Text consolidated by Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre) with amending laws of:
23 November 2000 [shall
come into force on 1 January 2001];
9 May 2002 [shall come into force on 1 January
2003];
24 October 2002 [shall come into force on 1 November
2002];
1 December 2005 [shall come into force on 5 January
2006];
7 June 2006 [shall come into force on 4 July 2006];
8 November 2007 [shall come into force on 1 January
2008];
11 December 2008 [shall come into force on 24 December
2008];
19 February 2009 [shall come into force on 1 March
2009];
16 June 2009 [shall come into force on 1 July
2009];
1 December 2009 [shall come into force on 1 January
2010];
20 December 2010 [shall come into force on 1 January
2011];
14 April 2011 [shall come into force on 1 July
2011];
15 December 2011 [shall come into force on 1 January
2012];
15 November 2012 [shall come into force on 1 January
2013];
19 September 2013 [shall come into force on 1 January
2014];
18 June 2015 [shall come into force on 3 July
2015];
30 November 2015 [shall come into force on 1 January
2017];
23 November 2016 [shall come into force on 1 January
2017];
8 December 2016 [shall come into force on 1 January
2017];
20 December 2016 [shall come into force on 1 January
2017];
14 November 2019 [shall come into force on 1 January
2020];
12 December 2019 [shall come into force on 1 January
2020];
16 April 2020 [shall come into force on 18 April
2020];
24 April 2020 [shall come into force on 26 April
2020];
24 November 2020 [shall come into force on 1 January
2021];
21 December 2020 [shall come into force on 1 January
2021];
25 March 2021 [shall come into force on 1 April
2021].
If a whole or part of a section has been amended, the
date of the amending law appears in square brackets at
the end of the section. If a whole section, paragraph or
clause has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears
in square brackets beside the deleted section, paragraph
or clause.
|
The Saeima1 has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:
On Unemployment
Insurance
Chapter I
General Provisions
Section 1. Purpose of the Law
The purpose of this Law is to regulate the procedures by which
services intended by State social insurance in case of
unemployment (hereinafter - unemployment insurance) are to be
provided, to specify the range of persons who are entitled to
receive such services and the duties and obligations of such
persons.
Section 2. Unemployment Insurance
Services
The following unemployment insurance services shall be
provided in accordance with this Law:
1) unemployment benefits;
2) funeral benefit in case of the death of an unemployed
person (hereinafter - funeral benefits);
3) [1 January 2002 / See Transitional Provisions]
Section 3. Rights to Unemployment
Insurance Services
(1) Persons who have obtained the status of an unemployed
person in accordance with the procedures specified in the Support
for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law
(hereinafter - an unemployed person), are insured against
unemployment in accordance with the Law On State Social Insurance
and who have the insurance period specified in this Law, are
entitled to unemployment insurance services.
(2) In addition to the unemployed persons specified in
Paragraph one of this Section, the unemployed persons specified
in Section 5, Paragraph three of this Law are entitled to
unemployment benefits and the persons specified in Section 12,
Paragraph one of this Law are entitled to funeral benefits.
(3) After granting of the status of unemployed person, the
person has a one-time right to unemployment benefit.
[9 May 2002; 18 June 2015]
Section 4. Resources for the
Financing of Unemployment Insurance Services and Employment
Measures
(1) The unemployment insurance services specified in Section 2
of this Law shall be financed from a State social insurance
employment special budget (hereinafter - employment special
budget).
(2) Funds of the employment special budget shall also be used
for financing the active employment measures and preventive
measures for unemployment reduction laid down in the Support for
Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment Law and for the
administration costs related to ensuring such measures, and also
for scholarships during vocational training, retraining and
further education of unemployed persons and for scholarships
during the acquisition of non-formal education, but not more than
10 per cent of the total amount of funds of the employment
special budget specified in the law on the State budget for the
current year.
(3) [15 December 2011].
