Persons who have held specific offices or worked in certain professions for a legally defined period, where continued work may lead to the loss of professional skills or pose a risk of social harm, are entitled to receive a long-service pension.
1. Service pensions under the Regulation on Service Pensions
(paid from the social insurance budget)
This pension is granted to:
- employees in the transportation sector (aviation, railways, public transport, maritime transport, and river transport);
, - persons employed in creative professions, such as circus, opera, and ballet artists.
Since 1 January 1999, the accrual of insurance periods qualifying for a long-service pension under the Regulation "On Service Pensions" has been discontinued. However, entitlement to the long-service pension based on previously accrued employment periods remains, provided that all conditions of the Regulation were fully satisfied.
To receive the long-service pension, a person must meet the following conditions:
- at least 3/4 of the required service period in the qualifying profession was completed before 1 January 1999;
- where applicable, the person has reached the statutory age required for their specific long-service pension category;
- the person is no longer employed in the profession that established their entitlement to the long-service pension.
The service pension is calculated by taking into consideration the person's:
- accrued pension capital from 1 January1996 until the month the pension is granted;
- average contributory wage subject to insurance contributions from 1996 to 1999 (inclusive);
- insurance periods accrued until 1996.
Upon reaching the retirement age, the service pension is replaced by the old-age pension. If the newly calculated old-age pension amount is lower than the previously paid long-service pension, the state covers the difference.
2. Service pensions granted under special laws
(paid from the state basic budget)
The pensions are granted to the following groups:
- judges;
- prosecutors;
- diplomats;
- officials of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau;
- employees holding special ranks in institutions of the Ministry of the Interior and the Latvian Prison Administration;
- artists of state or municipal professional orchestras, choirs, concert organizations, theatres, and circuses;
- officials of state security institutions;
- employees of the State Emergency Medical Service;
- officials of the Constitution Protection Bureau;
- military personnel.
Since 1 January 2011, service pensions (except long-service pensions for officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Constitution Protection Bureau) have been administered by the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA).
To receive a long-service pension, the following criteria must be met:
- the person has completed the legally defined qualifying service period in the relevant office or profession;
- the person has reached the statutory retirement age;
- the person is no longer employed in the office or profession that established their entitlement to the long-service pension.
The service pension amount depends on the person’s average monthly earnings and the length of their service.
Upon reaching the statutory retirement age, the old-age pension is paid instead of the service pension, and it is paid from the social insurance budget. If the long-service pension is higher than the calculated old-age pension, the state covers the difference using state basic budget funds.
To claim a long-service pension, the following documents must be submitted to the SSIA:
- an application for granting a pension;
- a document certifying that the person's job or position qualifies under the professions or offices eligible for a long-service pension;
- a document certifying that the person is no longer employed in the profession or office that established the entitlement to the long-service pension;
- the work record and/or other documents confirming the length of the insurance period of service.
Documents can be submitted to any local office of the SSIA .