The scope of responsibility of the Minister of Welfare has always been one of the most politically sensitive. Pensions, social issues, support for people with disabilities, family and child policy — one of these areas inevitably affects each of us. BNN spoke with Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks (Union of Greens and Farmers, ZZS) about these and other issues.
The past winter was the coldest in recent years, and this is naturally reflected in heating bills. At present, following the initiative of the Ministry of Welfare, the government has decided to increase housing benefits and expand the range of recipients from the 1st of January to the 30th of April. How will this work in practice?
Already at the end of January, together with the Ministry of Economics, we in the Union of Greens and Farmers saw that this was the most expensive winter in the last 30 years. It was therefore clear that heating bills for January and February would be high. That is why we came forward with several proposals on how to help people.
The instrument promoted by the Ministry of Welfare is the housing benefit. Last year, 33,000 people received the housing benefit. By increasing the coefficient for eligibility, approximately another 7,000 people who had previously been above the threshold will now be able to qualify. As a result, around 40,000 residents in total will receive housing benefits. The 33,000 people who were already receiving the benefit do not need to do anything. The coefficient will be recalculated automatically, and they will have a larger amount available to cover housing expenses. Meanwhile, those approximately 7,000 people who were not previously receiving the housing benefit will need to contact their municipal social service.
At the same time, given that the workload of employees dealing with the granting and recalculation of housing benefits is increasing, the Saeima adopted in the second reading a bill under which the state will compensate their overtime pay.
The period is from the 1st of January to te 30th of April. Therefore, in March the coefficient will be recalculated for two months — January and February — and in May for April. We also wanted to secure an electricity payment discount in January and February for protected consumer groups, but unfortunately our coalition partners were not receptive. We agreed that we would look for internal funding ourselves, at least for one month, in order to help these groups.
Since the start of 2025, the non-taxable minimum for pensioners has been increased to 1,000 euros, and working pensioners can split this amount — 500 euros for their pension and 500 euros for their salary. Has this encouraged greater labour market participation among seniors? It is no secret that in the fairly near future, it will be difficult to manage without them.
In my opinion, we already cannot manage without seniors, which is exactly why the 500/500 proposal was introduced. The idea was this: if the portion of a senior’s pension up to 500 euros is not subject to income tax, then 500 euros of salary would also be exempt. If a senior has a small pension, they can participate in the labour market and, overall, pay no personal income tax on up to 1,000 euros. The same relief also applies to non-working pensioners.
We do not yet have exact statistics on the extent to which this has increased pensioners’ participation in the labour market, but it still amounts to a little over ten percent. In any case, with the 1,000-euro non-taxable minimum, seniors are left with more money in their wallets, and according to the latest data, the average newly granted pension is 680 euros. If we look back to 2021, it was 340 euros. Of course, there is inflation, but pensions for seniors have also grown significantly.
What we did not manage to achieve — unfortunately, coalition partners were against it — was the introduction of a basic pension, or an additional supplement for years of service for those above the age of 80 or 85. We tried different approaches, including introducing a cap on pension payments so that stories about pensions of 44,000 euros or even more per month would not happen again, but we failed to reopen the law. Coalition partners began politicising it, which, in my opinion, is not right. For neither me nor the Union of Greens and Farmers are elections the main issue in this context; what matters is that the poorest group — seniors aged 85 and over — should have an extra 20 to 30 euros in their account every month. We will continue looking for solutions, and one of my priorities going into the elections and discussing next year is that we absolutely must introduce a basic pension.
Talk about introducing the basic pension began already in the summer of 2024, and although initially the idea was that seniors aged 85 and above would begin receiving it this year, later the deadline shifted to 2027 or even 2029. But people who have reached such an advanced age may not have much time left to wait for those extra few dozen euros on top of their pension…
That is exactly the point. At first, we wanted to introduce it from 2029, when supplements for years of service from 2011 onward would be equalised. But I have visited all 43 municipalities and met with senior organisations everywhere, and they say: “At 85 plus, there isn’t much life left to live.” We understood that seniors need help now and immediately, but politically it did not get through. I will continue fighting to ensure that these basic pensions are introduced in 2027. Perhaps we will also come up with some additional support for the autumn, but I am convinced that the basic pension will be in place in 2027.