[9 May 2002; 7 June 2006; 19 February 2009; 15 December
2011; 23 November 2016]
Chapter
II
Unemployment benefit
Section 5. Rights to Unemployment
Benefits
(1) Such unemployed person has right to the unemployment
benefit whose insurance period is not less than one year, if the
mandatory social insurance contributions for unemployment
(hereinafter - the unemployment insurance contributions) have
been made or had to be made for such person in the Republic of
Latvia for not less than 12 months within the last 16 months
prior to the day when the status of an unemployed person was
obtained.
(2) If the unemployment insurance contributions for an
unemployed person have not been made or have been made for less
than 12 months within the last 16 months prior to the day when
the status of an unemployed person was obtained and if such
contributions have been made or had to be also made for the
period after the day when the status of an unemployed person was
obtained, the unemployment insurance contributions for the last
16 months prior to the day of claiming the benefit shall be taken
into account when determining the right to unemployment benefit
if all other conditions for granting the unemployment benefit
referred to in Paragraph one of this Section have been met.
(3) Such unemployed person for whom the unemployment insurance
contributions have not been made or have been made, or had to be
made for less than 12 months within the last 16 months prior to
the day when the status of an unemployed person was obtained has
rights to unemployment benefit if such person has belonged to one
of the following groups of persons in the relevant period:
1) persons who have recovered the capacity to work after a
disability;
2) persons who have taken care of a child with disability up
to18 years of age.
(4) A person specified in Paragraph three of this Section
shall be granted unemployment benefits if such person has
registered with the State Employment Agency for the obtaining of
the status of an unemployed person within the time period of one
month from the day when such person has recovered capacity for
work or from the day when a child with disability that the person
takes care of has reached 18 years of age or has died not
reaching 18 years of age.
(5) [8 November 2007]
[9 May 2002; 1 December 2005; 8 November 2007; 16 June
2009; 18 June 2015; 23 November 2016]
Section 6. Insurance Period Giving a
Right to Unemployment Benefits
(1) The insurance period giving a right to unemployment
benefits shall be formed from:
1) the time periods, for which unemployment insurance
contributions are made in accordance with the Law On State Social
Insurance;
2) the work periods and periods that are equivalent to work
that had been accumulated by 1 January 1991, which are determined
in accordance with Paragraph 1 of the Transitional Provisions of
the Law On State Pensions;
3) the work periods accumulated from 1 January 1991 up to 1
January 1996, for which social insurance payments are made or had
to be made, or the periods that are equivalent to work, which are
determined in accordance with Paragraph 2 of the Transitional
Provisions of the Law On State Pensions;
4) the periods, for which social insurance payments are made
or had to be made from 1 January 1996 up to 31 December 1997 in
accordance with the Law On Social Tax.
(2) Insurance period shall be determined:
1) for a person specified in Section 5, Paragraph one of this
Law - until the day when the status of an unemployed person is
obtained;
2) for a person specified in Section 5, Paragraph two of this
Law - until the day of claiming the benefit;
3) [8 November 2007].
[1 December 2005; 8 November 2007]
Section 7. Determination of the
Amount of Unemployment Benefits
(1) For an unemployed person who had been an employee during a
time period for calculating the average contribution wage which
is laid down in accordance with Section 8 of this Law, the amount
of unemployment benefits shall be determined in proportion to the
insurance period and according to the income, for which
unemployment insurance contributions (hereinafter also -
contribution wage) are made in accordance with the Law On State
Social Insurance:
1) with insurance period from one year to nine years
(inclusive) - 50 per cent from the average contribution wage;
2) with insurance period from ten years to nineteen years
(inclusive) - 55 per cent from the average contribution wage;
3) with insurance period from twenty years to twenty nine
years (inclusive) - 60 per cent from the average contribution
wage;
4) with insurance period above thirty years - 65 per cent from
the average contribution wage.
(2) For an unemployed person for whom the unemployment
insurance contributions have been made from the State basic
budget within the entire period for calculating the average
contribution wage which is laid down in accordance with Section 8
of this Law and for the unemployed persons specified in Section
5, Paragraph three of this Law, the unemployment benefit shall be
determined in the amount of 60 per cent of such total amount
which conforms to the double amount of State social security
benefit which on the day when the unemployment benefit is claimed
was determined for the persons referred to in Section 13,
Paragraph one, Clause 1 of the Law on State Social
Allowances.
