Anyone can experience financial hardship throughout life: it can be caused by a pandemic, economic crisis, sudden loss of job, family crises, lack of social skills, or other misfortunes. 

There are several types of assistance to the residents in Lithuania which can be combined: support in municipalities, social insurance benefits paid by “Sodra” in the event of loss of employment as well as temporary support due to a pandemic.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the economic difficulties it has caused, the support granted in municipalities has been increased and the conditions for granting it have been facilitated, but most of the changes will be permanent. We invite you to find out what assistance residents can apply for if they lack income or lose their job.

What financial assistance are the low-income people entitled to? 

• Social benefit.
• Social benefit when returning to employment after a significant gap.
• Compensation of heating costs.
• Compensation of hot water costs. 
• Compensation of drinking water costs. 
• Increased child benefit.
• Social housing.
• Compensation of housing rent costs.  

What financial assistance is available after the loss of employment? 

• Unemployment social insurance benefit.
• Long-term employment benefit. 
• Temporary jobseeker’s allowance.  

Cash Social Assistance

When a person faces financial difficulties, he/she can apply to local municipality for cash social assistance: social benefit, compensation of heating, hot and drinking water costs, and if the housing of a low-income person is renovated under a modernisation programme, credit and interest payments are also reimbursed. This assistance has been increased and the conditions for obtaining it have been facilitated during the quarantine and emergency situation, but most of the new provisions will remain in force.

SOCIAL BENEFIT

Who is entitled to it? From the 1st of June the benefit is available if the average monthly income per person does not exceed 137.5 euros. When calculating the average income, the child benefit and 20-40 percent of the salary (depending on the composition of the family and the number of children) are not included as well as 20-40 percent of unemployment or temporary jobseeker’s allowance paid to the unemployed are excluded. 

Estimated income will also exclude the one-off benefit of 200 euros which the elderly and people with disabilities will receive in August. These solutions aim to enable more people to receive support.

Another novelty that will expand the circle of people who can receive cash social assistance is that the applicant's property will not be valued for 6 months after the cancellation of emergency situation and quarantine. Until now, the procedure was that if a person has property in excess of a certain threshold, he/she might not be entitled to the assistance.

At the end of this half-year, a permanent provision will enter into force according to which the property will not be valued for 3 months for those people who apply for the social benefit for the first time or 2 years after receiving the last support. The aim is to help people facing financial challenges more quickly and effectively.

Of what size? Social benefits have increased from June. What benefit a person or family receives in each specific case depends on the income they receive, the composition of the family and the applied amount of state-subsidised income. Social benefits have been increasing since June. 

The amount of social benefits for single persons will change every six months: initially they will receive more, then less. This encourages the person to take the initiative in the long run and earn an income himself/herself. 

When there is more than one person living together, the amount of benefit will be the same for all months.