Foto: BB.LV / Родитель с ребенком за домашним столом рассматривает документы и банковские выписки, рядом калькулятор и купюры евро
In Latvia, the number of residents receiving a survivor's pension has noticeably increased. In just one month, the number of recipients grew by 1,214 people, or approximately 8.8%, reaching 15,075 in September. According to LETA, citing data from the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA), 13,861 people received such a pension in August. At the same time, the amount of payments has practically not changed. In September, the average assigned survivor's pension was 372.05 euros — just 14 cents more than the previous month. Thus, the increase in the number of recipients was not accompanied by a comparable increase in the average pension amount. The reasons for this change in statistics are not specified in the published data. ### Who Is Entitled to Survivor's Pension This payment is intended for dependents of the deceased who are unable to work. However, there is an important exception for children: the survivor's pension is granted to them regardless of whether they were dependent on the deceased parent. Children under the age of 18 are entitled to the payment. Additionally, the pension may be granted to children over this age if their disability occurred before they reached adulthood. Siblings and grandchildren of the deceased may also be eligible for the pension if they have no capable parents. They are subject to similar age conditions and conditions related to disability. ### What Families Need to Know The survivor's pension is not an automatic payment to all relatives of the deceased. Eligibility depends on the degree of kinship, age, capability, and other circumstances provided by law. At the same time, children of the deceased do not need to confirm their dependency on him. As of September, the average assigned pension remains at around 372 euros, despite the noticeable increase in the number of recipients. Further statistics will show whether this trend will continue in the coming months.