(3) For an unemployed person for whom, during a time period
for calculating the average contribution wage which is laid down
in accordance with Section 8 of this Law, unemployment insurance
contributions have been made by the claimant of the benefit
himself or herself and his or her employer and the State, the
amount of the unemployment benefit to be granted shall be
determined in accordance with Paragraph one of this Section. In
such a case the amount of the unemployment benefit may not be
less than specified in Paragraph two of this Section.
(4) [15 November 2012].
(5) [24 October 2002]
(6) For an unemployed person who during entire time period for
calculating the average contribution wage which is laid down in
accordance with Section 8 of this Law has not been an employee
and for whom unemployment insurance contributions have been made
from the State social insurance special budget, the amount of the
unemployment benefit shall be determined:
1) in accordance with Paragraph one of this Section if
contributions have been made from a sickness benefit;
2) in accordance with Paragraph one of this Section by
calculating the average contribution wage for the 12 month period
before the period specified in Section 8, Paragraph one of this
Law from the contribution wage for the last months in which the
unemployment insurance contributions have been made or had to be
made by the employee or employer if the contributions have been
made for the recipient of maternity benefit or parental benefit.
In such a case the amount of the unemployment benefit may not be
less than specified in Paragraph two of this Section.
(7) For an unemployed person who during entire time period for
calculating the average contribution wage which is laid down in
accordance with Section 8 of this Law has not been an employee,
however unemployment insurance contributions have been made from
both, the State social insurance special budget and the State
basic budget, the amount of the unemployment benefit shall be
determined in the same way as in the case when unemployment
insurance contributions are made only from the State social
insurance special budget in accordance with Paragraph six, Clause
1 or 2 of this Section.
(8) For an unemployed person who has lost the status of an
employee during the receipt of maternity or parental benefit and
who, during the period for calculating the average contribution
wage specified in Section 8, Paragraph one of this Law, has not
been an employee and has received a maternity benefit or parental
benefit, the amount of the unemployment benefit shall be
determined by calculating it from the average contribution wage
for a 12 month period in which the latest unemployment insurance
contributions have been or had to be made by the employee and
employer. In such a case the amount of the unemployment benefit
may not be less than specified in Paragraph two of this
Section.
[23 November 2000; 24 October 2002; 8 November 2007; 11
December 2008; 15 November 2012; 19 September 2013; 18 June 2015;
24 April 2020; 24 November 2020 / See Paragraph 27 of
Transitional Provisions]
Section 8. Calculation of the
Average Contribution Wage for the Determination of the Amount of
Unemployment Benefits
(1) In the cases specified in Section 5, Paragraph one of this
Law, the average contribution wage for the determination of
unemployment benefits shall be calculated from the contribution
wage of the insured person for the time period of 12 calendar
months, ending such period two calendar months prior to the month
in which a person has obtained the status of an unemployed
person.
(2) In the cases specified in Section 5, Paragraph two of this
Law, the average contribution wage for the determination of
unemployment benefits shall be calculated from the contribution
wage of the insured person for the time period of 12 calendar
months, ending such period two calendar months prior to the
month, in which a person has claimed unemployment benefit.
(3) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for the
calculation of the average contribution wage for the
specification of the unemployment benefits.
(4) [7 June 2006]
(5) The average contribution wage of a calendar day for the
calculation of unemployment benefits shall not exceed 1/365 of
the maximum annual amount of the object of the mandatory State
social insurance contributions that was in effect on the day when
the benefit was claimed.
(6) For an unemployed person who during a time period for
calculating the average contribution wage laid down in Paragraph
one of this Section has been on a parental leave, on leave
without maintaining remuneration for work which is granted in
relation to the necessity to take care of the child, or on
prenatal or maternity leave, has not been employed and the
contributions of the employee and employer for unemployment
should not have to be made during this time period, the average
contribution wage shall be determined for a 12 months period
prior to the period laid down in Paragraph one of this Section
from the contribution wage for the last months in which
contributions for unemployment have been made or had to be made
by the employee and employer. In such a case the amount of
unemployment benefit may not be less than the amount of the
unemployment benefit which is determined in Section 7, Paragraph
two of this Law.
