Jelgava Municipality to raise childbirth benefit and launch new large-family payment from 2027

The Jelgava Municipality Council approved amendments on Wednesday to its voluntary support payments for families with children, effective from 1 January 2027.

Higher childbirth benefit

Currently the municipality pays a flat childbirth benefit of 350 euros regardless of how many children a family has. Under the new rules, the amount will depend on the number of children already living in the household: families will receive 500 euros for a first through fourth child, and 1,000 euros for a fifth or any subsequent child.

New payment for large families

A new one-off benefit will also be introduced for families that newly attain large-family status. If both parents have been officially registered as residents of Jelgava Municipality for at least 12 months, the family will receive 200 euros; if only one parent meets that condition, the payment will be 100 euros. Families will be able to apply within 12 months of gaining large-family status, meaning those that qualified already in 2026 will also be eligible.

Budget impact

The municipality estimates the higher childbirth benefit will cost around 32,000 euros extra per year, while the new large-family payment will add roughly 7,000 euros annually to the budget. The changes continue the municipality's efforts to strengthen support for families with children in the region.