The average pension is 680 euros, and compared with a few years ago that seems like a fairly substantial sum. However, looking at today’s prices for goods and services, it is still little. In your view, how successful has the government been in reducing food prices?
I agree with you — pensions have indeed risen quite well, but unfortunately inflation has eaten that up. And even I, with a reasonably good income, have to look at food prices and think: why does everything cost so much?
Still, prices have come down slightly, and the “lowest-priced food basket” certainly exists. This month, another supplementary agreement is planned on the “lowest-priced food basket,” expanding the range of products included. However, these products need to be more visible in shops, easier to notice.
And let me also remind you: from the 1st of July this year, VAT on certain food product groups will be reduced — that is the achievement of the Agriculture Minister. There will be a reduced VAT rate of 5% on flour, and 12% VAT on poultry meat and fresh eggs.
Everyone praises their own political force, but I have always been a practical person and I want to achieve good things. In the 2026 budget, 80% of the eight proposals put forward by ZZS were approved. These included the reduced VAT I already mentioned, record-high financial support for out-of-family care, and increased childbirth and childcare benefits. From from the 1st of July, there will no longer be a 0.75-euro co-payment on prescriptions for medicines costing up to 10 euros, and there is also support for farmers. These were our priorities, and we succeeded in achieving them this year.
In February, the Ministry of Welfare launched the campaign “Lower the Threshold!” What do you hope to achieve with it? No matter how much people try to claim there is no discrimination, it still exists — by age, gender, and disability. So the thresholds that need to be lowered are fairly high.
If I may put it that way, this campaign is an inheritance that began in 2019 and is financed by the European Social Fund Plus, because one of the EU’s priorities is both combating violence and reducing discrimination. If I remember correctly, the regulations were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers two years ago, and from this February a two-year anti-discrimination campaign has begun.
Europe indicates the direction in which we should build such campaigns, and we cannot simply “take out” this money — 700,000 euros — and hand it out as benefits. That would not be possible. Europe would look unfavourably on that, and later it would also be more difficult to qualify for other EU structural fund financing.
All kinds of myths have already spread about this campaign — both on social media and in a report by one media outlet, which I will not name, suggesting that the campaign was aimed at reducing prejudice against third-country nationals, against Indian citizens. That is nonsense. In our country, discrimination remains quite high precisely because of age, gender, disability, and also mental health.
Our goal is to use this EU funding as effectively as possible to explain that just because a person is older does not mean they lack quality. We need to tell employers and society that these people are among us and have the same opportunities to be in the labour market as anyone else. Because we are short of labour. So the campaign is good. Could it have been done differently? Possibly.
There is a fairly deeply rooted idea in society that pensioners should sit at home, look after grandchildren, knit socks, or weed the garden. Do you think this campaign will help break that stereotype?
I fully agree, and I hope the campaign will make employers think. They themselves complain about labour shortages, yet seniors are flexible, and as senior organisations say, they are also loyal and diligent. If the campaign finds willing ears and we continue educating society, I will only be pleased.
Speaking of public education — what is happening with senior schools? On the initiative of the Ministry of Welfare, funding has been found to expand this movement.
Yes, this is a project I am truly proud of. Two years ago, the Mid-Daugava NGO received funding from the Society Integration Fund as a pilot project for the creation of a Third Age University network. Seniors in Latvia are becoming increasingly active and want to get involved. I really like one example where an elderly woman sat at home, had a small pension, complained that even her neighbour did not bring her the post, and everything was bad. After joining a senior organisation, she said: “I am richer, more beautiful, and smarter.” That means that when seniors actively engage, their life expectancy and health also improve.
