Municipal institutions are presenting their budget-2026 projects at the meetings of the relevant committees. Thus, the Department of Welfare has decided to increase allocations – in these times of financial cuts, this is valuable in every sense.
Forced Measure
A total of 3,740,230 euros is planned to increase the overall amount of social benefits – for example, for the maintenance of a child in foster care (75% of the minimum wage), and crisis benefits (equal to the minimum wage). In 2026, the threshold for minimum income will increase (from 754.74 euros to 850.02 euros), which is used to determine the status of a needy/low-income household and the threshold for guaranteed minimum income.
The necessary funding for housing benefits will increase, as the rates for heating, waste disposal, and natural gas significantly rise. A substantial increase of 1,337,700 euros will be allocated for child birth benefits. As a new type of benefit, support for food for children in foster care will be directed in the amount of 710,190 euros. The allowance for the duties of foster families needs to be increased by 912,672 euros.
4,799,826 euros will go towards the payment of social services, of which 4,071,759 euros will cover home care services, as the proportion of seniors and individuals with severe functional impairments among Riga's residents is growing. In the first nine months of 2025, home care in Riga was provided to 8,625 clients – 1,276 children and 7,349 adults.
Municipal vouchers along with the pensions of clients from social centers should cover 90% of the payment for seniors who will receive care – the remainder will be covered by relatives.
2,129,466 euros will be added to support for children, families, and out-of-family care – among other things, for an additional 20 places for long-term social care and social rehabilitation services for children in the institution. During the summer, 77 more minors with functional impairments will be able to rest at the expense of the municipality. An additional 396,499 euros will be allocated for group apartments and workshops for the disabled.
And health?
As a result, the total expenses for social needs in Riga will increase by 27,383,686 euros in 2026, of which 14,015,012 euros will be municipal subsidies, 13,259,843 euros will be state funding, and 108,831 euros will come from budget institutions.
At the same time, funding for the item "ensuring healthcare accessibility, promoting health and family health" has been reduced by 209,740 euros. As stated in the document being reviewed today by the Riga City Council's Social Affairs Committee, the control figures for income and expenditure in the 2026 budget do not include funding for services approved by the mandatory regulations No. RD-25-319-sn of January 22, 2025, i.e., for the complex of social services at 37 Burtnieku Street. It was planned to place group apartments under the social rehabilitation program with accommodation for mothers with intellectual disabilities and their children, in the amount of 299,868 euros.
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