Single person's pension to be launched in July

Lithuania is likely to start paying a supplementary pension to single persons of retirement age in July, Social Security and Labor Minister Monika Navickiene said on Tuesday.

"In the near future, the Social Security and Labor Ministry will submit draft legislation to provide additional financial support to all people who live alone, not only widows and widowers, starting in July 2021," the minister told LRT Radio.

The single person's pension "will grow and expand in 2022", she added.

The monthly benefit will replace the widow's/widower's pension that currently amounts to 28 euros and is paid to around 210,000 people.

According to the Social Security and Labor Ministry, over 400,000 people would be eligible for a single person's pension.

Navickiene has told BNS earlier that 15 million euros have been allocated for the new scheme this year.