Post-quarantine plan approved by Seimas: who will receive subsidies, benefits of 200 and 257 euros and compensation for rent

According to the Seimas decision, employers can expect subsidies to retain employees for another six months after the end of the quarantine, self-employed workers will receive a benefit of 257 euros two months after quarantine, people who lose their jobs will have the opportunity to receive temporary job search benefits. Beneficiaries of old-age pensions, invalidity pensions and other social security pensions and social assistance benefits may receive a lump sum of 200 euros from low-income families.

The measures proposed by the Government are estimated to benefit approximately 1.4 million people. population In total, this will require up to a billion. euros

The Ministry of Social Security and Labor declares in a press release what exactly the post-quarantine plan will affect.

Subsidies for employees and their employers

Currently, the state provides wage subsidies to employers who pay downtime and pay at least the monthly minimum wage when the full-time rate is agreed. Employers have already been paid 19 million. Businesses, in turn, pay employees wages during downtime.

As the difficulties will undoubtedly continue after quarantine, subsidies for the payment of workers’ wages will be awarded for six months after the end of the quarantine. The highest subsidies would apply in the first two months after quarantine, after which they would gradually decrease.

Employers may receive subsidies to pay employees’ wages if:

• It did not fire workers during quarantine, but instead declared them to be idle and applied for subsidies. Post-quarantine benefits will only be paid to employees who start work after the downtime.
• It employs unemployed people with support sent by the Employment Service: for example, people with disabilities, the elderly or younger, the long-term unemployed and the like. Subsidies are paid for newly hired people sent by the Employment Service.
• It is included in the list of companies affected by COVID-10 compiled by the State Tax Inspectorate. Subsidies to these employers will be paid for a maximum of 10 employees if the company employs up to 20 people, or for a maximum of 50 percent. employees if the company employs more than 21 people.

Post-quarantine grants will typically reach 100-30%. of the accumulated salary to the employee, but not more than 607 euros gross.

In the first two months, 100% would be paid. the other two – 50 percent. and in recent months: 30%, but not more than the minimum wage. In total, the subsidy could be paid six months after quarantine.

If the company is included in the list of activities approved by the Ministers of Social Security and Labor and Economy and Innovation, focusing on the production of advanced technologies, knowledge-intensive services, the pursuit of green course objectives and social dialogue, then You will be able to benefit from greater subsidies.

These employers may elect to receive 100% during the first two months. a grant with a maximum limit of 607 euros or 70% grant with a maximum limit of 1214 euros.

During the next two months, the grant may reach 50%, for the remaining two – 30%, but not more than the limit of 1214 euros.

In case the company is not in a hurry to hire long-term employees and tends to conclude fixed or seasonal employment contracts, the subsidy will reach 100-50%, it will be paid only for four months and not more than 303.5 euros gross .

Help to return to the labor market.

Unique support to configure your workplace. In Lithuania, the Employment Service provides one-time support to the population groups provided for in the Employment Law for the establishment of their workplace in a very small company; support can reach up to 18.8 thousand. euros Currently, such support is available to the unemployed with the most severe or moderate disabilities, as well as to unemployed youth under the age of 29 and over the age of 45.

On Thursday, Seimas approved that such self-employment support be provided to unemployed people who have been diagnosed with a mild disability or 45-55 percent. viability

Parliament also approved a proposal to allow self-employed people, who receive a temporary benefit of 257 euros per month, to change their type of economic activity: a single subsidy for these people from the Employment Service could reach around 7 one thousand. euros

Support for job creation. To encourage job creation in the regions with the highest unemployment, job creation support is provided to companies or other organizations, known as local employment initiatives. No more than 18.8 thousand LTL may be allocated for the establishment of a workplace. EUR, part of which is used for the acquisition or adaptation of work equipment, part of which is for the repair and adaptation of premises necessary for the establishment of a workplace.

Such support will prioritize projects that create jobs in areas of higher unemployment, want to employ additional supported people, such as the disabled, younger or older workers, the long-term unemployed, involving the local community, have the opportunity to pay and contribute to the project.

It was agreed that companies will not be required to submit a letter of guarantee when a job is created or when more jobs are created during an emergency and quarantine and for another 3 months thereafter.

Learning By hiring an employee under an apprenticeship contract, it was agreed to facilitate the requirements for employers. An apprenticeship contract will allow the employer to hire an employee, train them in theoretical and practical professional knowledge, and receive 70 percent. compensation from the Employment Service, but not more than 910.5 euros gross.

The portion of the employer-designated master craftsman salary will also be refunded, but not more than 20%. and without exceeding the minimum hourly wage.

Vocational training Seimas also agreed to more generously promote vocational training for employees and the unemployed, with the aim of acquiring skills and competencies that create high added value.

The Employment Service still finances vocational training when the unemployed want to get a job, start self-employment or when working people seek to change their profession, their job.

What is new is that the Employment Service will be able to finance professional training more generously, up to 5,600. EUR to get a rating and up to 2.8 thousand. EUR for the improvement of qualifications and skills, but only if the qualifications and skills acquired or improved will be included in the list approved by the Director of the Employment Service.

A new benefit for people who have lost their jobs.

Currently, unemployed people who register as unemployed can receive the social security unemployment benefit, but only if they have accumulated at least 12 months of unemployment social security experience in the last 30 months.

