This chapter presents information about cases in which you can claim sickness benefits (Slimības pabalsti) in Latvia.

In what situation can I claim?

Sickness benefits may be claimed by socially insured persons. Benefits are granted if an employee or self-employed person does not show up for work or cannot perform his or her job and as a result loses income due to the following reasons:

• loss of work capacity due to illness or injury;
• receiving essential medical treatment or preventative measures;
• isolation in quarantine;
• treatment in a medical institution during the recovery period from illness or injury, if this is required for regaining work capacity;
• caring for a sick child who is younger than 14 years or until the 30th day, if the child is cared for due to an injury related to a bone fracture.
• For children aged under 18 with a serious illness that requires continuous presence of the parents, the benefit is paid for a maximum period of 26 weeks, or three years within a five-year period.
• prosthetics or orthotics in a hospital.

What conditions do I need to meet?

While you are sick you are entitled to receive both paid sick days from your employer as well as sickness benefits (Slimības pabalsti) from the social insurance system.

You are entitled to sickness benefit, if you have paid social insurance contributions for at least 3 months within the period of the last 6 months or at least 6 months within the period of the last 24 months before the month when the insurance case occurred.

Sickness benefits are granted based on a work incapacity electronic form issued by a doctor.

Your employer must pay you sick pay from the second to the 9th day of the illness.

If you are sick for an uninterrupted period, the State Social Insurance Agency grants and pays sickness benefits from the 10th day of the illness until you regain work capacity for a maximum of 26 weeks. In particularly serious cases the period of benefit payments may be extended up to 52 weeks on the basis of a ruling by the State Medical Commission for the Assessment of Health Condition and Working Ability (SMCAHCWA).

If during the illness period the employment relationship has terminated, but the period of work incapacity continues, the sickness benefit will be paid for the 30 calendar days following the end of the employment relationship.

If your illness is intermittent, benefits are paid for a maximum of 52 weeks over a 3-year period.

If you are looking after a sick child under 14 years at home, sickness benefits are granted and paid from the first to the 14th day of the child's illness. If you are caring for a sick child in hospital, sickness benefits are paid until the 21st day.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Amount of sickness benefits

The employer must pay sick pay from the second to the 9th day of the illness period (no payment for the first day). For the second and third day of illness the amount is not less than 75% of your average daily earnings, and for the fourth to the 9th day not less than 80% of your average earnings.

From the 10th day of illness the State Social Insurance Agency grants sickness benefits amounting to 80% of your average earnings from which social insurance contributions have been paid. The average contribution wage is calculated over the 12-month period which ended 2 months (for self-employed persons 3 months) before the onset of the illness.

Applying for benefits

You may apply for sickness benefits by:

• filling out a form in person at any State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) branch;
• posting a completed form to the SSIA;
• emailing a completed form signed with an e-signature to the SSIA;
• using e-service.

Work incapacity forms are issued electronically in the e-health system. If you apply for the benefit not using an e-service, you need to know the number and issuing date of your incapacity form. You can find it in the e-health portal or ask your doctor.

If a document proving work incapacity has been issued outside the UK, the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland it must be legalised.

The portal Latvija.lv has information in e-service format regarding your social insurance payments and the amount of benefits, pensions and support payments you can claim using internet banking or your e-signature.

Jargon busters

Work incapacity forms are issued electronically by doctors or doctor's assistants in medical institutions after examining the patient, justifying their decision with medical documentation.

The insurance contribution wage is the amount of income from which social insurance contributions have been paid. The average contribution wage is calculated over a 12-month period.

Social insurance contributions are legally mandated payments paid into a special budget account which give the right to socially insured persons to receive social insurance benefits stipulated by law, including unemployment, maternity, paternity, illness and parental benefits, disability, old-age and loss of breadwinner pensions, and compensation for workplace accidents and work-related illnesses and healthcare services.

Forms you may need to fill in

• Form for granting/recalculating sickness benefits to be submitted to the SSIA in person, by post or e-mail (signed with an e-signature)

Know your rights

See the links below for information on your rights if you get sick. These are not European Commission websites and do not reflect the views of the European Commission:

• Social security in the European Union - information on social insurance contributions and benefits if you have worked/lived in another EU country

Latvian laws and regulations on claiming sickness benefits:

• Law on State Social Insurance
• Law on Maternity and Sickness Insurance
• Cabinet regulations on issuing work incapacity forms, on calculating the average contribution wage and granting sickness benefits

European Commission publication and website:

• EU Social Security Coordination

Who do you need to contact?

State Social Insurance Agency
Lacplesa iela 70a, Riga, LV-1011
Tel.: +371 64507020 (working days 8.30- 17.00)
Email: pasts@vsaa.gov.lv
Email for consultations: konsultacijas@vsaa.gov.lv, twitter.com/VSAA_LV

Branches in Riga and elsewhere

Ministry of Welfare
Skolas iela 28, Riga, LV-1331
Tel.: +371 80205100
Email: lm@lm.gov.lv
twitter.com/Lab_min

If you have any problems regarding your rights in the European Union, please contact the EU assistance.