New sickness, maternity, and unemployment benefit rates in Lithuania from July

Lithuania is set to implement changes to its social benefit system, affecting sickness, maternity, parental, and unemployment payments starting July 1, 2026. These adjustments aim to recalibrate the support provided to citizens based on evolving economic conditions and average wages.

Sickness, maternity, and parental benefits will continue to be calculated on an individual basis, tied to a person's insured income. However, the minimum and maximum thresholds for these benefits are recalculated quarterly based on the national average wage. For the third quarter of 2026, these limits will be based on the average wage from the first quarter of 2026, which stood at 2,542.80 euros.

A significant change is coming to unemployment benefits. The structure of these payments, previously composed of a fixed and a variable part, will be altered for individuals who gain unemployed status on or after July 1, 2026. Those who received benefits before this date will continue under the old system.

The fixed portion of the unemployment benefit will now be set at 15% of the minimum monthly wage (MMA) applicable for the month the benefit is paid. With the MMA at 1,153 euros in 2026, this fixed component will amount to 172.95 euros.

The variable part of the unemployment benefit will remain dependent on the recipient's insured income over the 24 months preceding the month they acquire unemployed status. This portion will be calculated as a percentage of their average insured income: 45% for the first three months, 35% for months four to six, and 25% for months seven to nine. For example, someone registering as unemployed in July 2026 with an average monthly insured income of 1,500 euros before taxes would receive a total benefit starting at 847.95 euros (172.95 fixed + 675 variable) for July-September, decreasing in subsequent months.