During this heating season, more households will be eligible for receiving an allowance to cover housing expenses. This is stipulated by the amendments to the Law on the Suppression of Consequences of the Spread of COVID-19 Infection, approved in the final reading by the Saeima on Wednesday, 22 December.

The amendments provide that low-income households that are slightly above the current income threshold for granting a housing allowance, stipulated in the Law on Social Services and Social Assistance, will also be eligible for local government allowances.

In order to receive the housing allowance, one of the persons living in the household must turn to the social service office of their local government.

According to the summary of the Draft Law, this is one of the ways of ensuring equal support to all households that may experience difficulty in paying for the maintenance of their housing this winter, especially to seniors and people with disabilities, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid increase in energy costs.

In order to partially subsidise local governments, the state will provide an earmarked subsidy to the tune of 50% of the actual housing allowance expenses, incurred during the period from 1 January 2022 to 31 May 2022. Funding in the amount of 16.7 million euros will be allocated for this aim, and it will be made available from the state emergency fund.

Saeima Press Service