I found internal funding from structural funds that had not been fully used and said that this money — 1.2 million euros — should be directed to senior schools. The Society Integration Fund will distribute this financing, and a team has been assembled to work on the senior school project. In April or May, the Fund could announce applications for financing from 35,000 to 45,000 euros per organisation for two years. Smaller, newer associations would receive less; more experienced ones that have already proven themselves would receive more. From this autumn until autumn 2028, the money will be available to around 40 organisations. Since I travel actively around the country and see that new senior organisations are being established in the regions — which makes me very happy — I also see that the funding may not be enough. Still, I may have a “little pocket” from which I can borrow more.
So applications begin in April–May, and we have agreed with the Society Integration Fund that the process will be simple enough for senior organisations to handle, with support and assistance for submitting the documents. Then there will be a two-month application period, and in principle contracts could already start being signed by the end of the summer, with active work and use of the funding beginning in August or September.
Just like at school. First of September arrives and learning begins…
Many seniors are already doing these activities in everyday life. The programme will include digital literacy, health and financial literacy, social participation, lifelong learning, and an inclusive labour market. Municipalities do genuinely support senior organisations, but they often lack financial capacity. With this funding, they will be able to attract lecturers and perhaps also go on exchange visits abroad. After launching the senior school pilot project, I was even approached by senior schools from abroad — diaspora groups from Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. So the idea has already spread, and we discussed perhaps testing it in Latvia for two years and then ensuring the money becomes part of the base budget, not just a pilot or project-based initiative. Perhaps foreign senior schools could also be involved. Seniors abroad have often earned their pension and want to return to Latvia. Such exchanges and study visits would be a fantastic opportunity for seniors to learn, spend time well, make new friends, and live their later years with quality.
In European countries, volunteer work is very popular among seniors. What is the situation in Latvia?
Since we adopted the Volunteer Work Law in 2014, it has, so to speak, “hung in the air” for ten years. Since I strongly support involvement in volunteer work, in the autumn of 2023 we decided that the Ministry of Welfare would be the policy-maker, while the State Employment Agency would coordinate volunteer work. In 2025, things were quite difficult. We created a separate unit for volunteer work coordination with two positions, but nobody applied. In the last three months, both vacancies have finally been filled.
The UN has declared 2026 the International Year of Volunteer Work. As a result, we have planned a fresh push this year — many different activities to raise the prestige of volunteer work. I am convinced that without volunteers there would be no European Basketball Championship, no Song Festival, no support for Ukraine, no volunteer firefighters, and much else. Seniors, too, have expressed a desire to get involved.
We have found around 300,000 euros in funding to create an IT system so that those wishing to recruit volunteers and volunteers themselves can see where to apply.
In the context of the scandal around the Istanbul Convention, the Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Welfare to prepare a report on progress in preventing violence. Is there anything new?
Under the Prime Minister’s resolution, I had to submit an opinion by the 5th of January on whether such a draft law was needed at all. We prepared and submitted it with the view that there are already quite a lot of provisions, especially in the Criminal Law, that regulate the fight against violence. But whether there should also be a law that compiles all these norms in one place is a matter for discussion.
It was also the Prime Minister’s task to submit a report to the Saeima by the 1st of March on the situation. In our response, we indicated that such a draft law may indeed be necessary, but that the 1st of March was far too short a deadline to prepare a high-quality bill. Therefore, our proposal was first to discuss within the ZZS parliamentary group whether such a law is needed. If we agree that it is, then the deadline should certainly be autumn — within half a year it is possible to produce a quality document. There is no point in doing it merely to tick a box, since there are already many strict provisions, especially in the Criminal Law, regulating the fight against violence.
Perhaps this question is not entirely within the competence of the Ministry of Welfare, but in your view how can it be prevented that somewhere deep in the countryside, a man is violent toward his wife and children while those around them pretend not to see it? Would denouncing or not denouncing the Istanbul Convention solve this issue? And over the two years since the convention was in force, did that violence disappear?
In my opinion, the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in 2023 gave a small push — all ministries pulled themselves together and started drafting a variety of documents. Unfortunately, the Istanbul Convention has turned into a kind of swear word, and many organisations have taken it in an ideological direction. We see this in the protests at Dome Square, where students and various organisations that do not support family values are mobilised, and unfortunately the document has been turned into something ideological.
