Law on Social Services and Social Assistance (2002) Country/Territory Latvia Document type Legislation Date 2002 (2020) Source FAO, FAOLEX Original source Latvijas Vēstnesis, 168, 19.11.2002.; Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 23, 12.12.2002. Subject Food & nutrition Keyword Social protection Poverty Governance Procedural matters Public health Hazards Equity Local government Food security Geographical area Europe, Europe and Central Asia, European Union Countries, Northern Europe Abstract This Law provides for social services and social assistance. Its purpose is to establish principles for the provision and receipt of social work, caritative social work, social care, social rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation services (the social services) and social assistance, the range of persons who have the right to receive these services and assistance, and also the principles for payment and financing of social care, social rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation services. The Law defines “social assistance” as a benefit in cash or in kind the granting of which is based on the evaluation of the material resources of persons (families) who lack the means to satisfy basic needs. The Law defines “basic needs” as food, clothing, housing, health care and compulsory education. The purpose of social assistance is to provide material support to needy, low-income families (persons) and persons in a crisis situation in order to satisfy their basic needs and to promote the participation of persons of working age in the improvement of their situation. The Cabinet shall determine the level of income and material conditions below which a family, consisting of spouses, persons who have common expenses for ensuring the basic needs and who live in one housing, or a person living separately is recognised as needy, and the procedures by which a family (person) shall be recognised as needy. A local government may specify more favourable conditions for the recognition of a family (person) as needy in the binding regulations thereof. Full text English/Latvian Website likumi.lv