The following persons are entitled to receive unemployment benefit:
(Articles 3 and 5 of the Law On Unemployment Insurance)

• One who has gained the status of an unemployed person (Law On Supporting The Unemployed And Individuals Seeking Employment);
• If the person has unemployment insurance (Law on State Social Insurance);
• A person whose total social insurance payments have been made for no less than 1 year, and for whom unemployment insurance was paid or was required to have been paid in Latvia for no less than 12 months out of the 18 months prior to the day of gaining unemployment status;
• In a case where less than 12 months of insurance contributions were made before the status of unemployed person was acquired, but the remaining required payments were made after acquiring the status, then the right to receive the unemployment benefit as well as being credited for the necessary contributions of 12 months, are applied for the last 18 months starting from the day on which the application for the benefit was made.

An unemployed person has a right to receive this benefit even though contributions for unemployment insurance were not made or were made for less then 9 months during the period of the last 12 months before the day of acquiring the status of an unemployed person, if the person belonged to one of the following categories during that time:

• A person who has regained the ability to work after being disabled;
• A person who has been taking care of a disabled child under the age of 16;

In these cases the person is entitled to the benefit only if the applicant registers with the State Employment Agency no later than one month after regaining the ability to work, or no later than one month after the disabled child reaches age 16 (or after the death of the child not having reached age 16).

Persons are considered to be socially insured according to the criteria established by the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia of 13 March, 2001, butalso those persons, for whom, after 14 March, 2001, obligatory social insurance contributions were required, but have not actually been paid or have not been fully paid.

When applying for the unemployment benefit, the person must submit:

• Application for the benefit;
• A document proving change of Surname, if the documents of the applicant contain different surnames;
• A document showing duration of the insurance (record of employment, records from the archives or employment contracts and record of employment termination, etc.).
• Child’s birth certificate (If the applicant of the benefit, before gaining the status of an unemployed person, has been taking care of a child younger than 1.5 years and has been receiving the Child Care or Parents Benefit)
• Child’s birth certificate and Statement issued by Health and Work Expert Physicians Commission, establishing child's disability status (If the applicant, before the day of receiving unemployment status, took care of a disabled child until the child reached age16)
• Statement issued by Health and Work Expert Physicians Commission, proving that the applicant of the benefit has regained the ability to work after having been disabled (If the applicant has regained the ability to work after being disabled)

When applying for the unemployment benefit, a personal ID document must be produced

Documents can be submitted to any local Office of the SSIA.

Unemployment benefit is granted in accordance with Article 13 of the Law On Unemployment Insurance:

• From the day the unemployed person submitted all documents which prove the right to this benefit ;
• From the day the unemployed person submitted all documents which prove the right to this benefit, but no sooner than two months after gaining the status of an unemployed person, if the person has become unemployed as a result of the person’s own choice or if the person was terminated for cause.

The unemployment benefit amount is determined by taking into account the length of time the person has been insured, and the average insurance contribution wage, (in accordance with Article 7 point 8 of the transitional provisions of the Law On Unemployment Insurance).

Average insurance contribution wage is calculated in accordance with Article 8 point 8 of the transitional provisions of the Law On Unemployment Insurance, and with the CM regulation No. 32 of 25 January, 2000, “The Procedure Of Average Insurance Contribution Wage Calculation And The Procedure For Allocation, Calculation And Payment Of The Unemployment Benefit”.

For persons who, before gaining the status of an unemployed person, did the following:

• Took care of a child younger than 1.5 years of age;
• Has been disabled and has regained the ability to work;
• Has taken care of a disabled child who is under 16 years of age.

Then,

The amount of unemployment benefit granted is 60 % of double the amount of the State social security benefit (presently LVL 54)

The maximum time the unemployment benefit can be received is nine months out of a period of 12 months from the day the benefit was granted.

Unemployment benefit payments depend on the length of unemployment insurance (Article 9 of Law On Unemployment Insurance).

If the length of insurance is:
1 to 9 years – the benefit can be received for 4 months;
10 to 19 years – the benefit can be received for 6 months;
20 or more years – the benefit can be received for 9 months.

The benefit payment period is 9 months forunemployed persons for whom the last contribution before the day of gaining the status of an unemployed person was made by the State, as well as for those who after being disabled have regained the ability to work, or those who have been taking care of a disabled child until the child reached the age of 16.

The amount of the unemployment benefit depends on the length of unemployment. If the right to receive the benefit is for:

4 months, then
The first 2 months is paid at 100% of the granted amount of the benefit, and
The last 2 months is paid at 75 % of the granted amount of the benefit.

6 months -
The first 2 months is paid at 100% of the granted amount of the benefit, and
The next 2 months is paid at 75 % of the granted amount of the benefit, and

The last 2 months is paid at 50 % of the granted amount of the benefit.

9 months – The first 3 months is paid at 100% of the granted amount of the benefit, and
The next 3 months is paid at 75 % of the granted amount of the benefit, and

The last 3 months is paid at 50 % of the granted amount of the benefit.

The unemployment benefit is transferred to the beneficiary’s account at a bank or the postal accounts system (PNS).