Demography Affairs Council Backs Generous Benefits for Families with Children and Housing Aid
Led by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, the council conceptually supported several family support measures, including parental benefit reform and a subsidy to reduce mortgage principal upon childbirth.
On Friday, July 5, the Demography Affairs Council, chaired by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, conceptually supported a range of measures to support families with children and agreed on further steps to improve the demographic situation and prepare parental benefit reform.
Kulbergs stated that demographic issues are a government priority, emphasizing the need for a long-term approach to create an environment where families feel valued and supported. One decision was to expand the eligibility for the Honorary Family Certificate, which he called one of the most successful state support programs.
Minister of Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks expressed satisfaction with the agreement to expand the certificate and the council's consensus on future direction. He highlighted upcoming tasks: parental benefit reform, revision of the family state benefit, strengthening housing affordability support, and expanding services for families.
The council decided that funds saved from expenditure reviews should be prioritized for demographic policy measures. Plans include strengthening material support for families with children by revising the family state benefit, and finding a way to individually compensate insurance periods from 1991 to 1995.
Conceptual support was also given to introducing a monthly state social benefit supplement to old-age pensions for each month spent caring for a child. Additionally, the range of services available to families is to be expanded, including psychotherapy services, the Child’s Home service, and support for the family assistant service.
Among priority measures is a grant for families to repay the principal of a housing loan upon the birth of a child, provided the family has an active ALTUM housing guarantee. The council conceptually supported moving forward with parental benefit reform, instructing the Ministry of Welfare to draft and submit necessary legislative amendments by November 1, 2027.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Science, and Ministry of Culture will continue working on proposals to expand services in preparation for the 2028 budget draft.
