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Social Security
The total mandatory state social insurance contribution is 34.09% of the monthly income; 23.59% are paid by the employer, and 10.5% by the employee. As of 2015 the maximum amount of contributions is 48,600 EUR per year.
The insurance rate for self-employed persons is 30.58% and they are eligible for social insurance payments if their income is at least 350 EUR a month or 4 320 EUR a year. Employees of micro-enterprises are free to set their own voluntary social insurance contributions. To pay contributions and receive benefits, the self-employed have to register as voluntary members of the state social insurance scheme at the State Social Insurance Agency.
Benefits
In Latvia there are six types of social insurance, these cover retirement, unemployment, work accidents and occupational diseases, disability, illness, maternity, and child leave. This section offers information about sick leave and maternity leave.
For more information on pensions and unemployment please consult the other sections of this guide. Full information about applying for each of the benefits can be found on the homepage of the State Social Insurance Agency.
Statutory Sick Pay
The sickness benefit is paid for a maximum of 26 weeks; however, it can be extended to 52 weeks if approved by the State Medical Commission for the Assessment of Health Condition and Working Ability. The maximal amount of sickness benefit is 52 weeks in a period of three years.
Parents are eligible for the sickness benefit also in cases of illness of their child (until the age of 14). The benefit is paid from the 1st to the 14th day of the child's illness or from the 15th to the 21st day if the child has been hospitalized for a period of time.
The process of applying for the sickness benefit it detailed on the homepage of the State Social Insurance Agency.
Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay
The 112 to 140 days of maternity leave are not counted as part of the annual leave. Furthermore, during this leave the woman retains her position and her employment contract cannot be terminated. If it is not possible to return to the same position, the employer is required to provide an equivalent position. The maternity leave, and thus also maternity pay, is split into two parts: before the birth and after it.
The first part is paid for 56 or 70 days of pregnancy leave that usually starts from the 30th week of pregnancy. Only mothers who have registered at the doctor before the 12th week of pregnancy are eligible for 70 days of paid pregnancy leave.
The second part is paid for 56 or 70 days of maternity leave. Only mothers who have experienced health problems during the pregnancy, birth, or the post-natal period or mothers who have had more than one baby are eligible for 70 days of paid maternity leave.
The paternity leave can be up to 10 calendar days and needs to be used no later than two months after the child's birth.
Both the maternity and the paternity pay is 80% of the salary and it is calculated based on insurance contributions during the previous 12 months, counting from two months before the begin of the pregnancy leave.
In addition, parents are eligible to a childcare leave. This can be used by either parent until the second birthday of their child. The monthly allowance is 171 EUR a month for a child that is younger than 18 months, and 42.69 EUR for children in the age between 18 and 24 months.
More information about the various benefits related to the birth of a child can be found on the homepage of the State Social Insurance Agency.
26/08/2015