Disabled Child Care Benefit

The following persons are entitled to receive the disabled child care benefit: citizens, non-citizens of Latvia, foreigners, and stateless persons living in Latvia who have received a personal identification code.

The benefit is not granted to persons who have received a temporary residence permit.

The benefit is granted to one of the child’s parents or a guardian who takes cares of the disabled child for whom the State Medical Commission for Expert-Examinations of Health and Working Ability has determined disability and has issued an opinion on the necessity for special care.

The payment of the disabled child care benefit is terminated:

• when the time period for which the invalidity and the necessity for special care have been specified ends;
• when the child reaches the age of 18 years.

The benefit is granted in accordance with Section 7¹ of the Law on State Social Allowances and the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 1607 “Regulations Regarding the Amount of the Disabled Child Care Benefit, the Procedures for the Review Thereof, and the Procedures for Granting and Payment of the Benefit” as of 22 December 2009.

When applying for the disabled child care benefit an application for granting of the benefit must be submitted. The application for granting of the benefit can be sent also by post or in electronic form in accordance with the regulatory enactments regarding drawing up of electronic documents. When applying for the benefit by post or e-mail application forms in the webpage of the State Social Insurance Agency www.vsaa.lv can be used (Application for granting of the disabled child care benefit or Application for granting of  the disabled child care benefit (if any of the family members is (or was) employed in the EU/EEA) or a free text application can be submitted stating the following information:

1. benefit applicant’s:

• name, surname;
• personal identification code;
• address of the declared place of residence;
• telephone number or e-mail address;
• account number of credit institution or postal account system (21 symbols);

2. child’s:

• name, surname;
• personal identification code;

3. if place of residence of the benefit applicant or any of the child’s parents has been or is in another member state of the European Economic Area or the accordant person has been or is employed in another member state of the European Economic Area, additionally the following information about this person must be stated:

• name, surname;
• personal identification code;
• address of the declared place of residence;
• address of actual place of residence in another member state of the European Economic Area;
• country of employment and name and address of the employer;
• beginning and end date of employment;
• sickness, maternity and unemployed person’s benefits and pension received in the member state of the European Economic Area, stating the period of receipt thereof;
• benefits received for the child in the member state of the European Economic Area, stating the period of receipt thereof;
• identification or social insurance number received in the member state of the European Economic Area.

The benefit applicant attests with a signature that the information provided in the application is true.

Information about the disabled child for whom the opinion on the necessity for special care in relation to serious functional disorders has been issued will be submitted to the SSIA by the State Medical Commission for Expert-Examinations of Health and Working Ability in electronic form.

If the benefit applicant is a guardian then information about establishing of guardianship will be submitted to the SSIA by the orphan’s court that made the decision on establishment of guardianship.

When submitting the application at the department of SIAA it is not necessary to present a personal identification document. However, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law, when providing to the person information related to the specific person SSIA has the rights and the person has the duty to present a document that allows to identify this person.

An authorized person can also apply for the benefit if he or she has formalized the representation rights in accordance with Paragraph one, Section 38 of the Administrative Procedure Law (i.e. has a notarized letter of attorney or an authorization drawn up in the institution (SSIA)).

The documents can be submitted at any department of the SSIA.

The amount of the disabled child care benefit is LVL 150 per month.

The disabled child care benefit is transferred to the account of the credit institution or the postal account system of the benefit recipient.