(7) For an employee of a micro-enterprise the average
contribution wage for calculation of the unemployment benefit
shall be determined from the object of mandatory contributions of
State social insurance of the relevant months which is calculated
in conformity with Section 9, Paragraph two of the
Micro-enterprise Tax Law.
(8) For an unemployed person who during a part of the time
period for calculating the average contribution wage laid down in
Paragraph one of this Section has been on a parental leave, on
leave without maintaining remuneration for work which is granted
in relation to the necessity to take care of the child, or on
prenatal or maternity leave and the contributions of the employee
and employer for unemployment should not have to be made during
this time period, the average contribution wage shall be
determined without including the days of a parental leave, leave
without maintaining remuneration for work which is granted in
relation to the necessity to take care of the child, or parental
and maternity leave in the time period for determining the
average contribution wage.
(9) If during a time period for calculating the average
contribution wage laid down in Paragraph one and two of this
Section a person has been on a parental leave, on leave without
maintaining remuneration for work which is granted in relation to
the necessity to take care of the child, or on prenatal or
maternity leave, an employer in accordance with that laid down in
the collective agreement or employment contract has paid
supplements or bonuses to the person for the performance of work
before granting a leave or benefits and other type of
remuneration which is not directly related to the performance of
work, in determining the contribution wage, the contribution wage
shall not be taken into account for the abovementioned payments,
if such calculation is more favourable for the person.
[23 November 2000; 1 December 2005; 7 June 2006; 8 November
2007; 16 June 2009; 14 April 2011; 15 December 2011; 15 November
2012; 18 June 2015; 30 November 2015; 23 November 2016; 20
December 2016 / The new wording of Paragraph three and the
amendment regarding the deletion of Paragraphs five, six, seven,
eight, and nine shall come into force on 1 January 2022 and shall
be included in the wording of the Law as of 1 January 2022.
See Paragraph 19 of Transitional Provisions]
Section 9. Duration of Payment of
Unemployment Benefits
(1) Duration of payment of unemployment benefit shall be eight
months within the period of 12 months from the day of granting
the benefit.
(2) If within the time period of 12 months a person is being
repeatedly granted unemployment benefits, it shall be granted,
taking into account the duration in days of the receipt of the
preceding unemployment benefits granted in such period.
(3) The unemployment benefit shall be paid in the following
amount depending on duration of the unemployment:
1) for the first two months - in full amount of the granted
unemployment benefit;
2) for the third and fourth month - in the amount of 75 per
cent of the granted unemployment benefit;
3) for the fifth and sixth month - in the amount of 50 per
cent of the granted unemployment benefit;
4) for the seventh and eighth month - in the amount of 45 per
cent of the granted unemployment benefit.
[15 November 2012; 14 November 2019 / See Paragraph
21 of Transitional Provisions]
Section 10. Suspension and
Termination of the Payment of Unemployment Benefits
(1) The payment of unemployment benefit shall be suspended if
an unemployed person:
1) enters into a contract regarding paid temporary performance
of public works or enters into an employment contract regarding
participation in other active employment measures laid down in
the Support for Unemployed Persons and Persons Seeking Employment
Law;
2) obtains the status of an employee or self-employed person
in accordance with the Law On State Social Insurance for a time
period of up to two months (inclusive);
3) receives sickness or maternity benefits in accordance with
the Law on Maternity and Sickness Insurance.
(2) The time period when the payment of unemployment benefits
is suspended shall not be included in the time period referred to
in Section 9, Paragraph one and two of this Law.
(3) The payment of unemployment benefits shall be terminated
if:
1) a person loses the status of an unemployed person;
2) the State Social Insurance Agency on the basis of the
information of the State Revenue Service determines that a person
receives an unemployment benefit without justification because
such person is in the status of the employee or self-employed
person while he or she is receiving the benefit;
3) the State Social Insurance Agency on the basis of the
information of the Population Register of the Republic of Latvia
shall determines that the recipient of the benefit is dead;
4) a person refuses the unemployment benefit;
5) the State Social Insurance Agency determines that a
recipient of benefit is employed in other country.
