP and the corresponding Statistical Classifier on Household Expenditures in the
Republic of Belarus provides a practical basis for the almost complete harmonisation of the Model and
Country Questionnaires in terms of the aggregate household expenditures, as well as at the level of
expenditure sections and groups. To ensure a more complete and accurate recording of household
consumption expenditure and the harmonisation of the data at the class level, the author suggests the
following recommendations.
Recommendations
The proposed recommendations are aimed at individual improvements in the composition of the Quarterly
Questionnaire of Belarus while maintaining its basic composition. In the future, it is recommended to switch
to a modular composition of the questionnaire on the format of the proposed Model Questionnaire.
Recommendation 1. Compose the Quarterly Questionnaire on expenditures more clearly, especially in
terms of sections and subsections on expenditures for services. The order of modules (sections) of the
questionnaire may be as follows:
7 HHS Instruction. P. 11. 8 See http://www.belstat.gov.by/
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The section II. The expenditures for buying clothes, shoes, household goods, household appliances
and other goods.
The section III. The expenditures for housing and utilities.
The section IV. Health care expenditures.
The section V. Expenditures for education.
The section VI. Expenditures for services.
The section VII. Other financial expenditures.
The section VIII. Personal agricultural farm and landscape gardening.
Recommendation 2. In the section II "Expenditures for the purchase of clothes, shoes, household goods,
household appliances and other goods", tables 2‐5 of the current questionnaire should remain, however, it
is recommended to expand these tables and to include "tips and reminders" at the level expenditure classes.
For example, in table 4, one can add lines with the names of the main classes of durable goods:
furniture, furnishings, carpets and other floor coverings;
major household appliances, including appliances and equipment used for medical purposes and
as toilet articles;
TV, radio and photographic equipment;
personal computers and other information processing equipment;
other major durables for the home, recreation and cultural events, including landscape
gardening;
jewellery, watches.
In the table 5 it is also possible to distinguish in a similar way the main classes of goods, for example:
household textiles;
small electric household appliance, including those used as personal hygiene products; tools and
accessories for home and garden;
glassware, tableware and household utensils;
cleaning and maintenance products;
articles and products for personal care;
spare parts and accessories for personal transport; gasoline / diesel;
books and other publications; recording media;
articles and equipment for recreation, sports, gardening and keeping pets; etc.
Recommendation 3. Adjust the composition of the section III "The expenditures of housing and utilities":
exclude from the section questions 4.3‐4.4 on the receipt of non‐cash housing subsidies and add
them to the household income section;
draw attention that to ensure the correctness of cross‐country comparisons, it is advisable to
provide for the possibility of distinguishing classes of expenditures for payment of individual
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utilities (cold and hot water supply, sewage, garbage disposal, etc.) from the general receipt for
housing and utility services;
include in the current question 4.8 the lines "Postal services" and "Radio and TV services".
Recommendation 4. Move the current section V "Personal agricultural farm and landscape gardening" to
the end of the expenditure questionnaire – before the Individual Income Questionnaire. At the same time,
the question 5.4 on expenditures related to the maintenance of landscape gardening or the creation of
conditions for recreation (the only question in the current section V related to consumption expenditures)
should be moved to the proposed sections II (in terms of the expenditure for goods) and VI (in terms of the
expenditure for services) .
Recommendation 5. Develop new sections of the questionnaire "Health care expenditures" and
"Expenditures on education" as independent separate modules. In the formation of sections to integrate all
types of expenditures for goods and services associated with these target functions of consumption. The
approximate aggregated composition of the modules (while maintaining the wording of the current country
questionnaire) may look as follows:
The section VI "Health care expenditures" The section VII "Expenditures on education"
Code Name of expenditure classes Code Name of expenditure classes
06.1.1 Pharmaceutical products 10.1.0 – 10.5.0
Payment for services of an educational institution (by education levels – expenditure classes)
06.1.2 Other medical products 10.1.0 – 10.5.0
For the needs of the educational institution (by level of education)
06.1.3 Therapeutic appliances and equipment 10.1.0 – 10.5.0
Tutoring and other additional educational services (by education level)
Payment for services (by class of service in accordance with the COICOP), including:
09.5.1 Textbooks and tutorials
09.5.4 Stationery
06.2.1‐3 received on an outpatient basis 03.1.2 03.2.1
Purchase of school uniform and shoes for school 06.3.0 received stationary
07.3.1‐6 Transportation expenditures associated with health care (by type of transport – COICOP classes)
07.3.1‐6 Transportation expenditures associated with education (by type of transport – COICOP classes)
11.1.2 Healthcare related food expenditures * 11.1.2 Education related food expenditures *
06.2.1 – 3 06.3.0
Informal health care expenditures 10.1.0 – 10.5.0 Informal education expenditures
* if these expenditures are not included in the hospital / educational services respectively
Recommendation 6. Develop a separate section VII "Other financial expenditures" based on the format of
the proposed Model Questionnaire.
In this section, it is important to ensure that not only all household financial expenditures are recorded, but
also the current transfers paid, since they affect the value of disposable income reducing it. In order to ensure
comparability of the methodology for determining expenditures and household incomes, based on the
methodology of the Canberra Group Handbook, it is recommended detailing the questions related to the tax
payments and other current transfers in the following way, with the pointing the following expenditures in
the Questionnaire:
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direct taxes (net of tax refunds);
compulsory fees and fines;
current inter‐household transfers paid ;
employee and employers’ social insurance contributions ;
current transfers to non‐profit organisations.
Since there is no single classification of household expenditures for this module of the Model Questionnaire,
it may be easier for the NSC RB to use the proposed questionnaire format without making changes.
When forming the section it is recommended:
to keep the questions 7.4‐7.8, 7.10‐7.15 of the current section VII of the Quarterly
Questionnaire;
to merge similar types of payments in to the unified tables;
Table 1.2 – The recommended composition of the section "VII. Other financial expenditures" of the
Quarterly Questionnaire
7. Other financial expenditures
7.1. Taxes and other obligatory payments
1 2 3 4
Code Type of tax or payment I month II month III month
Property tax
Land tax
Charges from owners of vehicles (road charges, etc.)
Income tax not withheld by the tax agent at the place of main and secondary employment (tax paid on the tax declaration by you alone)
Other tax payments: inheritance tax, donations and so on.
Government duties
Alimony
7.2. Other current financial expenditure
1 2 3 4
Code Expenditure type I month II month III month
Fees and mandatory payments: various fines and penalties.
Fees may include pasture use fees, garbage collection fees set by the local government, etc.
Family repayment of the loan and debt, including
Principal amount of loan / debt
Interest on loan / debt
Payment for all types of insurance
Monetary amounts lent to private individuals
Voluntary gifts and help to friends or relatives valued in cash
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1 2 3 4
Voluntary payments: membership fees to civil society organisations; cash amount and gifts valued in cash directed to charity
Advance / prepaid payments and other (unclassified) expenditures, as well as lost money
7.3. Capital expenditures and savings
1 2 3 4
Code Expenditure type I month II month III month
Purchase of real estate: houses, summer cottage, land plots and so on
Purchase of building materials for construction and overhaul / payment for construction and major repair services
Purchase of jewellery and antiques for the purpose of investing money
Purchase of shares and other securities
Buying foreign currency to save it at home
Banking deposits
Recommendation 7. Develop a unified section "Expenditures for payment of services", including household
consumption expenditures for all other services (not included in the sections II, III, IV and VII) and build this
section in the format of several relatively compact tables‐subsections, respectively groups of services. The
composition of this section while maintaining the wording of the current questionnaire may look like this:
VI. The expenditures of services
6.1. Transport services
Which of the following transport services did members of your household use and how much did they spend on paying them for the quarter?