But I agree that regardless of whether we have the Istanbul Convention or not, we must strengthen domestic legislation and fight violence. If we look at children’s homes, there is no such home where some child has not suffered sexual violence. That is why I have publicly said that perhaps chemical castration should be restored or introduced for such men, because it is not normal to destroy a child’s life. But the situation overall is not good, and the biggest problem is often not the children but the parents. Every child comes from parents. I had a discussion with the Ministry of Education and the Interior Minister about the need to think preventively about working precisely with parents. Because by the age of 11 or 12, the child is often already, bluntly put, “messed up,” and it is then very difficult to work with them. Problems in the family must be identified early — whether there are drugs, alcohol, sexual violence — and action must be taken.
For example, in Ozolnieki, where there is this problem with a child because of his aggressive behaviour, the parents insist that everything is fine. The child cannot be removed from the family because he is provided for and there is no violence at home, but the school suffers and the other children suffer.
In the future, because help was not provided in time, that child himself will very likely suffer as well.
Yes, and that is exactly what we must think about at the state level. We cannot force parents to go to a specialist for help. We can invite them, talk to them, tell them that if there is postpartum depression, if there are problems in the family, if they do not know how to raise a child — there is nothing wrong with turning to a specialist. A specialist will help.
But the problem is indeed often in families where there is alcohol or drugs, and we must strengthen the state’s priority — how to work with parents. Because every child is, let us say, a mirror of their parents.
Could one of the solutions perhaps be specialised schools? Because this aggression in children could also be the consequence of some illness. It is not always the result of poor parenting or parents being too busy and leaving the child to their own devices…
We already have specialised schools in the country for people with special needs, and together with ZZS, the Ministry of Welfare secured additional funding for these specialised schools in 2026, as they had historically been underfunded for a long time. So they already exist and operate.
Still, I would like such children to integrate into ordinary schools if they can. But that is work for specialists. And again I will stress: if a child is violent in their environment, then they come from a family where violence or neglect is most likely present. This is not only the case in poor families — it is also found in wealthy ones. If everything is all right in the family, the child will also grow up very well.
Distance learning will be significantly restricted. However, for children who experience anger outbursts due to illness or other causes, it might be a good solution.
There are children with autism spectrum disorders, and not everyone can learn in the same way. And my views do not always coincide even with those of my own party on remote schooling. I believe that children from grades 1 to 6 should study in person as much as possible. But if a child has anger outbursts or autism spectrum disorders, then they should also have the possibility to study remotely — together with parents and specialists who can help reduce these problems.
I am pleased that municipalities have also managed to improve their social services and are doing a lot to provide parents with respite, as well as various therapies. We are developing, we are growing, but there is still much work to do.
What are your priorities as Minister of Welfare for this year? Setting aside the Saeima elections expected in the autumn, what would you personally like to pat yourself on the back for?
Without question, it is the historically largest increase for out-of-family care, and we will continue that support. My number one priority will also be to continue supporting families with children next year, and I am very pleased that the President is also supportive on demographic and family support issues and will keep this as a priority.
In our country, third children are being born, but not first and second children. This is clearly an issue of values — family is no longer the value it used to be. First comes university, work, travel, and a dog. I am trying to change that, because there is nothing more sacred than family. As a father of three, I truly believe that.
The second thing is that we aim to increase the state family benefit, which is currently 25 euros for one child and 50 for two children, and to index it. Because if inflation rises, the family benefit must also rise, otherwise inflation eats everything away. If inflation falls, we keep the base amount fixed.
Other priorities are the introduction of the basic pension and a review of second-pillar pensions. And the third area that absolutely must be tackled is disability policy. For example, if a disability has existed since childhood, then until the age of 18 there is a special care benefit of 413 euros; if the disability was acquired later in life, the benefit is 213 euros. That is not fair. The aim is to ensure that everyone receives, let us say, 460 to 470 euros, as well as to review the disability system as a whole so that it is more targeted. Perhaps someone needs more money, someone else more services — but specifically the person who needs it. If I am not mistaken, around 670 million euros would be needed to develop the system. Of course, after three or four years it would yield results, and spending in this field could also decrease.
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