[9 May 2002; 1 December 2005; 8 November 2007; 11 December
2008; 16 June 2009; 1 December 2009; 18 June 2015]
Chapter
III
Unemployment Scholarship
[1 January 2002 / See Transitional
Provisions]
Chapter
IV
Funeral Allowance
Section 12. Funeral Allowance
(1) In the case of the death of an unemployed person, the
family members of such unemployed person or a person who has
taken responsibility for the funeral are entitled to funeral
benefit if the deceased unemployed person had been a recipient of
unemployment benefit or unemployment insurance contributions had
been made for such person for not less than 12 months within the
time period of 36 months prior to the day when the status of an
unemployed person was obtained.
(2) The funeral allowance shall be granted in the amount of
such total sum which corresponds to the triple amount of the
State social security benefit which was specified for the persons
referred to in Section 13, Paragraph one, Clause 1 of the Law on
State Social Allowance on the day when the unemployed person
died.
(3) If there is an entitlement to receive funeral benefit in
case of the death of the unemployed person in accordance with the
provisions of this Law and other laws, the benefit shall be
granted and paid in whichever amount is higher.
[23 November 2000; 24 November 2020]
Chapter V
Granting and Payment of the Unemployment Benefit and Funeral
Benefit
Section 12.1 Claiming of
Benefits
The unemployment benefit and funeral benefit shall be claimed
in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Law On State
Social Insurance.
[18 June 2015]
Section 13. Procedures for the
Granting and Payment of Benefits
(1) Unemployment benefits shall be granted:
1) from the day when an unemployed person has submitted an
application regarding granting of the benefit, except the case
laid down in Clause 2 of this Paragraph;
2) to a person who has become an unemployed person after the
termination of work or service on the basis of his or her notice
or due to an infringement - from the day when the unemployed
person has submitted an application regarding granting of the
unemployment benefit, but not earlier than two months after the
day when the status of an unemployed person was obtained.
(2) Funeral allowances shall be granted if the allowance is
claimed within six months from the day of death of the unemployed
person.
(3) The State Social Insurance Agency shall ensure the
granting, calculation and payment of unemployment benefits and
funeral benefits in accordance with the procedures specified by
the Cabinet. The Cabinet shall determine the documents certifying
a right to unemployment benefits and funeral benefits.
[20 December 2010; 18 June 2015 / Amendment to
Paragraph two of the Section regarding the replacement of the
number "12" with the word "six" shall come into force on 1
January 2017. See Paragraph 17 of Transitional
Provisions]
Section 13.1 Disbursement
of Benefits
The unemployment benefit and a funeral allowance shall be
transferred for disbursement to the account of the benefit
recipient in a credit institution of the Republic of Latvia or
the postal settlement system (PSS). Benefits which have been
granted according to an intergovernmental agreement entered into
by Latvia in the field of social security or in accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security
systems may be transferred to the account of the benefit
recipient in the relevant contracting country or European Union
Member State, the Swiss Confederation, or a European Economic
Area country, if it is provided for in the abovementioned
agreements or Regulation.
[12 December 2019]
Section 14. Payment of Unemployment
Benefits for the Past Period
[18 June 2015]
Section 15. Payment of Unemployment
Benefits Not Received Due to the Death of the Unemployed
Person
In case of the death of an unemployed person, his or her
spouse and kin of first and second degree are entitled to receive
the granted but not disbursed amounts of unemployment benefit if
the claim has been submitted within six months from the day of
death of the unemployed person.
[18 June 2015 / Amendment to the Section regarding
the replacement of the number "12" with the word "six" shall come
into force on 1 January 2017. See Paragraph 17 of
Transitional Provisions]
Section 16. Recovery of Sums of
Unemployment Benefit Paid Without Justification
(1) Deductions from an unemployment benefit may be made on the
basis of the adjudications of the court and adjudications of
other institutions (officials) which are executed in accordance
with the procedures specified in regulatory enactments.