Code Types of transport services
Place of service:
1 – organisation, individual entrepreneur
3 – from individual 4 – outside the Republic of
Belarus
I month
II month
III month
1 2 3 4 5 6
07.3.2 Passenger transport by road:
city bus, trolleybus 1 х 4
city taxi 1 3 4
Taxi 1 3 4
commuter, long‐distance, international transport 1 3 4
07.3.1 Passenger transport by railway:
tram, metro, city line trains 1 х 4
commuter, long‐distance, international transport 1 х 4
15
1 2 3 4 5 6
07.3.3 Passenger transport by air 1 х 4
07.3.4 Passenger transport by sea and inland waterway
07.3.5 Combined passenger transport 1 х 4
07.3.6 Other purchased transport service: removal and storage service; services of porters and left‐luggage 1 3 4
The exemplary composition of the section on expenditures for services, recommended further, is based on
the COICOP and SC 17.008‐2016 "Household expenditures" and the general division of services by groups
and types. This division is, somewhat, conditional, and can be changed at the discretion of Belstat
Which of the following services did members of your household use and how much did they spend on paying them for the quarter?
1 2 3 4 5 6
6.2. Individual household services
03.1.4 Tailoring, cleaning, repair and hire of clothing and accessories
03.2.2 Manufacture, cleaning, repair and hire of shoes
12.1.1 Personal services of hairdressing salons, barbers, beauty shops, solariums, non‐medical massages,
12.1.1 Services of baths, saunas
6.3. Housekeeping Services
04.3.2 Services for the maintenance and repair of the dwelling: services of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, glaziers, painters, decorators, floor polishers, etc.
05.1.3 Assembly and repair of furniture, furnishings and carpets
05.2.0 Tailoring repair of textile products for home
09.3.5 Veterinary and other pet‐related services
05.6.2 Housekeeping services:
dry cleaning of carpets, upholstered furniture, home textiles;
washing laundry and other textiles for the home;
rental of furniture, household appliances, small tools and other household items;
housework: services of cooks, maids, housekeepers, cleaners, chauffeurs, gardeners;
laundry and dry cleaning of household items
07.2.3 Maintenance and repair of personal vehicles: installation and repair of spare parts, technical inspection
07.2.4 Other services related to personal vehicles: driving courses, parking fees, rental, etc.
6.4. Repair service
05.3.3 Repair of household appliances
05.4.0 Repair of household utensils
05.5.1 Repair and hire of major tools and equipment for home and garden
16
05.5.2 Repair of small tools and miscellaneous accessories for home and garden
09.1.5 Repair of audio‐visual, photographic and information processing equipment
09.2.3 Maintenance and repair of other major durables for recreation and culture
12.1.2 Repair and hire of electric appliances for personal care
12.3.1 Repair and hire of watches and jewellery
12.3.2 Repair and hire of other personal items: bags, travel trunks, prams and baby carriers, walking sticks, umbrellas, etc.
09.3.1 Repair of games, toys and hobby goods
09.3.2 Repair of sports and tourist equipment
6.5. Services for organising recreation, sports and cultural events
09.4.1 Sports, tourism and recreation services: physical education and sports services; recreation parks, water parks, amusement rides
09.4.2 Services of cultural organisations: theatres, concerts, cinema, circus and other performances. Museums, exhibitions, archives, libraries; botanical gardens, zoos, national parks
09.4.2 Other services: discos, night clubs, evening parties; music and entertainment services for special occasions; photo or video recording of events
09.4.2 Hire equipment and supplies for cultural events
09.4.3 Games of chance and lottery
09.5.2 Subscription to newspapers and magazines, incl. electronic
09.6.0 Tourist and excursion services
11.2.0 Accommodation in hotels, motels and other similar institutions; recreation centres, youth camps, campgrounds, etc.
6.6. Other services
12.4.0 Social protection: payment of services for the care of the elderly, the disabled, both in specialised institutions and at home; child care payment
12.6.2 Financial services: servicing of bank cards and operations, loans, ATM services, rent of safe deposit boxes, etc .; fees for the services of brokers and financial and tax consultants
12.7.0 Administrative services: government fees for issuing administrative documents and certificates; consular fee for a visa
12.7.0 Legal services: notaries and lawyers
12.7.0 Ritual services
12.7.0 Intermediary services: services of realtors, auction workers, sellers and other intermediaries
12.7.0 Information services: copying documents; placing ads and other materials in the media
12.7.0 Other services not included in the above categories: graphologists, astrologers, healers, private detectives, marriage agencies, and so on.
Recommendation 8. Move the questions on the expenditures associated with tourist travel, in a separate
thematic subsection.
Recommendation 9. Develop an algorithm for the formation of aggregated expenditures for COICOP
classes.
17
Comparative analysis of the country HHS questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on household
incomes
The collection of data on household incomes is collected primarily in accordance with the form 4‐hh
"Quarterly Questionnaire on Household Expenditures and Income". This questionnaire contains the section
8 "The Individual Questionnaire", where incomes of individual household members are surveyed, the section
9 "Incomes, loans, loans, and household savings", where incomes related to the entire household are
surveyed. Incomes from personal subsidiary farms are collected in accordance with the section 5 "Personal
agricultural farm and landscape gardening", a number of other incomes are also collected here. Additionally,
in the section 4 there is also a question regarding the value of housing subsidies.
The Guidelines for completing the 4‐hh (questionnaire) "Quarterly Questionnaire on Household Expenditure
and Income" form were adopted, which are methodological in nature and intended for use by survey
specialists.
The specificity of a comparative analysis of a country questionnaire with an income Model Questionnaire is
that, as a rule, income sections of country questionnaires are less elaborated than sections on expenditures.
In this regard, the Model Questionnaire focused more on indicators of income received from questionnaires
and the potential of questions to determine one or another indicator. The following analysis focuses on these
two aspects.
Analysis of the income list of the questionnaire
Income aggregation
The supporting document is the Algorithm of Formation of Aggregated Income Indicators (hereinafter –
Algorithm), which allows to look at the aggregating the income from the point of view of their classification.
Total household income includes three components: cash income, the amount of consumed food produced
in personal agricultural farm and the value of the benefits and payments in kind. In turn, cash income includes
10 components received in cash. Among them the following main one:
income from employment;
social transfers;
property income;
other income.
This division generally follows the conceptual definitions of the Canberra Group Handbook income
components. However, there are some nuances in the definition of these components, which will be
discussed below.
Income from employment
The section takes into account wages at various places of work: at the main place of work and additional
ones, and also finds out the amount of one‐time payments. It should be noted that despite the fact that there
is a question about the number of jobs, the amount of wages is not divided between the main and additional
jobs, which reduces the analytical potential of the study. Wages are also taken into account in kind, however,
there are no explanations in the questionnaire or in the HHS instruction on how they are evaluated. According
to Belstat specialists, the respondents themselves valuate their size. Additionally, there is a question about
additional payments or material assistance.
