Committee plans to return Sodra budget over childcare benefits

Lithuania’s parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs and Labour plans to send the 2027 budget of Sodra, the state social insurance fund, back to the ministry for revision, LRT reports. The committee wants the budget to include higher childcare benefits from July 2027.

Committee chairman Tomas Tomilinas said a formal decision to return the draft to its authors for changes is planned for November 11. He said the proposed benefit increase would bring payments to 100% of a recipient’s previous salary.

Deputy minister Tadas Vinokuras said the changes had initially been planned for January 2028 and no funding for an earlier start is currently included in the budget. He said the draft needs to be revised and that the ministry is ready to implement the changes from July 2027 if the Finance Ministry provides the money.

Social Affairs and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė said the change would require an additional 62 million euros. Tomilinas said the committee hoped to receive a positive response from the government.

Increasing childcare benefits was one of the Democrats’ conditions for joining the governing coalition. The proposed 2027 Sodra budget forecasts revenue of 11.286 billion euros, down 4.5% from the expected 2026 result, and spending of 9.845 billion euros, up 11.3%.