2024-07-22 10:10:06
“Until now, the procedure for awarding state pensions of the first and second degree was quite complicated, a lot of bureaucratic procedures had to be carried out, and it took a lot of time before a decision was made. The pension was started to be paid only when all the established procedures were completed by a whole series of institutions.
Now these pensions are awarded and paid from the day the right to them arises, but no more than for the past 12 months, i.e. the same procedure as when awarding social insurance pensions”, says Minister of Social Security and Labor Vytautas Šilinskas.
Until the end of June of this year, the first-degree state pensions were awarded by the Government at the request of the first and second-degree state pension allocation commission under the Ministry of Social Security and Labor, and the second-degree state pensions by the commission itself.
The procedure for awarding these pensions was quite complicated: applicants for first- or second-degree state pensions had to apply to the granting institutions or institutions, they submitted the requests for the award of pensions together with all the necessary documents to the commission.
The commission examined the requests and made decisions to propose to the Government to award a first-class state pension or to award a second-class state pension itself. State pensions of the first degree were allocated by the Government by its resolution. Such legal regulation complicated and prolonged the process of awarding pensions: procedures were carried out that did not affect the result, and the entire process of awarding a pension could take 2 months or more.
Now all the procedures are carried out and the decisions to award the first or second degree state pension are made by the employees of “Sodra”.
Also a novelty – these pensions are granted and paid from the day the right to a state pension arises, but not more than 12 months (when granting these pensions no earlier than July 1, 2024) before the request for granting this state pension and all the necessary documents receiving in the “Sodra” territorial department. Until then, state pensions of the first and second degree were granted from the first day of the month following the decision of the relevant commission or the Government.
For example, if a mother with many children reached retirement age in 2024. on July 1, earlier she should have applied to the municipality, the municipality, having collected and checked the received documents, would forward them to the commission, the commission would make decisions on the received submissions at least once every two months.
The day from which the pension would be granted to this mother would be the first day of the month following the month of the decision. For example, if the commission made a decision in September, the pension would be awarded from October 1. The pension for the past (since the retirement age – in our example from July 1) would not be paid.
After the changes, the pension will be paid to this mother from July 1, if she applies for it no later than 2025. June 30 If this mother applied for the second degree state pension even later, the pension would be paid to her 12 months back from the date of application and submission of all necessary documents.
Citizens of Lithuania who have reached the retirement age or are recognized as having lost 60 or more percent of participation (until December 31, 2023 – with a loss of 60 or more percent of working capacity; until June 30, 2005 – groups I or II) have the right to state pensions disabled persons).
The right to state pensions of the first degree has:
- persons to whom the legal status of volunteer soldier has been recognized according to the Law on the Legal Status of Participants in the Resistance to the Occupations of 1940-1990;
- persons who have been awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Art or the Lithuanian National Prize for Literature, Art and Architecture;
- persons who held the positions of Speaker of the Seimas, Prime Minister, President of the Constitutional Court, President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania;
- individuals who are Olympic, Paralympic or Deaf Games champions (gold medalists).
The right to state pensions of the second degree has:
- mother (stepmother) or father (adoptive), who raised 5 or more children (adopted children) (in case of death of children – at least up to 8 years old);
- persons who have been given the title of honorary donor;
- persons to whom the legal status of a participant in the freedom struggle is recognized according to the Law on the Status of Participants in the Resistance to the Occupations of 1940-1990;
- prize winners of the Olympic, Paralympic or Deaf Games (silver, bronze medal winners), world champions of Olympic sports, world champions of sports included in the program of the Paralympic or Deaf Games (gold medal winners).
According to “Sodra” data, in 2024 in May, 196 persons received the first-degree state pension, 8,672 persons received the second-degree state pension. The state pension of the first degree is the size of four state pension bases (289.40 EUR). The state pension of the second degree is the size of two state pension bases (144.70 EUR).
2024-07-22 10:10:06