18
Attention should be paid to the following several aspects when estimating employment income.
1. With regard to additional payments, it should be noted that there is no explanation of what is
included in these payments although by context it can be assumed that this is additional income from
employment. Neither in the questionnaire nor in the guidelines are there any definitions of the
subcomponents of wages, like those indicated in the conceptual definitions of the Canberra Group
Handbook. Of course, there is no need to include a description of these subcomponents in the
questionnaire itself, but methodological materials should contain them.
2. Estimation of employment payments in kind. Methods for estimating such payments have not been
developed; the lack of a unified approach could potentially lead to different valuations by the
respondents. There is also no list of basic products and services that employees receive as
compensation for employment, such as, payment for meals, trips or housing and so on for employees
by enterprises.
3. The definition of "net wages". In the question itself, the term "wage after taxes and alimony" is used.
However, the Guidelines consider this question even more widely – this is "the amount of wages,
taking into account deductions of payment for housing and communal services, communication
services, and alike". Such definitions contradict the basic definition of employment income, which is
defined as "income before taxes and other deductions". As it was explained by Belstat specialists,
this definition was chosen in connection with the predominance of such a form as a pay slip on wages
upon its payment, where deductions are already being made. In this regard, it should be emphasised
that following to legal forms of processing payments is possible only if it does not violate the
conceptual definitions of income.
Income from entrepreneurship
In accordance with the Algorithm, income from entrepreneurship is included in employment income. The
questionnaire for such income component contains only two questions: the first question (8.3) ascertains the
legal status of the respondent (founder or individual entrepreneur?), and, if the answer to this question is
positive, the question 8.12 then ascertains the approximate income from this activity.
However, it should be noted here that the questions at the beginning of section 8 are formulated in such a
way that, there are other chains of answers led to the question 8.12. The second chain is related to the
clarification of employment income after the question 8.2, where the employee’s hired status is determined
and later on after answering “yes” to the question 8.10 there is transition to the question 8.12. The third
chain is related to the answer “no” to the question 8.3, where the respondent answers that he/she is not an
entrepreneur, and then it goes to the question 8.11, where in the case of “yes” again there is transition to
question 8.12.
As a positive feature of this approach, one can note the desire to find out, ultimately, the income of an
unincorporated enterprise as part of the income from self‐employment. However, it seems that the question
8.12 combines income from self‐employment and small entrepreneurship. Overall the issue of determining
entrepreneurship income should be given greater attention in view of the further development of this sector.
It should also be noted that, in accordance with the definition given in the Canberra Group Handbook for an
unincorporated enterprise, its profits or losses must be taken into account. The questionnaire does not allow
determining sufficiently confidently the gross or net income of individual entrepreneurs.
19
Income from current transfers
The Individual Questionnaire (the section 8) and the corresponding part of the section 9 include questions
regarding pensions, various kinds of benefits, allowance and other social transfers.
However, not all current transfers are described in the Guidelines. This document details the benefits and
types of material assistance listed in the question 9.11 (11 types in total), that is, goods and services received
by the household free of charge or at subsidised prices. However, not much attention is paid to other
transfers. For example, the question on pensions is considered only in one question, whereas benefits related
to unemployment are considered on the basis of several questions. The practice of other countries shows
that in the "pensions" section, as a rule, several main types are asked. It should be noted that pensions, like
other current transfers, differ in their functional purpose.
The legislation of Belarus in the field of pensions allocates several types of pensions. In accordance with the
Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Pension Provisions" (Article 4), the following pensions are granted:
a) labour pensions, in particular on age, on disability, on the occasion of loss of the breadwinner;
for long service and for special services to the republic;
b) social pensions.
The Law also points to specific provisions regarding pensions of:
military, commanders and foot soldiers and their families (Article 2);
citizens affected by the Chernobyl disaster and other radiation accidents, and their family
members (Article 3);
civil servants (Article 3‐1);
for work with special working conditions and in connection with the employment of certain
types of professional activity (Articles 3‐2).
It follows from this statement that some pensions in their functional purpose are markedly different from
old age pensions. Therefore, it is desirable to ask the functional purpose of the main types of pensions.
The author proposed to classify transfers in the Model Questionnaire in terms of their functional purpose,
which is based on both the ESSPROS and EU SILC classifications. This classification is currently as follows and
reflects the results of a visit of consultant to various countries.
1. Current transfers received related to healthcare and treatment of diseases.
2. Current transfers received related to education.
3. Current transfers received associated with supporting disabled people.
4. Current transfers received related to support for persons of retirement age.
5. Current transfers received associated with the loss of the breadwinner.
6. Current transfers received related to support of family and children.
7. Current transfers received associated with supporting the unemployed.
8. Current transfers received related to subsidising housing expenditures.
9. Current received transfers related to poverty.
10. Remittances from relatives, friends, etc., received within the country and from outside.
20
11. Benefits and payments for special merit.
12. Support to groups not classified by other functions.
It should be noted that following this classification does not mean that all relevant subsections should be
included in the questionnaires. The study of legislation in the field of social benefits and benefits will allow
you to easily classify all possible types of current transfers and include them in the appropriate group. A
further task of representatives of the statistical agency is to determine, with the help of administrative
sources of ministries and departments, the most financially important types of current transfers and then
build questionnaires around these transfers.
Source of origin for income, especially current transfers
If the questionnaires do not have a question of where these or other payments came from, then there is a
potential risk that households will not report a number of incomes.
Canberra Group Handbook identifies the source by origin as a separate classification criterion. The number
of these sources by origin is only five, there namely: the government, the private sector, non‐profit
organisations, other households and money from abroad. Inclusion of income sources by origin should
become part of all questions.
Questions of relevant sections determine sources of income mostly clear. However, in some cases, the above
sources of origin are not separated, for example, the questions 9.5, 9.11 record income from other
households and charity organisations mutually. It is advisable to separately indicate each of these sources
in these questions. In questions on the expenditure of the analysed questionnaire, a good technique is used
to highlight various answers. It is recommended to use it for numbering options for origin sources of income.
Recording social transfers in kind
Recommendation 11 of the Poverty Guide suggests that social transfers in kind are excluded from disposable
income due to practical problems associated with their valuation9. Social transfers in kind are defined as
goods and services provided by government and non‐profit organisations that benefit households, but are
provided free of charge or at subsidised prices.
The list of benefits in the question 9.11 speaks of their provision in kind. However, the Guidelines do not
address the issue of valuation of the social transfers. In accordance with the wording of the question, such a
valuation is made by the respondents. It should be noted that the lack of guidelines on how the valuation of
social transfers in kind should be carried out can lead to a lack of uniformity for the calculation of these
household income components.
Property Income
Property income is reflected in several questions; however, the definition of this component of income is
missing in the Guidelines. Thus, there is no income from intangible assets (for example, royalty) in the
questionnaire. Income in respect of financial assets is questioned in one question, although there is reason
to divide the income from property management from one on monetary assets in the form of deposits and
loans, which increases the analytical potential of the study. In addition, this question does not indicate
government securities.
