It is in fact a ‘social pension’ for people (including children) with disabilities, orphans and elderly persons without pension rights. Eligibility is independent of household income. Until 2009, the value of the MSB was based on the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI), and varied between 75 and 300 per cent of the GMI for different categories (World Bank, 2009, Gassmann, 2010b).54 The MSB is financed entirely from the Republic’s budget. Between 2005 and 2009, the average MSB has increased from KGS 367 to KGS 715 per month.