Estonia

I - The resources and income of disabled people.

  1. Are there specific legislative procedures for disabled people to enable them to have a minimum of resources ?
  2. Do laws exist in your country to enable a minimum of resources for people who become disabled during their working lives ?

II - Disability compensation.

I –THE RESOURCES AND INCOME OF DISABLED PEOPLE.

A) An average of 70% of blind and seriously partially-sighted people of working age are unemployed. Are there specific legislative procedures for disabled people in your country to enable them to have a minimum of resources?

Yes

  • If yes: what are these allowances?

Allowance for disabled person in working life is paid monthly to a person with disability from 16 years of age to pensionable age (65) for the compensation of additional costs caused by the disability for the person with moderate disability (16,62 €) and for the person with profound disability (53,70 €) per month.
Estonia is about to begin the working ability reform, which will create a new performance of the working ability support system. The aim of the amendments is to change attitudes towards people with reduced working ability and to help them find and keep a job. This means that the ability to work of disabled people will be evaluated. Those who have partial ability to work will get 182 euros per month. And to get the money they have to be active, either to study or find a job. Those who have no ability to work will get 320 euros a month.

Give specific details of the following aspects:

 

  • 1 Criteria of eligibility
  1. Age.

    - Minimum:
    16
    - Maximum:
    65

  2. Level of disability.
    moderate, severe or profound
  3. Nationality.
    social benefits for disabled persons shall be granted and paid to permanent residents of Estonia or persons residing in Estonia on the basis of a temporary residence permit with moderate, severe or profound disabilities which cause additional expense.
  4. Conditions of residence in the country.

 

  • 2 Financial conditions.

People with reduced working ability are paid are working ability allowance. The working ability allowance will also be paid to people earning an average salary. From this amount, the allowance will gradually decline, and it will no longer be paid, if the person's income reaches 1,397.25 €. In case of deficient working ability, the allowance lapses when the person earns 1687.50 € per month.

  • 3 Amount of the allowance.

Normal rate.

- What is the amount of the allowance given to people with no other income, state briefly how the allowance varies according to other income or resources.
 

There are several classes of social benefits (disability allowance) for disabled persons and they are calculated on the basis of the rate of social benefits. The rate of social benefits is 25,57 €. The amount of allowance for the person with moderate disability is 16,62 € and for the person with profound disability is 53,70 €.

 

  • 4 Minimum wage and “poverty line”.

- In order to compare the situation in different EBU member states, please indicate the minimum wage (if this exists in your country) for a full-time worker, and what is considered to be “the poverty line”.

In Estonia the minimum wage is 390 € Net. In 2016, the subsistence limit is 130 euros a month for a person living alone or firstborn member of a family and 104 euros for the second and each succeeding member of a family (130 euros for every underage family member).

  • 5 Payment of the allowance.

 - What are the organisations which calculate and attribute the allowance?

The Estonian Social Insurance Board calculates and attributes disability allowance.

  • 6 Tax treatment of allowances and fringe benefits.
  1. Tax. Is the benefit subject to tax?
    No
  2. Fringe benefits. Does this allowance accord any fringe benefits?
    No

B) Do laws exist in your country to enable a minimum of resources for people who become disabled during their working lives?

Yes

  • If yes : what is the name of the allowance ?

Incapacity pension

Specify by giving details of the following aspects:

  • 1 Criteria of eligibility
  1. Age.
    16-65

    Permanent incapacity for work is injury or illness pertaining to work, profession, service, nuclear accident, traffic accident or as a result of violent crime. Permanent incapacity for work is divided into:

    Pension for incapacity for work is a type of state pension. 

    The following persons have the right to receive pension for incapacity for work:
    - permanent residents of Estonia;
    - aliens residing in Estonia on the basis of temporary residence permits or temporary right of residence.

    Persons of at least 16 years of age who are declared permanently incapacitated for work with the 40 to 100 per cent loss of the capacity for work, and who have earned a following pension qualifying period in Estonia by the commencement date of establishment of permanent incapacity for work:

    Age                                 Required pension qualifying period

    16-24 years                     No requirement for length of service
    25-26 years                     1 year
    27-28 years                     2 years
    29-30 years                     3 years
    3I-32 years                      4 years
    33-35 years                     5 years
    36-38 years                     6 years
    39-41 years                     7 years
    42-44 years                     8 years
    45-47 years                     9 years
    48-50 years                   10 years
    51-53 years                   11 years
    54-56 years                   12 years
    57-59 years                   13 years
    60-62 years                   14 years

    If the reason for the permanent incapacity for work is a work injury or occupational disease, pension for incapacity for work shall be granted with no requirement for length of service.

    For the persons declared permanently incapacitated for work, pension for incapacity for work shall be granted for the entire period of incapacity for work but not for longer than until attaining pensionable age (65).

    • complete incapacity for work;
    • partial incapacity for work.

 

  • 3 Amount of the allowance.

The base amount is 153 euros per month.

 

  • 4 Attribution, payment of the allowance.

- Who attributes the allowance: State, local government, others, give details.

Permanent incapacity for work is certified by the expert commission or expert doctor of the Social Insurance Board.

The expertise shall be performed on the basis of presented documents, and the resolution shall be prepared in relation to the results. The expert commission shall present the resolution to the applicant for expertise together with practical justification and send a copy of the resolution to the family doctor.

In case of disagreement with the resolution it is possible to address the arbitration committee under the Social Insurance Board, which shall organize additional expertise. In case of permanent incapacity for work the person is paid incapacity pension.

  • 5 Tax treatment of allowances and fringe benefits.
  1. Tax. Is the benefit subject to tax?
    No
  2. Fringe benefits. Does this allowance accord fringe benefits?
    No

II – DISABILITY COMPENSATION.

A visual disability (blindness or serious loss of sight) entails additional costs which must be met. Is there a specific allowance in your country to compensate for these costs?

No