9 See: Recommendation 11 of the Poverty Guide
21
It should also be noted that the questionnaire has 15 questions regarding loans and debts, however, these
questions do not allow estimating unambiguously the net interest received as a result of the receipt and
repayment of loans. At the same time, according to the logic of the questionnaire, the received property
incomes not specified in the questions will be included in other incomes. Attention needs to be paid to this
issue, as the share of these property income components for richer deciles increases and, therefore,
incomplete collection of this information will give a distorted picture regarding the inequality indicators of
the SDGs.
With regard to measuring income, the following should be noted: income from the sale of non‐financial
assets is included in the gross household income. This is contrary to the conceptual definition of income in
the Canberra Group Handbook, which says that "Household income ... does not reduce the net worth of the
household through ... the disposal of its financial or non‐financial assets..."10.
Income from personal agricultural farm
The section 5 records the expenditures and incomes of personal agricultural farm. However, one should pay
attention to the following two aspects. When measuring household incomes, the theory suggests that the
net income from personal agricultural farm should be included in total income11. The presented algorithms
for the formation of aggregate indicators of income and cash expenditures contain separate lines,
respectively, "Proceeds from the sale of agricultural products, feed, livestock" and "Expenditures for personal
agricultural farm". This means that the calculated household income indicator contains the gross income
indicator from household plots and, accordingly, violates the recommended methodology for computing
income. Although it should be noted that this will not affect disposable income, since, accordingly, the
expenditures on personal agricultural farm will be deducted.
In the HHS Questionnaire uses the principle of specifying examples of income however the Guidelines do not
give an extended list of income components. This can potentially lead to the loss of any income due to the
fading out effect. It should be noted that this approach is contrary to the initial design of sections on the
personal agricultural farm. For example, the World Bank document cited above says that the accounting of
revenues and expenditures of those farms should be based on a fairly complete list of sold goods and services
and expenditures, which prevents the fading out effect.
Coding additional income components
Belstat positive practice is the coding of additional income components as set out in the Annex 2 "Codifier
of types of additional incomes of household members" to the HHS Instruction. A total of 15 types of income
are listed. However, these incomes include incomes related to the property income: for example, license fees
for the use of objects of copyrighting or related rights, royalties, or income from securities; incomes that are
part of current transfers, for example, scholarships received by members of the household under the age of
16 or one‐time compensation and payments in connection with the death of close relatives, accidents that
have occurred, etc. That is, the principle of classification of these incomes is not clear.
10 Poverty Measurement Guide. P. 34.
11 Designing Household Survey Questionnaires for Developing Countries. Lessons from 1 5 years of the Living Standards Measurement Study, the World Bank, 2000, Vol. 2, p. 83
22
Analysis of common issues related to income
Classification and coding of income components
The income aggregation algorithm is based on summing up the answers to the corresponding income.
Accordingly, the coding is built around question numbers but, as already noted, there is a codification of
additional incomes. The classification of income itself does not exist, but the general division of income
between different sections of income makes it easy to develop such a classification.
Calculation of the disposable income
The main indicator in a number of indicators for SDG 1 and SDG 10 is the disposable income, which is the
sum of primary incomes and current transfers received minus current transfers paid.
HHS statistics do not calculate this indicator. The main indicator is disposable resources, which is the sum of
households' cash incomes, the value of consumed foodstuffs produced in personal agricultural farm minus
the costs of their production, and the value of benefits and payments received in kind. This indicator is close
to disposable income and adjusted disposable income. It worth noting that in the "Other expenditures"
section there is a list of current transfers paid, and this, with some improvement in the composition of income
and current transfers paid, will allow for the calculation of the indicator of disposable income. Although the
HHS statistics does not currently calculate this indicator, however, based on sections 6‐8 of the
Questionnaire, the assessment of this indicator can be made.
The above analysis shows that there is a certain basis for the harmonisation of income issues between the
respective forms of the country HHS Questionnaire and the Model Questionnaire, however, some efforts will
be needed to implement this harmonisation. Recommendations in this area are given below.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1. A classification and coding of income should be developed. The algorithm for the
formation of aggregate expenditure indicators can be the initial basis for classification. However, in the
revising of this document, the employment income component should be expanded in terms of a larger
number of subcomponents, and especially for a social transfer received. This classification is based on the
income definitions proposed by the Canberra Group Handbook, which are modified in terms of the current
transfers received, taking into account the ESSPROS classification and EU SILC income variables definitions.
The coding must comply with the hierarchy principles of the COICOP: sections, groups, classes, etc. Annex 1
provides such a classification, which is based on country specifics.
Recommendation 2. It is necessary in future to receive data on employment income without deducting
mandatory payments and, at the first step, exclude from this deduction the alimony and expenditures for
housing and communal services. This recommendation is linked to clarifying the question on "Other
expenditures" given in the previous section.
Recommendation 3. The issues that determine the income from self‐employment, especially in the case of
unincorporated income, should be clarified. At the first stage it is enough to split the question 8.12 on
income from entrepreneurship and employment income. That is, after the question 8.3 the question on
23
received income could be asked immediately, so it could be the question 8.3.1, and then after filling it in, to
go to the question 8.13.
In future the questions 8.1 ‐ 8.13 can be revised in approximately the following way.
8.1. Which of the following definitions most accurately describes your social and economic status during each
month of the quarter?
Number of line
Social and economic status:
1 – employed (for hire or not for hire)
2 – retired
3 – full‐time student of education
4 – founder (co‐founder) of the organisation or individual entrepreneur
5 – other (specify)
А Б 1
1 I month 1 2 3 4 5___________________
2 II month 1 2 3 4 5___________________
3 III month 1 2 3 4 5___________________
8.2. Specify the amount of income received at the main, additional and one‐time jobs, rub.
Type of income I month II month III month
А 1 2 3
1. The wage on the main work received under the contract
2. Wages at the additional place of work received under the contract
3. Wages at other places of work received under the contract
4. Additional payments or material assistance received as remuneration for labour not included in the above amounts
5. Additional earnings from work not executed under an (contract)
6. Received wages in kind in monetary terms
8.3. How many days in a month and how many hours on average per day did you usually work at the main
and additional work places during each month of the quarter?
I month ________ days
_________hours a day
II month ________ days
_________hours a day
III month ________ days
_________hours a day
8.4. Indicate your income received as a founder (co‐founder) of the organisation or individual entrepreneur
Number of line Gross Income Costs to receive the gross income
А Б 1 2
1 I month
2 II month
3 III month
It should be noted here that when developing this variant, the author took into account both the terminology
used in the questionnaire and the main income characteristics surveyed, indicated in the questionnaires, in
24
particular, the number of jobs, legal registration of work, additional and one‐time payments, and signs of
individual entrepreneurship. At the same time, this variant more clearly separates entrepreneurship from
employment income and takes into account the requirements of the Canberra Group Handbook in regards
to profits and losses of the unincorporated sector.
Recommendation 4. The questions on property income should be clarified.
1. Question 9.16 should be divided into two, possibly in tabular form, to divide the income from property
management (income from securities) from income from household monetary assets (interest on
deposits). It should also introduce the government securities term.
2. After question 9.38, a question in which the respondent has to estimate the net interest on loans should
be added. This value may be negative, since it considers loans from both the household and borrowing
by the household.
Recommendation 5. After the development of the classification and coding of income, the question on the
current received transfers should be clarified. It is recommended to consider the method proposed above,
according to which it is necessary to determine the importance of certain transfers, and then revise the
questionnaire focusing on important types of transfers.
