The methodology aims to calculate the subsistence minimum for different categories in terms of the subsistence minimum of a healthy 30-39-year-old man. The categories differ by gender, age (in the following ranges: 0-3 (less than 48 months), 4-6 (from 48 to 84 months), 7-12, 13-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40- 59, and 60+), and social or health status (in the following categories: healthy, child with disability, person with disability group I, person with disability group II, refugee, bedridden, lonely pensioner, pregnant, breast-feeding woman, single parent, and orphan). Table 1 below summarizes all categories.
The needs of a person are divided into two main groups: caloric needs and non-caloric needs. Caloric needs consist of food needs and caregiver needs. Non-caloric needs consist of transportation needs, medical service needs, special means needs and other needs. Medical service needs and special means also have subgroups that will be discussed later. All needs in the caloric needs group are expressed in calories (kcal) and all needs in the non-caloric needs group are measured in GEL – this is the reason why they are grouped in this way. All needs for each category are translated into coefficients and then summed up to get final coefficients. How GEL and calories are translated in coefficients will be described below.
