The number of people who applied for compensation for home heating and water expenses in the months of September-October increased by 2 times in the major cities of the country. The largest growth is observed in the municipalities of Vilnius city and Klaipėda city. In Vilnius, the number of requests increased almost 3 times (31911) compared to last year at the same time (11380), the Klaipėda - more than 2 times (this year - 4875, and last year - 2144).
The Ministry of Social Security and Labor answers the most frequently asked questions of the country's residents about who owns compensation for housing heating, drinking water and hot water expenses.
- If the heating method is changed, for example, if a gas or electric boiler is installed instead of a furnace, is it mandatory to register the changed heating method in the Registry Center?
In the event that the changed heating method is already registered in the Registry Center, there is no need to submit additional documents, as municipal employees can see it in the information system.
However, if you have changed the heating method and have not yet officially registered it, this does not prevent you from receiving compensation for home heating costs - then you will additionally need to submit documents proving the change in heating method (e.g. installed heating equipment).
- When applying for compensation for home heating, when House is heated with solid fuel (e.g. firewood), is it mandatory to provide documents confirming their purchase?
Residents who apply for home heating expense compensation for purchased solid fuel, such as firewood, are not required to submit documents (invoices) proving their purchase costs.
In individual cases, in order to avoid possible abuse of the support provided, municipalities may ask to submit procurement documents, for example, when individuals own a forest and use their own wood to heat their home and do not buy firewood, i.e. do not incur costs.
- Can I get compensation for heating if the house is heated by geothermal?
Yes you can. If the dwelling is equipped with geothermal heating, but there is no accounting of electricity consumption for heating the premises (separate accounting devices are not installed), the total amount of electricity consumed in the dwelling is recorded when calculating the amount of compensation, and the specific amount of compensation for the heating costs of the dwelling is calculated taking into account the area of the dwelling, the number of persons living together, their actual received income and actual home heating costs according to the established energy consumption standards.
- Why is it necessary to provide a certificate of employment if the data can be obtained from Sodra?
"Sodra" displays information about a person's insured income. When allocating monetary social support, the income received "in hand" is assessed. In this regard, a certificate of salary paid is requested.
In the case of individual activity, the income is calculated as that indicated by the self-employed person in the accounting documents of income and expenses of individual activity, "Sodra" does not have data on the income from individual activity of the 3 previous months before the application.
- Can self-employed people also receive compensation for home heating and water costs?
Yes, you can. Compensations are granted to self-employed individuals without the need to submit an annual income tax return. Support is granted by assessing the income that a person engaged in individual activity, when applying for monetary social support, indicates by submitting individual activity income and expense accounting documents. Income of the 3 previous months prior to application is normally considered. For example, if you apply in October, you should provide information about the income received in July, August, and September.
- Is it possible to receive compensation for heating for 2 dwellings, for example, if the declared residence of the spouses is different?
In this case, compensation can only be provided for one of the dwellings. If spouses are declared in separate apartments, when applying for compensation, you must choose one of them for which you want to receive compensation.
- Is it possible to receive compensations if persons declare their place of residence in the dwelling, although they do not actually live in that dwelling?
Compensations are awarded by evaluation everyone the income and expenses of persons who have declared their place of residence in an apartment or are renting an apartment (the requirement to be declared in a rented apartment does not apply to persons renting an apartment), which are necessary to maintain the apartment.
If a person declares a place of residence in a dwelling, but does not actually live there, municipal administrations are given the right, after checking the family's living conditions and drawing up a certificate of inspection of household and living conditions, not to provide compensation to this person and to establish the right to compensation for the rest of the persons declared in housing and incurring expenses.
In the event that a person who declares a place of residence in a dwelling, does not actually live there, but rents a dwelling elsewhere and has entered into a residential lease agreement with the lessor in writing, which it has registered in the Registry Center, his right to compensation in the housing of the declared place of residence is not established.
- Can compensations be provided when people declare their place of residence in a non-residential building?
Housing heating and water cost compensations are provided for residential dwellings. If people live in a non-residential building (e.g. a garden house), municipalities have the right to individually assess the real situation and grant compensation in an exceptional manner.
