COVID-19 for parents of children in self-isolation – disability benefits Business

The authorities had to change the law after seeing that at the beginning of the school year separate classes were compulsory isolated due to the possible contact of children in them with a person with coronavirus.

With only a certain proportion of students being isolated, there is currently no announced regime that restricts the spread of infections, so there is currently no legal basis for paying sickness benefits to parents caring for isolated children.

The amendments to the law initiated by the Seimas establish that parents may take the inability to work if they supervise a kindergarten or an elementary school or a disabled person under the age of 21 in self-isolation.

If the amendments are adopted, the disability benefit will be available retroactively. The disability benefit would reach 85%. from the salary “to the hands”.

Parents whose children are in mandatory self-isolation due to their return from COVID-19 affected countries could also take the inability to work. However, to prevent abuse, it is proposed to provide that sickness benefit is not paid when the child has gone to a country that was among the affected States on the day of her departure.

The allowance for parents of children returning from abroad would be paid during the period of isolation of the offspring, but not longer than 14 days. Due to the bad epidemiological situation, parents of children in self-isolation at school will receive benefits until the end of the special regime.

The sickness benefits would be paid to the parents or adoptive parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of the child on duty.

Benefits – also for isolated adults

The Seimas has also started considering amendments related to the possibility of adults taking the inability to work if they have to isolate themselves and do not have the opportunity to work remotely.

Such opportunities existed during the quarantine period from March to June, but did not exist after its completion. It is now proposed to introduce a provision according to which incapacity to work in such circumstances can be obtained in an emergency.

The benefits for self-isolated adults would reach 80%. salary “in the hands”.

To prevent abuse of sickness benefits, the law also provides for an exemption from sickness benefits when a person has moved to a country that was among the countries affected by COVID-19 on the day of their departure and from which they are You are isolated when you return, unless you have gone abroad to work.

The government’s proposed draft was endorsed by all 66 Seimas members during Tuesday’s presentation. It will be discussed further in the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labor, but if the parliamentarians decide to apply the urgent procedure to the project, it will return to the plenary room on Thursday and will be adopted a week later on Tuesday.

In total, since the start of the quarantine and emergency announced in Lithuania in the spring, more than 342 thousand have been issued due to the epidemic situation. certificates of incapacity for work.

Of these, the incapacity for work to care for children amounted to almost 289 thousand.