Some Latvian pensioners to receive extra payment in October — amount will drop again in November

Latvia's State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) says thousands of pensioners may see a larger-than-usual payment in their accounts in October. This applies to people whose pensions were automatically recalculated on April 1 due to additional social insurance contributions made after their pension was originally granted or last recalculated.

Why the gap occurs

When VSAA performed the April recalculation, it did not yet have complete data — for instance, information on employer contributions made in February or March, or on self-employed individuals' contributions for the first quarter, was still missing. As a result, the April recalculation only accounted for contributions registered by that point. Under transitional provisions of the Law on State Pensions, if additional contributions made after a pension was granted or recalculated entitle a person to a higher pension, VSAA must recalculate again — but no more often than once every six months. That is why the fuller recalculation only happens in October.

What pensioners will receive

In October, pensioners will receive their pension at the newly adjusted amount, plus a back-payment covering the difference for the period from April through September, plus the annual indexation adjustment. From November onward, the one-time back-payment will no longer be included, so the monthly amount will be lower than in October — though still higher than before, since it will reflect both the revised recalculation and indexation.

VSAA illustrates this with an example: a person's pension was 800 euros before April 1, rising to 815 euros after the initial recalculation. Once February and March contributions were factored in, the correct amount turned out to be 818 euros — a 3-euro monthly shortfall for each of the six months from April through September, totaling 18 euros, to be paid out in October alongside the new pension amount.

Pensioners can check their recalculation decision via the Latvija.gov.lv e-service "VSAA informācija un pakalpojumi." Those with an activated official e-address will also receive the decision there.