However, only around a third of the unemployed registered with the Employment Service are entitled to unemployment social security benefit, and those who are entitled to this benefit, but at the end of their pay period, have difficulty finding I work because of the pandemic.

In order to protect those who have lost their jobs from a sudden drop or loss of income, it is proposed to introduce a temporary job search allowance. The new benefit would be paid for a maximum of 6 months, but not more than 2020. December 31.

Job Search Benefit Amounts:

• For the unemployed who do not receive unemployment benefits – 200 euros.
• Unemployed persons receiving unemployment benefits: 42 euros.

For freelancers: benefit for 2 months after quarantine

People who are self-employed during quarantine are entitled to a monthly allowance of € 257, regardless of whether or not their activities were restricted during quarantine. On Thursday, Seimas approved the decision to pay this benefit for another two months after the end of the quarantine.

Self-employed workers can receive the benefit if they meet the following criteria provided in the Employment Law:

Self-employment has been recorded for at least 3 months in the past year until March 16 of this year, when quarantine was announced.

During an emergency and quarantine situation, the accumulated salary of a person under an employment contract or a legal relationship equivalent to an employment relationship does not exceed 607 euros “on paper” (already adopted by Seimas previously).

A legal person cannot have the status of a company in liquidation or bankruptcy.

Self-employed workers are considered to be individual business owners, members of small associations, full members of partnerships and limited partnerships, people involved in individual activities (including business certificates), farmers and their partners with a farm of 4 ESU or more , family members, individuals who receive income under copyright agreements or income from sports activities or performers.

Please note that all self-employed individuals with business licenses, including individuals who rent premises, are eligible for the Employment Service flat rate allowance.

Unique benefit for the elderly and disabled.

A lump sum of 200 euros is foreseen for the elderly, the disabled, widows and orphans.

This benefit belongs to people who, by 2020, December 31, at least one of the following benefits paid by Sodra is or will be granted: old-age pension, incapacity for work (invalidity), widow’s pension, orphan or survivor, retirement pension , compensation for special working conditions, social assistance pension or compensation, as well as a pension, designated under international agreements or European regulations.

The lump sum would be paid without an individual application in 2020. August The only condition is that the person must have declared a place of residence in Lithuania or be included in the list of people who have not declared a place of residence.

If a person starts receiving any of these benefits in September and later, they will receive a lump sum in the same month as the pension granted or the social assistance benefit.

For the poor

The Seimas agreed to expand the number of people who could receive monetary social support, increase the amount of social benefits, provide more support to single people, pay higher benefits after employment, and offset more of the heating costs.

What is specifically offered:

• More people will receive benefits. The right to social assistance in cash will arise when the average monthly income per person does not exceed 137.5 euros, excluding the child’s money, 20-40 percent. wages and the same percentage of social security unemployment or job search benefits, depending on the number of children and family composition.
• The social benefits will be higher. For a single person, the benefit will increase by € 50 in the first half of the year, by € 25 in the second half of the year and by € 12.5 more in the future. For a family of three, the benefit would increase by € 45.
• Greater social benefit after employment. After receiving the job, the payment of the social benefit will continue and its amounts will increase: 100%. during the first three months, 80 percent. for the next three months, 50 percent. six months The total work benefit is paid for 12 months. Greater compensation for home heating costs. A larger portion of heating costs will be reimbursed per person living. If a person’s income is € 400 per month, the family will pay € 21.25 for heating and expenses that exceed this amount will be reimbursed.
• Temporarily unvalued assets. 6 months after an emergency and the removal of the quarantine, the assets of families and individuals will not be valued, only income. At the end of this six-month period, a permanent provision will come into effect that the property will be disregarded for at least 3 months when applying for cash welfare for the first time or 24 months after receiving support.

All of these provisions will continue in effect after the emergency and revocation of the quarantine, except for the temporary non-valuation of the property for six months after the quarantine.

Extra money for children

A child allowance of EUR 100 with a supplement is paid to disabled children as well as children from large or low-income families. A low-income family is considered to be one in which the average monthly income per family member does not exceed € 250, excluding the child’s money and part of the salary. However, a 12-month period is currently taken into account when evaluating family income.

The Seimas agreed that when evaluating the income of a poor family, the income of 3 months will be taken into account instead of 12.

The Seimas agreed that when evaluating the income of a private family by granting an additional child allowance, the income received from 2020 will not be taken into account, but the income received from 2020. April 1 From July, the income of the last 3 months will already be evaluated.

Said facilitation will take effect from the signature of the law by the President and will remain in force for another 6 months after the end of the emergency and quarantine. In addition, around 33 thousand children should receive more money for children. children

Housing rent compensation

In the field of social housing, waiting times for social housing are initially shortened to 5, then to 3 years. If at the end of the term the municipality will not be able to provide social housing for an individual or a family, then it will have to reimburse the real price of renting suitable houses rented in the market.

At the same time, the minimum basic amount of compensation for the rental part of the house is established: from 23 to 32 euros per month per person, when the useful area per person or family member is 10-14 square meters.

For people left without parental care, who left their home for social care, group life or independent living (if they have no other home in Lithuania), social housing will be provided out of service.

These changes in housing should continue after the end of the emergency and quarantine.