Latvia seeks more individual disability assessments

Latvia’s disability assessment system is outdated and should focus more on people’s needs than their diagnoses, the State Audit Office and Welfare Ministry say, LSM reported.

More than 224,000 people in Latvia have disabilities, and the number is rising. The state allocates about one billion euros a year for their support, including pensions, benefits, services and various concessions. After reports this week that the system could be considered as a source of state budget savings, Latvian Television examined how the money is used and whether savings are possible.

The State Audit Office found that disability status does not always achieve its intended purpose. In many cases, it is used mainly to compensate for lost income rather than to reduce barriers caused by functional limitations. At the same time, people who need support do not receive everything they need.

The current system does not identify what support each individual requires, the report found. The Welfare Ministry wants to introduce a more personalised assessment based on functional limitations rather than diagnosis. Last year, only 7% of applications for disability assessments were rejected.