First law: 1924.
Current law: 1993, 1995, 1996.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Exchange rate: U.S.$1.00 equals 13.67 Kroons (EEK).
All persons currently residing in Estonia.
Insured person: Employees, none. Self-employed, 33% of income equal to or above the minimum salary.
Employer: 33% of payroll (20% for pension, and 13% for health insurance).
Government: Some pensions (disability pension to disabled child and some supplements) and funeral grants.
Old-age pension: 15 years of service. Age 62 1/2 years (men) and 57 1/2 (women) rising 6 months per year, until it reaches age 63 for both men and women.
Disability pension: Full or partial permanent or long-term disability for work regardless of pensionable length of service.
Survivor pension: Survivors incapable of gainful activity.
Survivors include: children, siblings, grandchildren under age 18 or disabled; parent, surviving spouse or guardian not gainfully employed and raising the deceased's children, brothers, sisters or grandchildren under 14 years of age.
Old-age pension: Equal to the national pension rate plus 6.4% of the national pension rate for each year of service.
National pension: Set by legislature and adjusted for changes in the cost of living. 195% of national pension rate (410 EEK).
Disability pension: In three categories, depending on the degree of disability. Benefit categories are 295%, 250% and 195% of national pension rate.
Disabled child under 16: 200% of national pension (210% if entitled to survivor pension, 255% if orphan).
Survivor pension: For every adult, 210% of national pension rate; for every child under age 18, 200% of national pension rate; for an orphan, 240% of national pension rate.
Funeral grant: 1,400 EEK.
Ministry of Social Affairs, General management and supervision.
National Social Insurance Board: Overall planning and coordination.
Regional pension offices: Administration on local level.
First law: 1924.
Current law: 1991.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Cash sickness and maternity benefits: Insured employees, employers, farmers, individual workers.
Medical benefits: Insured employees, employers, farmers, individual workers and their families, pensioners, pregnant women, disabled, unemployed, and military.
Insured person: Employees, none; self-employed, see pension contribution, above.
Employer: See pension contribution, above.
Government: None.
Sickness benefits and medical care: Current affiliation regardless of length of service.
Medical benefits: Current affiliation regardless of length of service.
Sickness benefit: Percentage of worker's average income paid for each calendar day: 60% for hospital treatment and 80% for outpatient care.
Payable from first day of sickness: Caring at home for a family member over 14 years of age, 80% for 7 calendar days; caring at home for a child under 3 years of age (up to 16 years for a disabled child) if the parent providing care is ill, 80% for 14 calendar days; caring for a child under 14, 100% for 14 calendar days.
Maternity benefits: 100% of worker's average income for 126 calendar days; in the case of multiple births: 140 calendar days.
Medical benefits: Provided by state and local medical institutions: diagnosis, maintenance and treatment.
Medical benefits for dependents: Same as for workers.
Ministry of Social Affairs: General management supervision and planning.
Central Sickness Fund: Coordination of health insurance.
Local sickness funds: Administration of health insurance in counties and towns. Medical care provided by doctors, polyclinics, hospitals, etc. Benefits are paid to the insured by the sickness fund.
First law: 1924.
Current law: 1991.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Insured employees, farmers, self-employed and their families.
Insured person: See pension and sickness insurance contributions, above.
Employer: Same.
Government: Payment of compensation for injured employees whose employer is insolvent.
Work-injury benefits: All permanent residents.
Temporary disability benefits: 100% of average income until recovery or determination of degree of disability.
Permanent disability benefits: Same disability pension as in other cases of disability.
The responsible employer pays the disabled person compensation for loss of earnings from which the disability pension is subtracted.
Medical benefits: Same as in other cases of illness.
Survivor pension: Same as survivor pension above. The responsible employer pays compensation for loss of earnings from which the survivor pension is subtracted.
Ministry of Social Affairs: General management and supervision.
Local sickness funds: Administration of health insurance in counties and towns. Medical care provided by doctors, polyclinics, hospitals, etc.
Regional Pension Offices: Administration and payment of permanent disability benefits.
First law: 1991.
Current law: 1994, implemented 1995.
Type of program: Unemployment assistance.
Permanent residents aged 16 or over (up to pensionable age) who are capable of gainful activity.
Insured person: None.
Employer: None.
Government: Total expenditure.
Age 16 to retirement age, registered as unemployed by the employment service and with 180 days of work during the 12 months before becoming unemployed. Work may be: full-time study in an educational institution, service in the military, raising a child under age 7, treatment in a hospital, nursing the sick, being disabled or elderly, or in detention.
Unemployment benefit: 400 EEK for 180 calendar days. May be extended up to 180 days if less than 180 days remain until retirement age; up to 90 days if raising 3 or more children under age 18, if family income is below poverty level, during period of vocational training or community placement.
Ministry of Social Affairs: General management and supervision.
Labor Market Board with local employment offices: Registering the unemployed, job search, retraining, guaranteeing payment of benefits.
First law: 1922.
Current law: 1998.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Permanent residents, aliens with temporary residence permits and refugees.
Insured person: None.
Employer: None
Government: Total cost.
Family allowances: All children until age 16, age 19 if full-time student.
Family allowances: Child allowance: paid monthly to family with one child at one child allowance rate, with two children at 1 1/2 times child allowance rate, and for each additional child 2 times child allowance rate.
Maintenance allowance: paid to a person on maternity leave or non-working parent caring for each child under age 2 at four times child allowance rate; and for each child between ages 2 and 3 at two times child allowance rate.
A supplementary maintenance allowance: paid to a person on parental leave or one non-working parent if child is between ages 2 to 3 at two times the child allowance rate. A parent with 4 or more children is paid until youngest child completes first grade at two times the child allowance rate.
Child birth allowance: paid for first child at 20 times the child allowance rate and for subsequent children at 15 times child allowance rate.
Child school allowance: an annual payment for each child in school at three times child allowance rate.
Single parent allowance: paid until child reaches age 16 (19 if full-time student) at one child allowance rate. Foster care allowance: two times child allowance rate. Military personnel allowance: four times child care allowance while person is in military.
Start-in-life allowance: paid to orphans or persons without parental care who lived in foster home or school for disabled for at least 3 years in one-time allowance of 5,000 EEK.
Child allowance rate is 150 EEK.
Ministry of Social Affairs: General management and supervision.
National Social Insurance Board: Coordination and administration of benefits through local pension departments.