From November 1 onward all protected groups of users will receive increased benefits to help cover electricity bills. The government decided to go with this step to compensate the rapid growth of electricity prices, as confirmed by the Ministry of Economics.
Amendments are intended to set electricity benefits for groups of residents at the following levels:
– Poor household – EUR 15 (EUR 5 currently);
– Families with disabled children – EUR 15 (EUR 5 currently);
– Persons with 1st degree disability or their guardian – EUR 15 (EUR 5 currently);
– Large families – EUR 20 (EUR 10 currently).
Increased benefits are planned to remain in effect until December 31, 2022.
The financing needed for 2021 and 2022 will be allocated using the ministry’s own budget.
To ensure the benefit is received by large families with at least one 18 to 24 year old child studying abroad, it is planned to use a manual solution using a clause in Latvian Honorary Family Certificate program, which states that the Social Integration Fund evaluates a document issued by the foreign education institution that proves a person under the age of 24 years does study there full time and then issues an appropriate certificate. The families that have such children will then need to take the relevant documents to the State Construction Control Bureau.
“The state benefit amount will be doubled and even tripled for 150,000 households in Latvia. This is intended to help them cover electricity bills. The increased benefit amount for all protected user groups, large families and poor families included, will come into force November. We cannot influence the rapid price climb, but we can assist the residents for whom electricity prices cause financial problems,” says Minister of Economics Janis Vitenbergs.
Updated regulations also state that families that have multiple disabled children will receive electricity bill reduction per every disabled child. (BNN/Business World Magazine)