Sodra Urges Residents to Claim €4.6M in Sickness Benefits: Guidelines for Businesses

Over the past 12 months, Lithuanian residents have left more than €4.6 million in sickness benefits unclaimed due to unsubmitted applications. In response, Sodra has dispatched reminders to nearly 28,000 individuals via their personal accounts and email.

To receive sickness benefits, individuals are not required to fill out documents every time they fall ill. A single application (form GPS1) submitted through the personal Sodra portal is valid indefinitely for all future sickness or nursing situations. Furthermore, the application can be submitted retroactively, provided no more than 12 months have passed since the end of the incapacity period.

Sickness benefits are granted to individuals who have accumulated at least 3 months of sickness social insurance record within the last 12 months, or 6 months within the last 24 months. For the first two days of temporary incapacity that coincide with the employee's work schedule, the employer pays at least 62.06% of the average wage. From the third day onward, Sodra assumes the payments, covering 62.06% of the compensatory wage. When nursing a family member, Sodra pays the benefit from the first day at a rate of 65.94% of the compensatory wage.

For company accountants and HR specialists, advising employees to submit the indefinite GPS1 application is highly recommended. This ensures staff receive their entitled benefits promptly and reduces the volume of inquiries directed at the accounting department. Should an employee's personal bank account details change, they must update this information in the "Mano nustatymai" (My Settings) section of their Sodra account. Following a change, the employee must submit an updated GPS1 form marked "Patikslintas" (Amended) or complete form GPS8, which is specifically designed for updating the bank account for benefit payouts.