Plans to extend several Covid-19 support mechanisms until the end of the year

On Thursday, 8 July, the Finance Minister’s working group approved several proposals put forward by the Ministry of Welfare to mitigate the consequences caused by Covid-19. Several support mechanisms are planned to be extended until the end of 2021.

For example, it is planned to extend the crisis benefit. It is granted and paid by the municipality in the amount specified in its binding regulations. After assessing the information available in state and municipal information systems, the crisis benefit is granted to a household or an individual within a household whose income has significantly decreased or been lost due to the state of emergency declared in connection with the spread of Covid-19. Under this benefit, municipalities increased the amount paid by €50 per month for each child if the household, including a foster family or guardian entitled to the crisis benefit, is caring for a child under 18 years of age.

To partially compensate municipalities for their expenditure on providing the crisis benefit, the state provides municipalities with a targeted grant to cover 50 percent of the amount of the benefit paid to a household, but no more than €75 per person per month. To compensate municipalities for the expenditure resulting from increasing the benefit paid by €50 per month for each child under 18 years of age in their care, the state provides municipalities with a targeted grant covering 100 percent of the increase in the benefit paid to a household, including a foster family or guardian entitled to the crisis benefit.

It is also planned to continue paying additional remuneration until the end of the year to caregivers, social care workers, nurses, social workers and social educators (including employees substituting for the aforementioned specialists during their prolonged absence) for caring for persons infected with Covid-19 and persons who have been identified as contacts of a person infected with Covid-19. It is also intended to continue paying additional remuneration to employees involved in testing persons using SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection tests who have an employment relationship with a provider of social services with accommodation established by a municipality or the state—an institution for long-term social care and social rehabilitation, boarding house, shelter, night shelter, etc.

The reimbursement of expenditure on purchased personal protective equipment and disinfectants for social service providers providing social services with accommodation is also planned to be extended until the end of the year. This applies to providers established by the state or municipalities or those that have concluded an agreement with the state or a municipality to provide the aforementioned services.

The planned extensions of the support mechanisms still have to be approved by the Cabinet and the Saeima.

Author:

Ministry of Welfare

lm.gov.lv