Paternity Benefit

 

If you are working at a paid job and have social insurance, as the father of a newborn child you are eligible to take a leave in relation to your child’s birth for the duration of ten calendar days. This leave must be used before the child is two months old. When taking this leave you will receive the paternity benefit.

Filing of the documents

You can file the documents for the paternity benefit at any State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) office.

The benefit must be requested within 12 months from the first day of the leave, which has been granted to you in relation to your child’s birth.

Documents to be submitted:

 

• Application for receiving the benefit;
• Confirmation (statement) from your employer about the leave taken in relation to your child’s birth.

 

The application for receiving the benefit may be sent by mail or in electronic form in accordance with the laws and regulations on electronic documents. When applying for the benefit by mail or in electronic form, one may use the document form available at the VSAA website www.vsaa.lv, or submit a free-form written request including the following information:

 

1. Name and surname of the person requesting the benefit;

2. Personal ID number of the person requesting the benefit;

3. Declared place of residence of the person requesting the benefit;

4. Phone number or e-mail address of the person requesting the benefit;

5. Account number of the person requesting the benefit in a credit institution or postal payment system (21 characters);

6. Type of the benefit requested (paternity benefit).

 

By signing the application, the person requesting the benefit confirms that the information provided in the application is accurate.

No identification is required when submitting an application at a VSAA office. However, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law, upon issuing personal information pertaining to a particular person, VSAA may request and the person is obliged to produce a personal identification document.

The benefit may be requested through an authorised person, provided that the representation rights have been granted in accordance with Article 38 Paragraph one of the Administrative Procedure Law. Representation of a natural person shall be drawn up as a notarised power of attorney, or a natural person may authorise his or her representative at the VSAA office, if both the representative and the authorising person are present.

 

The amount of the benefit

 

The benefit shall be granted in the amount of 80% of the average insurance contributions salary of the applicant.

The average insurance contributions salary of an employee for the receipt of the paternity benefit is calculated for a period of 12 calendar months ending two months prior to the month in which the leave in relation to the child’s birth has begun.

For a self-employed person, the average insurance contributions salary shall be calculated for the 12 month period ending one quarter before the quarter in which the leave in relation to the child’s birth begins.

 

Until 31 December 2012, the benefit shall be paid in the following amount:

 

1) If the benefit granted per calendar day is equal or less than LVL 11.51 - the benefit shall be paid in the amount granted;

2) If the benefit granted per calendar day exceeds LVL 11.51 - the benefit shall be paid in the amount of LVL 11.51 per calendar day plus 50 percent of the benefit amount granted that exceeds LVL 11.51 per calendar day.

 

Starting from 1 January 2013, the benefit shall be paid in the following amount:

 

1) If the benefit granted per calendar day is equal or less than LVL 23.02 - the benefit shall be paid in the amount granted;

2) If the benefit granted per calendar day exceeds LVL 23.02 - the benefit shall be paid in the amount of LVL 23.02 per calendar day plus 50 percent of the benefit amount granted that exceeds LVL 23.02 per calendar day.

These payment terms shall also apply to fathers for whom the leave in relation to their child’s birth began before or on 31 December 2012 and is continuing without interruption after 1 January 2013.

 

How long will it take before one receives the benefit?

 

The decision on granting the benefit will be taken within ten days after the VSAA office has received all documents that are necessary for granting the benefit.

Receipt of the benefit

The benefit shall be transferred to the account in a credit institution or postal payment system (PNS) indicated in your application.