Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure EE-2022-23/2335 – measures in Estonia
Country | Estonia , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 01 June 2022 – 31 December 2022 |
Context | COVID-19, War in Ukraine |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Measures to prevent social hardship
– Protection of vulnerable groups (beyond employment support) |
Author | Ingel Kadarik (Praxis Center for Policy Studies) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 19 May 2022 (updated 01 April 2023) |
Due to energy crisis and war in Ukraine, the prices have significantly increased and the costs of households as well. To relieve the difficulties, the parliament approved a supplementary state budget on 19 May 2022 which allows to increase subsistence benefit, extend eligibility criteria and pay additional allowances for the most vulnerable groups.
The subsistence benefit as the minimum income scheme is provided to a person who lives alone or to a family whose monthly net income is below the subsistence level after the cost of housing (rent, utilities, land tax, and building insurance cost). The subsistence level for the first member of the family has been €150 since 2019, but will increase to €200 as of 1 June 2022. The level of the second and any subsequent adult family member is 80% of the subsistence level and for children 120% of the level. As of 1 July, mortgage cost will be included among the housing costs to take into account when calculating the costs incurred by the household.
As of November 2022, additional one-time support will be paid to families with children to alleviate the price increase. A benefit of €50 is paid for each child in the family. Support is also provided for recipients of old-age pensions and people with no work ability (€50 per person).
The budget for the allowance for children and pensioners is €30 million.
It is expected that a total of nearly 22,000 households will make use of the amended subsistence benefit, which includes around 10,000 Ukrainian war refugees.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers | Does not apply to businesses |
Children (minors)
Disabled Migrants or refugees Pensioners People on social benefits |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement as case not in social partner domain | No involvement as case not in social partner domain |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
No involvement.
No information.
Citation
Eurofound (2022), Support for vulnerable groups to cope with increasing costs, measure EE-2022-23/2335 (measures in Estonia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/EE-2022-23_2335.html
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30 January 2023
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