(2) The State Social Insurance Agency shall take a decision
regarding recovery of overpayment of the unemployment benefit
granted to the person, in order to recover the sums which have
been overpaid to the person due to his or her fault, if such
person has provided false or incomplete information or has not
notified regarding changes that affect the right to the
benefit.
(3) If the State Social Insurance Agency determines that a
person during the receipt of the unemployment benefit was or is
in the status of employee or self-employed person and thus such
person has received the unemployment benefit without
justification, the State Social Insurance Agency shall take a
decision regarding recovery of the amount of the overpaid
unemployment benefit during this period on the basis of the
information of the State Revenue Service for the periods in which
a person is registered as employee or self-employed person, or
information received from other State competent institution
regarding self-employment in other country.
(4) If, in suspending payment of unemployment benefit, the
State Social Insurance Agency determines overpayment of the
unemployment benefit, then, in renewing payment of the
unemployment benefit, the amount of the benefit to be paid shall
be reduced by the amount of the overpaid unemployment
benefit.
(5) Overpaid amounts of unemployment benefit shall be
recovered in accordance with the procedures and amount laid down
in the Law On State Social Insurance.
[11 December 2008; 18 June 2015]
Section 16.1 Repayment of
Paid Unemployment Benefits
If, in enforcing the relevant court judgment, settlement with
the employer approved by the court or administrative decision
taken by a relevant State administrative institution, work income
is recovered from an employer and repaid to a person which was
paid for forced absence from work during the relevant period of
unemployment, the person has a duty to repay the amount of
unemployment benefit received according to the procedures laid
down by the Cabinet to the State social insurance employment
special budget.
[8 November 2007; 18 June 2015]
Chapter
VI
Final Provisions
Section 17. Appeal of Decisions
Taken Regarding Issues Related to Unemployment Insurance
Services
(1) A person may appeal a decision of an official of the State
Social Insurance Agency regarding unemployment insurance services
within the time period of one month from the day of the decision
coming into effect. A decision of the director of the State
Social Insurance Agency may be appealed to a court within the
time period of one month from the day of the director's decision
coming into effect.
(2) [1 January 2002 / See Transitional Provisions]
[1 December 2005]
Transitional
Provisions
1. Section 4, Paragraph two of this Law shall come into force
on 1 January 2002.
2. Until 31 December 2001, the following active employment
measures for unemployed persons specified in the Law On
Employment shall be financed from the resources of the employment
special budget:
1) the operation of clubs for persons seeking work;
2) vocational counselling measures;
3) vocational training and retraining measures.
3. Section 2, Clause 3; Chapter III and Section 17, Paragraph
two of this Law shall be in effect until 31 December 2001.
4. With the coming into force of this Law, the Law On
Mandatory Social Unemployment Insurance (Latvijas Republikas
Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 1996, No. 1, 22; 1997,
No. 3, 13) shall be repealed.
5. For persons that have been granted unemployment benefits up
to the day of the coming into force of this Law, the benefit for
the unemployment period, which continues after the coming into
force of this Law, shall be paid in accordance with the
regulatory enactments that were in force on the day the benefit
was granted.
6. [24 October 2002]
7. Amendments to Section 4, Paragraph two of this Law in
respect of the use of the resources of the employment special
budget for scholarships during the acquisition of informal
education specified in the Support for Unemployed Persons and
Persons Seeking Employment Law shall come into force on 1 July
2006.
[7 June 2006]
8. Amendments to Section 7, Paragraph four, Section 8,
Paragraph six and Section 16.1 of this Law shall come
into force on 1 January 2009.
[8 November 2007]
9. An unemployed person whose insurance period is not less
than one year on 1 January 2008 and regarding whom mandatory
social insurance contributions for unemployment have been made or
had to be made not less than for nine months within a period of
the last 12 months prior to the day of acquiring of the status of
unemployed person is entitled to receive unemployment benefit in
accordance with regulatory enactment which was in force until 31
December 2007.
[8 November 2007]
10. The restriction of the average contribution wage of a
calendar day provided for in Section 8, Paragraph five of this
Law which is determined in relation to the maximum annual amount
of the object of the mandatory State social insurance
contributions shall not be applied to the contribution wage
obtained within a time period from 1 January 2009 until 31
December 2013.
