Residents leave 4.6 million euros in sickness benefits unclaimed

More than 4.6 million euros in sickness benefits went unclaimed over the past 12 months because residents did not submit applications, Lithuania’s social insurance institution Sodra told LRT. The agency has sent reminders to almost 28,000 people urging them to apply.

Sodra said an application for sickness benefits remains valid indefinitely. If a person later falls ill, cares for a family member or suffers an injury, they do not need to submit a new application. The benefit is granted automatically if they meet the required conditions.

Applications can also be submitted retroactively. If a person was ill but had not applied at the time, the benefit may still be paid if no more than 12 months have passed since the end of their sick leave. For example, someone who was ill in November 2025 can apply now and receive the sickness benefit to which they are entitled.

However, not everyone issued a sick-leave certificate is eligible. An application may be rejected if the person lacks the required sickness social insurance record or does not meet other conditions set by law.

Sickness benefits are paid to people covered by sickness social insurance who lose work income because of temporary incapacity. On the first day of incapacity, they must have accumulated at least three months of sickness social insurance record during the previous 12 months, or six months during the previous 24 months.

A doctor’s sick-leave certificate is required for the benefit. Employers pay for the first two days of temporary incapacity that coincide with an employee’s work schedule, and the payment cannot be less than 62.06 percent of the employee’s average wage. Sodra pays the benefit from the third day, at 62.06 percent of the person’s compensated earnings.