REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
LAW
ON STATE BENEFITS FOR THE FAMILY
Article 1. The Objective of this Law
This law shall regulate the payment of state benefits to
women and families with children from local government budget
resources.
Benefits provided by this law shall be payable to citizens
of the Republic of Lithuania as well as to foreign citizens and
stateless persons permanently residing in Lithuania unless the
laws of the Republic of Lithuania or international agreements
provide otherwise.
Article 2. Maternity Allowance
1. Maternity allowance equalling 0.8 the minimum standard of
living (MSL)shall be paid monthly to women who take a leave from
work and study at state institutions of higher education, high
schools, specialized secondary schools, or vocational training
schools, as well as to women who are post-graduates or residents,
or who are performing clinical study or attending qualification
improvement, retraining, or specialist training schools or
courses.
2. Maternity allowance shall be payable to women who take a
leave from work and are in the process of education, on the basis
of a certificate issued by a medical institution for the period
established as maternity leave in the Law on Holidays of the
Republic of Lithuania. Women who take a leave from work and study
shall be granted maternity leave for this period.
3. Maternity allowance shall be paid for the entire period
established for maternity leave, regardless of the actual number
of days before delivery.
Article 3. Lump-sum Child-birth Benefits
1. Upon the birth of a child, mothers shall be paid a child-
birth benefit equalling 3 times MSL. This shall be paid for each
child born. Lump-sum child-birth benefits shall not be paid to
women who do not bring up their children.
2. Upon the death of the mother, the deprivation of her
maternity rights, or if the mother cannot provide care for her
child due to her health or for other serious reasons and
certified by medical findings, a single child-birth benefit shall
be paid either to the father or the person who actually takes
care of the child.
Article 4. Child Care Benefits
1. Child care benefits in the amount of 0.7 MSL per month
shall be payable to women specified in item 1 of Article 2 of
this law until the child has reached 18 months of age, and 0.35
MSL per month for children between the ages of 18 months and 3
years, provided that state social insurance benefits in the
established amount are not being paid to the child's father.
2. Women who have discontinued work and are studying, if
they request, may be granted child care leave until the child
reaches 3 years of age.
Stipend and child care benefit shall be secured for women
who continue to be in the process of education until the child
reaches 3 years of age.
3. Child care benefit shall be payable for each child. If
the child is being raised without a mother (upon her death, the
deprivation of her maternity rights, or if she cannot care for
her child due to her health or for some other serious reason),
benefits specified in items 1 and 2 of this Article shall be
payable to the child's father if he has discontinued work and is
in the process of education.
Article 5. Social Benefits for Non-working Women with
Children under 3 Years of Age
1. Social benefit provided by the Law of the Republic of
Lithuania on Income Security shall be payable to non-working
mothers of families with low income, or who are singly raising
children under 3 years of age (or if the child's father is a
student, on pension, unemployed, medically certified as sick, or
sentenced to imprisonment). These benefits shall also be payable
to said women if they are caring for orphans or abandoned
children under 3.
2. If a child is being brought up without a mother (upon her
death, the deprivation of her maternity rights, or if she cannot
care for her child due to medically certified health problems or
other serious reasons), social benefits shall be paid to the non-
working father until the child reaches the age of 3.
Article 6. Compensation of Pre-school Education Expenses to
Families Bringing up Children at Home
1. Families bringing up children of pre-school age at home
shall be reimbursed 70 percent of the average state expenses for
the education of one child in a pre-school institution.
Compensation shall be payable for each 18-month-old child who
does not attend a state pre-school institution, either until the
child begins attending school or until the child reaches 7 years
of age.
2. Compensation of state expenses for the education of
children in pre-school institutions may be issued by warrants. A
warrant shall:
be a financial document issued to each family with children
of pre-school age which entitles them to pre-school care
guaranteed by the state, as well as to the purchase of goods for
children or to cash compensation thereof;
entitle parents to choose a pre-school institution
accredited in the established manner and belonging to either the
state, private, cooperative, public or any other organization,
regardless of their place of residence;
guarantee the financing of pre-school institutions
corresponding to the collected warrants.
Article 7. Benefits for Adopted Children and Children Placed
under Guardianship
Adopted and orphaned children who are under guardianship, as
well as children who are unattended by parents shall be paid a
monthly benefit equalling 1 MSL. It shall be payable for each
adopted child or child placed under guardianship until the child
reaches 16 years of age ( 18 years of age for those who are
attending school full-time) as long as the benefits, alimony or
pensions the child is receiving do not exceed 1 MSL. In the
latter case, benefits and pensions assigned to the child shall
not be paid.
Article 8. Settlement Benefit for Orphaned Children and for
Children who Lose Parental Care and Maintenance
1. Inmates of childrens' homes (domestic childrens' homes)
as well as orphaned children and children unattended by parents,
including children placed under guardianship or custody, who
attend secondary schools of general education, all types of
boarding schools, vocational training schools, colleges, or
institutions of h3igher education, shall, upon starting
independent life (when state maintenance and other assistance is
not provided) be paid a benefit equalling 12 MSL.
2. Sums of benefits shall be transferred to the personal
bank accounts of orphans and children unattended by parents.
Article 9. Benefits for Single Mothers
1. A monthly benefit equalling 0.4 MSL shall be payable to
single mothers for the care and education of their children.
2. Such benefits shall be payable monthly to single mothers
until the child reaches 16 years of age ( 18 years of age if the
child attends school).
Article 10. Responsibility for the Accuracy of Statements
Requisite for the Assignment of Benefits
Persons who knowingly furnish fraudulent statements and as a
result have been paid benefits unlawfully, shall be liable
according to the laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
If statements have been concealed or furnished fraudulently,
overpaid sums of benefits and a penalty equalling 300 percent of
the overpaid benefit shall be recovered in court by the local
government and shall be transferred to the local government
budget.
K.Motieka
Vice-President
Supreme Council
Republic of Lithuania
Vilnius
11 June, 1991
No.I-1431