[11 December 2008]
11. Amendments to Section 7, Paragraph three, Section 7,
Paragraph six, amendments to Section 9, Paragraph three and
amendments to Section 16 of this Law shall come into force on 1
January 2009.
[11 December 2008]
12. From 1 July 2009 until 31 December 2011:
1) for the unemployed person with insurance period up to 19
years (including) the total duration of the payment of
unemployment benefit shall be nine months;
2) unemployment benefit shall be paid in the following amount
depending on the duration of the unemployment for the unemployed
person with the insurance period from one to nine years
(including):
a) for the first two months - in the full amount,
b) for the following two months - in the amount of 75 per cent
of the granted unemployment benefit,
c) for the following two months - 45 lats per month for a
person for whom the status of unemployed person is determined
until 31 December 2010, or 45 lats per month, however not more
than in the amount of 75 per cent of the unemployment benefit
granted for a person for whom the status of unemployed person is
determined after 1 January 2011,
d) for the last two months - 45 lats per month for a person
for whom the status of unemployed person is determined until 31
December 2010, or 45 lats per month, however not more than in the
amount of 50 per cent of the unemployment benefit granted for a
person for whom the status of unemployed person is determined
after 1 January 2011;
3) unemployment benefit shall be paid in the following amount
depending on the duration of the unemployment for the unemployed
person with the insurance period from 10 to 19 years
(including):
a) for the first two months - in the full amount,
b) for the following two months - in the amount of 75 per cent
of the granted unemployment benefit,
c) for the following two months - in the amount of 50 per cent
of the granted unemployment benefit,
d) for the last three months - 45 lats per month for a person
for whom the status of unemployed person is determined until 31
December 2010, or 45 lats per month, however not more than in the
amount of 50 per cent of the unemployment benefit granted for a
person for whom the status of unemployed person is determined
after 1 January 2011.
[20 December 2010]
13. The duration of payment of unemployment benefit shall be
extended up to nine months for the unemployed person with the
insurance period from one year to 19 years (including) for whom
the unemployment benefit has been granted until 30 June 2009 and
the payment thereof continues after 1 July 2009, taking into
account the duration of the receipt of the unemployment benefits
granted within a period of 12 months before 1 July 2009 and
depending on the duration of unemployment the unemployment
benefit shall be paid in accordance with the specified in
Sub-clause 2 and 3 of Clause 12 of these Transitional
Provisions.
[16 June 2009]
14. Amendments to Section 8, Paragraphs one, two and six of
this Law in respect of changes to the period for calculation of
the average contribution wage from six to 12 months shall come
into force on 1 January 2010.
[16 June 2009]
15. Until 31 December 2014 the amount of unemployment benefit
granted in accordance with this Law shall be restricted in
compliance with that laid down in the Law On Payment of State
Pensions and State Benefits During the Time Period from 2009
until 2014.
[14 April 2011]
16. The duration of payment of unemployment benefit shall be
extended up to nine months for the unemployed person with the
insurance period from one year to 19 years (including) for whom
the unemployment benefit has been granted until 31 December 2012
and the payment thereof continues after 1 January 2013, taking
into account the duration of the receipt of the unemployment
benefits granted within a period of 12 months before 1 January
2013 and depending on the duration of unemployment the
unemployment benefit shall be paid in accordance with amendments
to Section 9 of this Law which come into force from 1 January
2013.
[15 November 2012]
17. The amendment to Section 13, Paragraph two and Section 15
of this Law in respect of the possibility to claim and receive
funeral benefit and unpaid unemployment benefit in case of death
of the unemployed person within six month shall come into force
from 1 January 2017.
[18 June 2015]
18. The right to an unemployment benefit for a person who has
obtained the status of an unemployed person until 31 March 2017
shall be determined in accordance with the legal framework which
was in force until 31 December 2016.
[8 December 2016]
19. Amendments to Section 8 of this Law regarding the new
wording of Paragraph three and regarding the deletion of
Paragraphs five, six, seven, eight, and nine shall come into
force on 1 January 2022.