1. It is recommended to extend the question of pensions. The question might look like this:
8.14. Did you receive the following pensions?
Number of line
Type of income Code for developing:
1 – yes
2 – no
Received, rub
I month II month III month
А Б 1 2 3 4
1 Old‐age pensions 1 2
2 Disability pensions 1 2
3 Pensions in case of loss of the breadwinner 1 2
4 Seniority pensions 1 2
5 Special merit pensions
6 Social pensions 1 2
7 Other pensions, indicate__________________ 1 2
Answer options here are based on the same method as above. It is sufficient to limit ourselves to the
most financially important pensions.
2. Specify the name of the line 11 of the question 9.2 "Financial assistance and other payments from
the budget", adding the term "state targeted social assistance" there. This, among other things, will facilitate
the classification of this type of social assistance.
3. Considering previously given recommendation on excluding questions 4.3 and 4.4 regarding the
amount of non‐cash housing subsidies for partial payments for housing and utility services, clarify the
25
wording of question 9.11 on line 3, which considers the value of benefits for maintenance, use of residential
premises and communal utilities
Recommendation 6. Introduce origin source of income received in current transfers, in particular from the
public and private sectors, non‐profit organisations, other households, and income from abroad, into the
question of received transfers. To do this, it is enough to change a number of questions, where two different
sources are indicated, dividing them using the questions technique that Belstat uses for expenditures. For
example, questions 9.5 and 9.6 can be replaced something like this:
9.5. Specify the amount of financial assistance from relatives, friends or charitable organisations.
Number of lines
Who provided financial assistance?
1 – relatives or friends
2 – charitable organisations
Amount of assistance
А Б 1 2
1 I month 1 2
2 II month 1 2
3 III month 1 2
Recommendation 7. Additions should be made to the Guidelines for filling in questionnaires in order to
increase their explanatory potential and eliminate the possibility for inaccurate interpretation of terms by
both respondents and interviewers. If there are administrative restrictions on the expansion of official
guidance documents, an internal terminology guidance should be developed and adopted, based on the
classification of incomes.
Recommendation 8. It is necessary to begin the calculation of the disposable and adjusted income, which
is in line with recommendation 5 of the Poverty Guide. As already shown, the results of HHS allow the first
estimates of this indicator. Improving the questionnaires in accordance with the above recommendations
will provide more reliable estimates of this indicator in the future.
When calculating disposable income, it is advisable:
to exclude receipts from the sale of non‐financial household assets, as proposed in
accordance with the Canberra Group Handbook;
to indicate clearly that the composition of this indicator includes only net income from
personal agricultural farm;
to take into account the current transfers paid, as proposed in the previous section.
Recommendation 9. Develop and improve methods for recording income. This recommendation assumes
methodological guidance from international organisations and deals with various methodological aspects.
These assume methods for recording incomes of both rich and poor deciles, and especially entrepreneurs,
methods of valuing employment incomes and current transfers in kind, methods of interaction and exchange
of information between statistical and administrative registers. In the longer term, it is necessary to develop
methods for measuring the imputed rents.
26
Comparative analysis of the country HHS questionnaires and the Model Questionnaire on deprivations
NSC RB uses the following statistical forms for assessing deprivations:
1. Form 1‐hh (wellbeing) "Questionnaire about household wellbeing". This questionnaire is aimed at
subjective assessment of household financial situation. It comprises questions about changes in
household financial situation and steps undertaken to improve it. The Questionnaire has also
questions about durable goods, Internet access and land plots utilisation. In 2018, the questionnaire
was modified to include questions about material deprivations of children and adult individuals.
2. Form 1‐hh (main) "Questionnaire for main interview". This questionnaire includes questions about
living conditions, water supply, sanitation and health conditions. In 2018 the questionnaire was
modified to exclude questions about deprivations in healthcare.
3. Form 1‐hh (IСT) "Questionnaire for studying household access to information and communication
technologies". Questionnaire assesses household computer skills and deprivations (if any) in Internet
access during the last 12 months.
Analysis of statistical forms on deprivation
The Wellbeing Questionnaire contains three sections, two of which assess material deprivations.
The section 2 "Financial situation of household" is aimed at subjective assessment of household financial
situation and includes the following:
Household own assessment of financial situation,
Household assessment of changes in financial situation for the last 12 months,
Description of steps undertaken by household to improve its financial situation,
Analysis of savings and reasons to save.
In 2018 edition, a number of questions about material deprivations were added to the questionnaire. These
include questions about household ability to afford:
To regularly eat hot dishes with fish, or meat or chicken or equivalent vegetarian food;
To replace worn shoes and clothing on a new ones;
To replace worn out furniture as needed;
To go on week‐long vacation outside the home;
To regularly take part in recreational activities;
To cover unexpected expenses without borrowing money or other financial assistance.
Example:
Question 2.13. "Given your financial situation, is your household able to afford the following":
Wellbeing Questionnaire Model questionnaire: differences
To eat hot dishes with fish, or meat or chicken or (equivalent vegetarian food) at least: 1.1. In one day; 1.2. One time a week
Every two days
To replace worn clothing for cold seasons at least once every five years
Replace worn shoes and clothing, first of all, in case of wear and tear on a new
To replace worn shoes for adult individuals at least once every three years
Replace worn shoes and clothing, first of all, in case of wear and tear on a new
27
To replace worn out furniture as needed To replace worn out furniture as needed
To buy medicine prescribed by doctor No such question
Cover unexpected expenses without borrowing money or other financial assistance in the amount of __________
Coincides
To annually go on week‐long vacation outside the home and summer cottage
Without summer cottage
At least once a month to conduct family celebrations and invite guests to visit
At least once a month to meet with friends / relatives outside the house, invite to visit
There is a number of material deprivations, which are not present in the Wellbeing Questionnaire, e.g. the
question 1.1 of the Model Questionnaire "During the last twelve months has your household experienced
troubles with making the following payments: 1) Rent or mortgage payments, 2) Communal utility payments,
3) Loan payments".
The Wellbeing Questionnaire contains question on self‐assessment of poverty, i.e. the question 2.1 "How
would you describe the financial situation of your household this year?" coincides with the similar question
of the Model Questionnaire.
The section 3 "Durable goods and land plots" has two lists of durable goods. The lists are formed in
accordance with two different approaches.
Within the HHS framework a separate methodology for identifying deprivations has been developed. This
methodology is described in the Methods for Calculating the Statistical Indicators of Living Standards,
Chapter 5 "Calculation of the level of material deprivation of population (households)"12. Within this
methodology, it is indicated that a list of material deprivations is formed to calculate the level of material
deprivation of the population (households), which is revised at least once every five years.
While forming the list of material deprivations, the base list of deprivations relating to various aspects of life
is determined by experts.
The list is formed in accordance with the results of the survey of households, in which they are questioned
about deprivations reflecting poverty in the country. The final list comprises deprivations recognised as such
by the majority (no less than 85%) of the respondents and they are specific to the minority of the
respondents.
Therefore, the first list is formed in accordance with the national methodology and contains 14 items of
durable goods and. This list mostly contains household appliances and transport vehicles. The second list is
developed in accordance with the international EU‐SILC methodology and has eight items of durable goods.
This list is as close as possible to the list of durable goods specified in the Model Questionnaire.
