€200 support for families with children – questions and answers

1. • persons entitled to childcare allowance for a child under one year of age or the state family allowance under the State Social Benefits Law;
   • persons who, due to the birth of a child, are entitled to receive maternity benefit and whose child was born by 30 April 2022;
   • persons raising a child who is over 16 but under 18 years of age and does not attend a general education or vocational education institution, or an institution of higher education, including a college;
   • a parent, guardian, foster family or head of a long-term social care and social rehabilitation institution, if, during the period for which the support is paid, the child is in a long-term social care and social rehabilitation institution, a social correction educational institution or a place of detention, or the child has been granted refugee or alternative status;
   • a person attending a general education or vocational education institution or studying at an institution of higher education, including a college, who has not reached the age of 24. The support is granted to the child personally if he or she has reached the age of 18. Students who have received a temporary residence permit in Latvia are not entitled to the support.

Support for one child is paid only once, regardless of changes in recipients or any other circumstances.

Do I need to submit an application to receive this support?

The support will be paid automatically, and no application needs to be submitted to the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA):

• persons entitled to childcare allowance for a child under one year of age;
• persons entitled to the state family allowance;
• persons who, due to the birth of a child, are entitled to receive maternity benefit and whose child was born by 30 April 2022.

An application must be submitted to the VSAA to receive support for a child who:

• is in a long-term social care and social rehabilitation institution, a social correction educational institution or a place of detention;
• if the child has been granted refugee or alternative status;
• is over 16 but under 18 years of age and does not attend a general education or vocational education institution, or an institution of higher education, including a college;
• studies at an institution of higher education, including a college, and has not reached the age of 24 (the application must be submitted by the child personally if he or she has reached the age of 18);
• studies at a general education or vocational education institution and has not reached the age of 24. These are young people who have reached the age of 20 or have married, are studying, but whose parents do not receive the state family allowance for them (the application must be submitted by the child personally).

What information must be provided in the application to the VSAA?

The application must state the applicant’s first name, surname and personal identification number (if the support is requested by the head of an institution, the institution’s name must be provided), the applicant’s telephone number or email address, and information about the child for whom support is requested (the child’s first name, surname and personal identification number). The application must also state the account number of a Latvian credit institution or postal settlement system (if the support is requested by the head of an institution, the institution’s credit institution account number must be provided).

An application form for requesting support is available on the VSAA website in the section containing sample applications https://www.vsaa.gov.lv/lv/atbalsts-energoresursu-izmaksu-kompensesanai.

How can an application be submitted to the VSAA?

An application for the granting of support may be submitted to the VSAA:

• electronically via the official e-address;
• electronically by email to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv (the application must be signed with a secure electronic signature);
• by sending it by post to any customer service centre or by placing it in the mailboxes located at VSAA customer service centres during working hours.

During the state of emergency, the VSAA accepts benefit applications submitted through the Latvija.lv portal using the e-service “Submitting a proposal, complaint, question or request”.

Within what period must an application be submitted to the VSAA?

An application for the granting of support must be submitted to the VSAA within six months of the date on which the law enters into force (by 29 July 2022) or the date on which the person becomes entitled to support during the specified period—from 1 January to 30 April.

Can young people studying abroad also receive this support?

Yes. If a person studies at an educational institution abroad, a certificate from the foreign educational institution must also be submitted together with the application to the VSAA.

The document issued by the foreign educational institution must contain information that clearly confirms that the person to whom it was issued is studying at the foreign educational institution during the period specified in the document. If the document is issued in a foreign language, a translation of the document is also required.  

Information about young people studying in Latvia is available to the VSAA electronically from information provided by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Can young people studying up to the age of 24 who have already married receive this support?

Yes. The right to support does not depend on other circumstances, namely whether the young person works while studying or not, or whether the student is married or not.  The right of students to support is likewise independent of the form or type of study (including part-time studies and students on academic leave). 

When and how will this support be paid?

As a general rule, for most recipients (persons who receive childcare allowance or the state family allowance) the VSAA will begin paying the support in February, paying support for January and February (€100). Subsequently, €50 will be paid each month in March and April. 

For a person who, due to the birth of a child, is entitled to receive maternity benefit and whose child was born by 30 April 2022, the support will be granted within 45 days of the date on which the maternity benefit is granted.

For persons who must submit an application to receive the support, the support is paid within 45 days of the date on which the person’s application is received.

Can debts be recovered from this support?

The support is not subject to deductions or debt recovery. However, the person must contact their bailiff and inform them that a benefit has been credited to their account from which a debt cannot be recovered.

Further information is available on the VSAA website: https://www.vsaa.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/informacija-par-50-eiro-atbalsta-izmaksu-par-bernu.