The state pays social benefits to people with disabilities if they incur additional costs due to their disability, e.g. if they require special equipment, care or rehabilitation or if they incur costs related to transport, employment or studying. People can apply for social benefits from their local pension office.

The social benefits paid to people with disabilities depend on the extent of their disability, which is determined in accordance with their state of health, functional capacity and living environment, the help that is available to them, their need for supervision, and the additional costs they incur related to their disability.

The extent of disabilities is divided into three categories: moderate, severe and profound.

The degree of severity of disability of children of up to 16 years of age and persons of the retirement age is established proceeding from the need for personal assistance, guidance or supervision:

• profound disability is the loss of or an abnormality in an anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which the person needs constant personal assistance, guidance or supervision twenty-four hours a day;
• severe disability is the loss of or an abnormality in an anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which the person needs personal assistance, guidance or supervision in every twenty-four hour period;
• moderate disability is the loss of or an abnormality in an anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which the person needs regular personal assistance or guidance outside his or her residence at least once a week

The degree of severity of disability and the necessity for additional expenses caused by the disability of a person of 16 years of age until attaining the retirement age (person of working age) is established proceeding from restrictions on participation in daily activity and social life. There are the following degrees of severity of disabilities:

• a person whose daily activity or participation in social life is wholly restricted has a profound disability;
• a person whose daily activity or participation in social life is restricted has a severe disability;
• a person who has difficulties in his or her daily activity or participation in social life has a moderate disability.

The additional expenses caused by a disability means expenses on medicinal products, transport, maintenance of medical devices, household, use of the means of communication, clothing and footwear not financed from the health insurance and other state budget funds to be made at least once a month in order to reduce restrictions caused by the disability.

The disabled child allowance shall be paid monthly to a child with a moderate, severe or profound disability for compensation for the additional expenses caused by the disability and for the activities prescribed in the rehabilitation plan. Disabled child allowance shall be paid until the child attains 16 years of age. The allowance is 69,04 euros  per month for moderate disabilities and 80,55 euros per month for severe and profound disabilities.

The disability allowance for a person of working age shall be paid monthly to a disabled person of 16 years of age until attaining the retirement age. The disability allowance for a person of working age shall be paid monthly in accordance with the additional expenses, but not less than 65 per cent and not more than 210 per cent of the social benefit rate a month. The rate of social benefits for disabled persons in 2011 is 25,57 euros.

The disability allowance for a person of retirement age shall be paid monthly to a disabled person who have reached retirement age. In 2011 this allowance is 12,79 euros per month for moderate disabilities, 26,85 euros per month for severe disabilities and 40,91 euros per month for profound disabilities.

One of two disabled parents or a disabled parent raising a child or children alone is paid a disabled parent’s allowance of up to 19,18 euros per child per month until the child or children reach the age of 16. If the child or children are enrolled in an institution of basic, secondary or vocational education, the allowance is paid until they reach the age of 19.

Disabled people between the ages of 16 and 65 can apply for a rehabilitation allowance of up to 51,14 euros per month, designed to partially cover costs incurred in rehabilitation.

An education allowance of between 6,39 - 25,57 euros per month is available to young disabled people enrolled in secondary school (grades 10 to 12) or an institution of vocational or higher education in accordance with the additional costs they incur due to their disability. This allowance is not paid in the months of July and August.

In the event of work-based training, disabled people can apply for an in-service training allowance of up to 613,68 euros over a period of three calendar years.

A work allowance of up to 255,70 euros over a period of three calendar years is paid to people with disabilities who are employed in the event that they have incurred costs related to their disability and their work.

In addition to social benefits, the state compensates loss of income resulting from incapacity to work through the pension for incapacity for work. Right to receive the pension for incapacity for work have persons between the age of 16 and the pensionable age, who are declared permanently incapacitated for work with the 40 to 100 per cent loss of the capacity for work. A pension for incapacity for work shall be granted for the period of permanent incapacity for work. The amount of the pension depends on pension qualifying period in Estonia and on person’s incapacity percentage.

Families with disabled members have the right to apply for a subsistence benefit on the same basis as all others if their income remains below subsistence level once housing costs have been paid. At present the amount of this benefit is 76,70 euros for the first member of the family and 61,36 euros for every other member thereafter. With the exception of caregiver’s and disabled parent’s allowances, the social benefits paid to people with disabilities are not counted as family income when determining eligibility for the subsistence benefit.

Disabled people have the same right to state old-age pensions as others. They must have worked for a total period of at least 15 years. Disabled people who have not worked for a total period of 15 years have the right to receive a national pension.  

 Social Insurance Board

 Estonian Chamber of Disabled People