REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA 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
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Maternity allowance shall be paid for the entire period established for maternity leave, regardless of the actual number of days before delivery. Article
6. Lump-sum Child-birth Benefits
7. 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.
8. 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
9. Child Care Benefits
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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
13. Social Benefits for Non-working Women with Children under 3 Years of Age
14. 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
16. 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
17. Article
18. Compensation of Pre-school Education Expenses to Families Bringing up Children at Home
19. 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.
20. 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
21. 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
22. Settlement Benefit for Orphaned Children and for Children who Lose Parental Care and Maintenance
23. 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.
24. Sums of benefits shall be transferred to the personal bank accounts of orphans and children unattended by parents. Article
25. Benefits for Single Mothers
26. A monthly benefit equalling 0.4 MSL shall be payable to single mothers for the care and education of their children.
27. 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
28. 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