Housing Benefit Coefficients Raised for Heating Season, Widening Eligibility

From 1 November until 30 April of next year, higher coefficients will be used in Latvia to calculate the housing benefit. The aim is to give extra support to low-income residents and ease the burden of rising housing costs, mainly heating bills, during the heating season. The housing benefit is paid by local governments and is meant for cases where housing expenses exceed income, or where income cannot fully cover them.

What is changing

Some households will receive a larger benefit. Families and individuals who previously did not qualify because of the income threshold will now be able to apply for help with paying their bills.

The coefficients differ depending on household composition:

• for seniors and people with disabilities living alone, the coefficient is 2.5 (previously 2.1), the highest of all;
• for households made up only of people of retirement age or people with disabilities, as well as families with children under 18 and students under 24, it rises from 1.7 to 2;
• for other households that include at least one able-bodied adult and no children or students, it will be 1.7 (previously 1.3).

How to apply

A member of the household must contact the local municipality's Social Affairs Department. The applicant must submit an application, a means declaration, bank statements for all family members covering the last three months, documents confirming income, and housing bills for the most recent month.

Before making a decision, the social service will assess the household's financial situation in line with regulations, including income, savings, and movable and immovable property.

People who have already been granted a housing benefit, including for buying fuel, do not need to submit a new application. The responsible services will recalculate the benefit automatically using the new coefficients.