The Main Questionnaire contains five sections, two of which are related to deprivations assessment.
The section 1 "Housing conditions" has nine questions, which partially coincide with the Model
Questionnaire.
12 Methods for calculating the statistical indicators of the standard of living of the population (households) (with changes and additions made by resolutions of the Belstat dated July 28, 2014 No. 105, dated August 3, 2015 No. 81, dated February 5, 201 No. 12). Approved by the Resolution of the NSC RB dated 02.17.2014 No. 20.
28
For example, the question 2.2 of the Model Questionnaire "How many sq. meters are there on average per
inhabitant?" can be estimated from the question 1.2 of the Main Questionnaire "What is the living space of
your dwelling in sq. meters?"
The Main Questionnaire has questions about housing conditions, which are presented in a table format. For
example, the following questions of the Model Questionnaire: 2.4. "What is the main source of the water supply
in your household?"; 2.8. "What is the toilet type in your household?"; 2.6. "How do you heat your dwelling?"
can be reformulated from the question 1.4 of the Main Questionnaire:
1.4. In your dwelling do you have the following?
1. Water pipe:
centralised .................... 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
local .............................. 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
2. Flushing toilet:
centralised .................... 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
local .............................. 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
3. Hot water:
centralised .................... 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
individual boiler ............ 1 ........ 2 ............ 9
4. Bath or shower .......................... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
5. Centralised heating .................... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
6. Heating from individual boiler ... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
7. Stove heating ............................. 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
8. Gas…. ......................................... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
9. Gas tank ..................................... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
10. Electric stove ........................... 1 ....... 2 .......... 9
The Main Questionnaire does not contain questions about dwelling type, distance to water source, cooking
methods etc.
Five questions of the section 1 assess the extent to which households are satisfied with their housing
conditions. Some of these questions coincide with the Model Questionnaire.
Example:
Main Questionnaire:
1.6. Why are the members of your household not satisfied with the housing conditions? (mark the main one reason)
Lack of living space ................................................................................................................................... 1
Dilapidated (emergency) conditions of the dwelling ............................................................................... 2
Poor water supply and sanitation ............................................................................................................. 3
Inappropriate/unsuitable housing conditions (damp, cold, dark dwelling, bad sound insulation etc.) .. 4
Location .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Do not have my own dwelling .................................................................................................................. 6
Other ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
Do not know/Do not want to answer ....................................................................................................... 9
Model Questionnaire:
2.3. "Is your dwelling recognised as emergency, dilapidated, or unsuitable for living? 1) Yes, 2) No". Answer
option two of the question 1.6 can be reformulated in accordance with the Model Questionnaire’s question
2.3.
The ICT Questionnaire contains two sections. The second section has an extended set of questions about
household computer skills and Internet accessibility.
The questions 2.9 and 2.11 of ICT Questionnaire coincide with the Model Questionnaire.
29
Example 1:
ICT Questionnaire:
2.9. How often do you use the Internet? 1) Every day, 2) No less than once a week, 3) Seldom, 4)
Do not know/Do not want to answer
Model Questionnaire:
It is the same question with fewer number of answer options:
1.9. If yes how often have you used the Internet for the past 12 months?
1) No less than once a day, 2) No less than once a week, but not every day.
Example 2:
ICT Questionnaire:
2.11. Why have not you used the Internet at home?
1 – There is no need
2 – Have Internet access at some other place
3 – Do not know how to use
4 – High Internet equipment costs
5 – High Internet access costs
6 – Have doubts about confidentiality and security of private information
7 – Do not have Internet services provider at my place
8 – There are Internet services providers, but they do not meet my requirements
9 – Moral and ethical reasons
10 – Do not know what Internet is
11 – I am not allowed to use Internet
12 – Other
Model Questionnaire:
Same question with fewer numbers of answer options:
1.11. If not (have not used Internet), why:
1 – There are no Internet services providers
2 – Too expensive, cannot afford
3 – Do not know anything about Internet
4 – Do not need because I use the Internet in my phone
5 – Other
Furthermore, the Wellbeing Questionnaire has also questions about Internet access.
Example:
Wellbeing Questionnaire:
Question 3.3. Does your household have Internet access at home?
Question 3.4. What is the main reason why your household does not use Internet at home? 1) Cannot afford, 2) Other, 3) Do not know/Do not want to answer.
30
These questions have the same goal – to assess deprivation in Internet accessibility, but with fewer answers
options. So these questions can be harmonised in accordance with the Model Questionnaire.
Overall, analysis of the HHS statistical forms regarding deprivations allows concluding the following:
1. There are no questions assessing households’ deprivations in social system, education and
healthcare.
2. Questions about housing conditions and deprivations partially coincide with the Model
Questionnaire. It is recommended to add a number of questions and to change the formulations
of several existing questions. The list of durable goods coincide with the Model list, except for
two items.
3. Almost all of the questions about material deprivations coincide with the Model questionnaire.
There are number of exceptions, i.e. abilities to afford rent, mortgage and loan payments, spend
some amount of money without getting approval from all household members, regularly
participate in recreational activities.
4. Only one question on self‐assessment of poverty is present in the HHS questionnaires –
assessment of household financial situation. It is recommended to adjust the formulation of this
question in accordance with the Model one.
Recommendations
Analysis of current statistical forms and discussion with representatives of the NSC RB allowed developing a
number of recommendations to harmonise the present questionnaires with the Model Questionnaire. The
following recommendations are proposed:
Recommendation 1. Include a set of questions about material deprivations for international comparison:
add questions about:
Ability to afford mortgage, rent and loan payments,
Assessment of deprivations in healthcare and
Self‐assessment of poverty.
Recommendation 2. For international comparison add questions about housing conditions, including:
Access to water and sanitation,
Dilapidation of the dwelling,
Food cooking methods.
Recommendation 3. Questions about deprivations in social system are used for assessing progress in
Sustainable Development Goals achievement. However, as mentioned by the Белстат representatives, the
NSC RB committee is not responsible for regulation of the procedures for paying social benefits. Therefore,
it is recommended to transfer the questions about deprivations in social system to the relevant
ministries/governmental bodies. However, until the metadata for the relevant indicator is fully developed,
this question should be included in the questionnaire.
31
Recommendations to add new sections into current questionnaires
Recommendation 4. Add questions on self‐assessment of poverty into the Wellbeing Questionnaire, section
2:
Add a question In your opinion how much money does your household need per month to make
the ends meet ______ (specify the amount in roubles)
Reduce the number of answer options in question 2.1 How would you describe the financial
situation of your household this year?: 1) Rich, 2) Middle class, 3) Poor, 4) Extremely poor.
Add a question and answers options to it: Identify and rank the importance of the main problems
of your household: 1) There are no problems, 2) Not enough money even for food, 3) Enough money
for food but not for clothing, 4) Problems with housing, 5) We cannot provide a decent education,
6) We do not have access to adequate healthcare, 7) Other
Recommendation 5. Add questions about material deprivations into the Wellbeing Questionnaire, the
section 2. While editing the section, it is recommended to change the question 2.13 as follows:
Change the sub‐question 1 and add answer options to it: Can your household afford to eat hot dishes
with fish, meat or chicken or equivalent vegetarian food (beans, lentils, peas, etc.) every two days?
1) Yes, 2) No, cannot afford, 3) Other.
Change the sub‐question 4 and add answer options to it: Can your household afford to replace worn
out furniture when needed? Include in it the options for answers: 1) Yes, 2) No, cannot afford, 3) No,
for another reason, 4) Other.
Reformat sub‐questions 2, 3 and 8 as follows:
Fill the table. Does your household members have and can they afford the following: 1) Yes, 2) No, 3) Not
relevant:
No.
Age
Two pairs of suitable for season shoes for winter and
summer
Replace worn shoes and
clothing, first of all, in case of
wear and tear on a new
Spend a certain amount of money
without discussion, and
approval from the members of the
household
Regularly take part in
recreational activities, for example, visit
cinemas, concerts, sports,
etc.
At least once a month to meet with friends /
relatives outside the
house, invite to visit
1
Make sub‐question 6 as a separate question: Can your household cover unexpected expenses
without borrowing money or other financial assistance in the amount of ___(specify amount in
roubles) 1)Yes, 2) No, 3) Not relevant
Add a question and answer options to it: During the last twelve months has your household
experienced arrears with making the following payments:
1 – yes, once, 2 – more than two times, 3 – no, 4 – not relevant
Rent or mortgage payments
Community utility bills
Loan payments
32
*Note: given the fast development of financial markets and banking system worldwide, questions about
arrears with making rent, mortgage and loan payments will become relevant. It is advised to launch the pilot
testing of such questions.
In case of including these questions into questionnaire, it is necessary to delete question 2.14 from section 2
of the Wellbeing Questionnaire.
Recommendations to add new sections and questions into current questionnaires for international
comparison
Recommendation 6. Add questions about deprivations in healthcare into the Main Questionnaire after the
section 3, table 2:
"Were there any cases during the year when you were unable to use healthcare services? 1) Yes, 2) No,
3) No, did not need to".
"Why you did not use medical services during the year? 1) I was doing in self‐treatment, 2) I decided
that I would get well anyway, 3) High cost of visiting, 4) Expensive medicine, 5) Long queues, 6) Lack
of a doctor, 7) Medical facilities are far/Lack of transport, 8) Lack of medicine, 9) Bad service/Do
not trust, 10) Other".
Recommendation 7. Add questions and answer options to it into the Main Questionnaire, the section 2
after the question 1.4. Change the numbering accordingly:
What is the main source of water supply in your household? 1) Centralised water pipe, 2) Water
well, 3) Spring, well, 4) Local water pipe, 5) Water tap.
What is the distance to the source of water supply in your household? 1) Less than 100 m, 2) 100‐
200 m, 3) 200‐500 m, 4) 500‐1000 m, 5) More than 1000 m, 6) Do not know.
What is the toilet type in your household? 1) Centralised flushing toilet, 2) Local flushing toilet, 3) Pit
latrine, 4) Other, 5) There is no toilet.
Where is the toilet located? 1) Indoor, 2) Outdoor, 3) On the street.
Where do you cook? 1) Centralised gas stove, 2) Stove with gas tank, 3) Electric stove, 4) Fire stove
5) Microwave oven, 6) Primus, 7) Other.
How do you heat your dwelling? 1) Centralised heating system, 2) Portable electric heater, 3) Stove
heating, 4) Electric heating system, 5) Gas heating, 6) Other, 7) Do not heat.
Can your household afford to keep its home adequately warm? 1) Yes, 2) No.
Is your dwelling recognised as emergency, dilapidated, or unsuitable for living? 1) Yes, 2) No.
Exclude question 2.15 from section 2 of the Wellbeing Questionnaire accordingly.
Recommendation 8. Add two questions about housing characteristics into the Main Questionnaire, section
1:
After the question 1.3, add a question: How many sq. meters are there on average per inhabitant?
_______ sq. meters per person
After question 1.1, add a question and answer options to it What is the type of your dwelling?*: 1)
Flat in apartment building 2) Malosemeika (small flat), 3) Own house, 4) Part of the house, 5)
Dormitory, 6) Non‐residential dwelling, 7) Other, 8) Hut.
33
*Note: The NSC RB uses its own classification of dwelling types, based on classification of the Housing
Code. For example, in the Main Questionnaire in the important information section there is a list of dwelling
types to be asked from respondents: apartment building, house, and dormitory. It is recommended to expand
this classification including the option "Other" with options, representing deprivations, such as "Hut" or
"Other non‐residential building".
34
Conclusion
The harmonisation of income and expenditure questionnaires should be considered based on two criteria.
Do the questionnaire answers provide a record of all expenditures and income? Does the expenditures and
income of individual components coincide by break‐dawns?
An analysis carried out during the work on this report shows that the highest level of harmonisation has been
achieved in relation to expenditures. A comparative analysis of the proposed Model Questionnaire and the
Belstat questionnaires in terms of household expenditures suggests that a sufficiently high level of
harmonisation of questionnaires and comparability of household expenditures data is already provided: the
questionnaires are structured in such a way that they allows calculating aggregated expenditures. However,
there are some concerns about the possibility of the "fading out effect", which is due to the fact that there
are no "tips and reminders" in the primary statistical forms and in the Quarterly Questionnaire, primarily for
the service expenditures for both the respondent and the interviewer. As for the expenditures composition,
harmonisation is achieved due to the use of an approved national statistical classifier corresponding to the
COICOP as a basis for forming questions and coding expenditure indicators. The noted differences by classes
do not create systemic distortions when calculating the total expenditures of households, but may affect the
harmonisation of expenditure at the class level.
Since it was determined that the indicator of disposable income is not computed, a very important addition
is the introduction of an improved module on current household transfers paid and other financial
expenditures. Other recommendations are, for the most part, of a technical nature, given as examples by
prior agreement with the Belstat, and assume, primarily combining of expenditures based on their functional
purpose.
To a lesser extent, harmonisation between the Model Questionnaire and the Quarterly Questionnaire in
terms of household incomes has been achieved. However, at the upper levels of the classification, there is
no fundamental difference in the calculation of indicators of main cash income component, since Belstat uses
correct definitions and indicators of aggregated income. However, without a unified classification and coding
of income it is impossible to achieve a comparison of the composition of income. As it is noted in the relevant
section, some income component may fall into other income component, although by classification they
belong to specific classes. The classification of income can be based on the classification proposed by the
consultant, which, however, should be based on the features of the national questionnaire. In some
questions, the definition of employment income, income from self‐employment should be clarified, with the
definition of income from entrepreneurship. Attention should also be paid to the measurement of disposable
income, especially in terms of the conformity of the definitions of some of its components with the definitions
of the Canberra Group Handbook. The main concern of the national office should be the improvement of the
HHS guidance materials so that the interviewers have a complete picture of the list of possible incomes from
households. Following the recommendation of recording for all source origins of income provides such an
opportunity. All this will make it possible to calculate the most accurately disposable income that underlies
the calculation of most of the target indicators for SDG 1 and SDG 10.
As for deprivations, it should be noted that Belstat is constantly improving questionnaires. The accepted
methodology for testing deprivations may be adopted in other countries. The particularities of the country
and the low level of poverty lead to the fact that some deprivations are irrelevant for Belarus. However,
questions from the Model Questionnaire may be included in the country questionnaire to sake of
international comparisons. It should also be noted that the example of Belarus suggests the need to
coordinate individual questions of HHS with administrative sources. So, some information on housing
conditions, health care and education can be obtained from sectoral statistics. In this case developing
methods for obtaining this information and metadata for the calculation of relevant indices in order to match
the target indicators of the SDGs 1 becomes very important.
35
Annex 1.
Concordance of the sections of the Model Questionnaire and the Questionnaire of Belarus with respect to consumption expenditures
Provision of information on the section of COICOP Module of the proposed model Questionnaire
The section of the Questionnaire of
Belarus
Food (1)
Non‐alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (1 and 2)
Tobacco (2) and narcotic drugs (2)
Out‐of‐home eating expenditures (11)
I. Food Diary
Clothing and footwear (3) II. Non‐food consumer
goods section II, table 2,3
Housing, water, electricity, natural gas and other fuels (4)
Expenditures for the acquisition of materials necessary for the maintenance and current repair of residential premises (4)
Expenditures for payment of services for maintenance and repair of residential premises (4)
Communication expenditures (8)
Charges for cable and satellite TV services (9)
III. Dwelling
section IV
section I, table 5*
section VII
section IV
section IV
Household items, everyday home care and household appliances (5)
Expenditures for the acquisition and maintenance of vehicles (7)
Expenditures for the purchase of telephone and facsimile equipment (8)
Expenditures for the purchase of goods related to recreation and cultural activities (9)
Services related to the equipping of living premises and housekeeping (repair and maintenance of household goods, respectively, in the sections 5,7,8,9)
IV. Housekeeping
section II, table 4
section II, table 4 section VII
section II, table 4
section II, table 4,5*
section III
Education (10)
Acquisition of school clothing and footwear (3)
Payment for accommodation of students (4 or 11)
Transportation expenditures related to education (7)
Expenditures on textbooks, stationery and supplies necessary for education (9)
Nutrition in the educational institution (11)
V. Education
section VI
section II, table 2,3
section VI*
section VII
section VI, section II, table 5*
Diary
Health (6)
Transportation expenditures related to health (7) VI. Health
section VI
section VII
Transportation services (7) VII. Transportation services section VII
36
Provision of information on the section of COICOP Module of the proposed model Questionnaire
The section of the Questionnaire of
Belarus
Recreational and cultural services (9)
Accommodation services (11)
VIII. Recreation, entertainment and social and cultural events
section VII
Other personal goods (12)
Personal services, by type of service (12)
IX. Miscellaneous goods and services
section II, table 5* section II, table 6*
Taxes, fees and other payments
Capital investments
Other financial expenditures
X. Other financial expenditures
section VII
* Presumably because these classes and expenditure categories are not explicitly shown in the Quarterly
Questionnaire
37
Annex 2.
Example of income classification
Note: this classification is based on the materials provided by Belstat, which were used in the preparation of
the report. This classification should be improved in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus
in respect to individual income components. For example, there may be benefits for social protection of
citizens affected by the Chernobyl disaster, other radiation accidents, etc.
Section Group Class Name
1 Primary income
1.01 Employment Income
1.01.01 Income from hired work
1.01.01.01 Salary at the main job
1.01.01.02 Other income at main job
1.01.01.03 Other incomes from hired employment
1.01.02 Income from self‐employment and entrepreneurship
1.01.02.01 Income from individual self‐employment
1.01.02.01 Income from individual entrepreneurship
1.02 Property income
1.02.01 Incomes from non‐financial assets: rental of property or real estate
1.02.01.01
Rental of property or real estate (houses, apartments, summer cottage, garage, land plot
1.02.01.02
Rental of personal and household goods (vehicles, household appliances)
1.02.02 Incomes from financial and non‐tangible assets
1.02.02.01 Dividends from shares and other securities
1.02.02.02 Received interest and winnings on cash deposits and loans
1.02.02.03 Royalties
1.03 Income from personal agricultural farm
2 Current transfers received
2.01 Health protection and treatment of diseases
2.01.01 Subsidy for sanatorium and spa
2.01.02 Subsidy for medications
2.01.03 Provision of technical means of social rehabilitation
2.01.04
2.01.05
2.01.06
Other benefits and subsidy related to the health protection and treatment of diseases
2.02 Education support
2.02.01 Scholarships for students and pupils, including Presidential scholarships
2.02.02 Subsidy for preschool education and for the education of children
2.02.03 2.02.04 Other benefits and subsidy related to the education support
38
2.03 Support for disabled people
2.03.01 Benefits for the care of a disabled person of group I or a person who has reached the age of 80, a disabled child under the age of 18 years
2.03.02 Allowance for disable children under 18
2.03.03 2.03.04
2.03.05 Other benefits and subsidy related to the support for disabled people
2.04 Support for persons of retirement age
2.04.01 Old age pensions
2.04.02 Seniority pensions or for special working conditions
2.04.03
2.04.04
2.04.05
2.04.06
2.04.07 Other benefits and subsidy related to the support for persons of retirement age
2.05 Support for family that lost a breadwinner
2.05.01 Benefits for families of servicemen killed in the line of duty
2.05.02 Allowance for children in case of loss of the breadwinner
2.05.03
2.05.04
Other benefits and subsidy related to the support for family that lost a breadwinner
2.06 Support for family and children
2.06.01
Allowance for women registered in health care organisations before the 12th week of pregnancy, and benefits in connection with the birth of a child
2.06.02 Maternity allowance
2.06.03 Childcare allowance for a child under 3 years old
2.06.04 Allowance for children over 3 years
2.06.05
Cash payments for the maintenance of orphans and children left without parental care
2.06.06 Alimony
2.06.07 Funeral allowance
2.06.08 Other benefits and subsidy related to the support for family and children
2.07 Support for the unemployed
2.07.01 Unemployment allowance
2.07.02 Lump sum payments (benefits, remuneration, assistance) upon retirement
2.07.03 Severance pay received by a dismissed employee
2.07.04
2.07.05
2.07.06 Other benefits and subsidy related to the support for the unemployed
39
2.08 Housing subsidies
2.08.01 Housing costs payment
2.08.02 Subsidy for rent and utilities
2.08.03 Subsidy for payment for electricity
2.08.04 Subsidy for payment for communication services
2.08.05 Subsidy for payment for fuel
2.08.06 Other benefits and subsidy related to the some housing expenditures
2.09 Poor / poverty benefits and subsidy
2.09.01 State tested‐means allowance
2.09.02 Food allowance
2.09.03 Allowance for travel in transport
2.09.04
2.09.05 Other benefits and subsidies for low income families
2.10 Monetary transfers and remittances
2.10.01 Money received from relatives, friends, etc. in the form of financial assistance
2.10.02 Other remittances
2.11 Merit benefits and monetisation of benefits
2.11.01
Monetary payment (monetisation) for benefits granted by the government for certain merits or special categories of persons
2.11.02 Other merit benefits and payments
2.12 Support for groups not classified by other functions, as well as multifunctional payments
2.12.01 Lump sum benefits for refugees and IDPs.
2.12.03 Other social benefits, for example, one‐time assistance from trade union organisations
3 Other income
3.01 Winnings in the lottery and other similar winnings
3.02 Payment for participation in the survey
3.03 Other income not included above
* This includes most of the additional incomes included in Annex 2 of the Instruction on the organisation and conduct of a selective HHS on the standards of living except a number of incomes included in the above classes