[23 November 2016; 12 December 2019 / The
abovementioned amendments shall be included in the wording of the
Law as of 1 January 2022]
20. The Cabinet shall, by 31 December 2021, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 8, Paragraph three of this Law
regarding the conditions and procedures for the calculation of
the average insurance contribution wage.
[23 November 2016; 12 December 2019]
21. The unemployment benefit shall be granted, calculated, and
disbursed to a person who has obtained the status of an
unemployed person until 31 December 2019 in accordance with the
provisions that were in force until 31 December 2019. It shall
also be applicable to the person referred to in Section 9,
Paragraph two of this Law who has obtained the status of an
unemployed person for the first time until 31 December 2019.
[14 November 2019]
22. The disbursement of the unemployment benefit shall be
suspended until 31 December 2021 (Section 10, Paragraph one,
Clause 2) if the unemployed person obtains the status of an
employee or self-employed person in accordance with the law On
State Social Insurance for a time period of up to 120 days.
[16 April 2020; 21 December 2020]
23. If the disbursement period of an unemployment benefit
granted to a person ends on 12 March 2020 or later and if the
person continues to have the status of an unemployed person due
to the circumstances of the emergency situation declared in
relation to the spread of COVID-19, such person may claim an
unemployment assistance benefit which is granted from the day
following the day when the disbursement period of an unemployment
benefit ends for a time period not exceeding four months, if the
period for which unemployment assistance benefit was granted ends
until 8 November 2020, but if the unemployment assistance benefit
was granted on 9 November 2020 or later, the disbursement period
of the benefit shall not exceed six months. The disbursement
period of an unemployment benefit shall be extended by two months
for persons to whom the unemployment assistance benefit has been
granted until 8 November 2020 but the disbursement period of the
granted benefit has continued from 9 November 2020, and it shall
be done on the basis of an application of a person that has been
submitted until 30 June 2021. The amount of the unemployment
assistance benefit shall be EUR 180 per month. The mandatory
State social insurance contributions are not made for the
abovementioned persons.
[25 March 2021]
24. The unemployment assistance benefits shall be granted and
disbursed from 12 March 2020 until 30 June 2021. The disbursement
of the unemployment assistance benefit shall be suspended if the
person loses the status of an unemployed person or he or she has
been granted the insurance compensation in accordance with the
law On Mandatory Social Insurance in Respect of Accidents at Work
and Occupational Diseases, the state pension in accordance with
the law On State Pensions, the service pension or monthly
remuneration for an unemployed person for the performance of
temporary paid social work.
[24 April 2020; 21 December 2020]
25. Until 30 June 2021, the unemployment benefit shall be
granted to a person for whom the status of an unemployed person
has been granted on 12 March 2020 or later and who has become an
unemployed person after the termination of work or service on the
basis of his or her notice (Section 13, Paragraph one, Clause 2
of this Law) from the day when the person has submitted an
application for granting the unemployment benefit.
[24 April 2020; 21 December 2020]
26. Amendment regarding the new wording of Section 7,
Paragraph six of this Law and Paragraph eight of this Section
shall come into force on 1 July 2020 and be applicable to
unemployed persons who have obtained the status of an unemployed
person from 1 July 2020.
[24 April 2020]
27. For an unemployed person for whom the amount of the
unemployment benefit has been determined in accordance with
Section 7, Paragraph two of this Law and the unemployment benefit
has been claimed until 31 December 2020 but the unemployment
period for which the unemployment benefit is to be disbursed
continues also after 1 January 2021, the benefit for an
unemployment period from 1 January 2021 shall be disbursed in the
amount which, according to the laws and regulations, was
determined until 31 December 2020, and the recalculation of the
amount of the benefit shall be performed not later than by 31 May
2021 by disbursing the difference that has formed in the period
from 1 January 2021 due to the increase in the amount of the
State social security benefit.
[24 November 2020]
This law shall come into force on 1 January 2000.
This Law was adopted by the Saeima on 25 November
1999.
President V. Vīķe-Freiberga
Rīga, 15 December 1999
1 The Parliament of the Republic of
Latvia
Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre)