Frequently asked questions on the determination of disability during an emergency situation from 11.10.2021.

1. Will the procedures for the extension of automatic invalidity be changed during the exceptional situation announced from 11 October 2021?

No! The procedure for extending the pre-determined period of invalidity shall be the same as that at the time of the previous emergency situations.

So, persons who are in exceptional circumstances (from 11.10.2021 until their cancellation) or within three months of the cancellation of the emergency situation the pre-determined period of disability will expire and the person will not have submitted documents for the disability expert-examination, disability will be automatically extended for six months, while maintaining a predetermined disability group and extending the periods of opinion issued, if any, as well as any resulting social guarantees (pensions/benefits).

2. If i had an automatic extension of the disability in the event of an emergency which had already been announced in the past, will it be renewed in this exceptional situation, will it be renewed again?

Yes! If the situation of a person in the event of a pre-announced emergency (09.11.2020-06.04.2021) and three months thereafter, i.e. until 06.07.2021., has been established, the previously determined disability was automatically extended and expires on 11 October 2021 or later, or within three months of the cancellation of the emergency, and the person will not have submitted documents for repeated disability expert-examination, then extended period of invalidity and opinions, if any, will be automatically extended for six months.

3. Subject to an extension of the invalidity period of up to six months?

The previously defined disability is automatically extended for all persons with disabilitiesof which it ends during the exceptional situation (i.e. from 11.10.2021. to its cancellation) or within three months after the cancellation of an emergency situation, unless the person has submitted documents for the performance of the disability expert-examination in normal order in good time prior to the expiry of the prescribed period of invalidity.

If the person has submitted documents to the disability expert-examination prior to the end of the specified period of disability (also during the emergency situation), the disability expert-examination shall be performed in the general order, i.e. in evaluating the documents submitted and performing the disability expert-examination and determining the appropriate period of disability (six months, one, two or five years, disability without repeated term (“life”)).

4. Will all previously issued opinions be extended?

Yes! Persons who are in exceptional circumstances (from 11.10.2021 until their cancellation) or within three months of the cancellation of the emergency situation the pre-determined period of disability will expire; and the person will not have submitted documents for the disability expert-examinationin addition, the deadlines for opinions issued so far will be automatically extended for a period of up to six months.

5. Will an automatic extension be applied in all cases?

No! Automatic extension of disability will not be applied if:

• the period of invalidity has expired prior to the announcement of the emergency situation (i.e. before 11.10.2021);

• the child reaches 18 years of age during the emergency (the decision cannot be automatically extended because of other criteria for determining disability, changing support measures, etc.).

6. Is it compulsory for a person who has an automatic extension of the previous decision to wait six months to re-perform the disability expert-examination?

No! If a person's family doctor or medical practitioner has prepared a referral for a disability expert-examination, a person may submit it at any time without waiting for the expiry of the six-month extension period. The person's disability expert-examination shall then be performed in the usual order.

During an emergency situation, the person may submit those documents TO THE VDPE:

• when sending them by post to one of THE VDEPSC departments, THE addresses of THE VDEPSC departments are available on THE VDEAP website: https://www.vdeavk.gov.lv/lv/filiales;

• by electronic means via e-service in the single public administration service portal www.latvija.lv, adding scanned copies of documents

• when sending e-mail: vdeavk@vdeavk.gov.lv, adding Document Scanned Copies and signing a submission with a secure electronic signature.

7. In the event of an emergency, an assessment of the need for special care is carried out if documents have been submitted to the disability expert-examination?

For the provision of a special care opinion TO THE VDPE, it is still necessary to receive a questionnaire from the local government social service (SD) and an environmental assessment questionnaire (hereinafter – assessment).

In the event of an emergency situation, THE VDEADC will also send a request TO SD to carry out an assessment if the appointment of a family doctor or medical practitioner on the conduct of an disability expert-examination will be recognised as the necessity of a special care assessment or during an expert-examination, THE VDEPO will identify the need to do so.

The following options FOR SD action are possible:

1. SD, subject to all precautions, continues to monitor customers at home and performed day-to-day activities and environments the evaluation and the questionnaire is sent TO THE VDPE.

2. If THE SD, taking into account the risks and the limitations of the emergency situation, unable to trace at the place of residence of the customers, then:

1. if customer is known, taking into account the information available to THE SD on the person, her living conditions and activities, SD fills in the evaluation questionnaire and send it TO THE VDEB with a note that the assessment is based on the information at the disposal OF THE SD, without the presence of the client;

2. if SD does not have customer information, SD can organize contacts with customer in video call (WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype, etc.)) the completion of the assessment questionnaire. THE SD questionnaire is sent TO VDEAS with a note that it is performed remotely via video communication. The ability to visually see a customer provides more confidence that the person's health status is appropriate to the information provided in the questionnaire than can be found in the telephone conversation;

3. if SD is in possession No customer information and unable to fill in the evaluation questionnaire, SD will send VDEPSC information that: evaluation will not be performed at this time. As the situation changes, THE SD must assess whether it is possible to carry out a customer survey in a place of residence or to communicate in a different way and to send the necessary information TO THE VDPE. In such a case, THE VDEB will take a decision on the determination of disability, but the decision to provide a special care opinion will not be accepted.

3. If the person has submitted a submission TO THE VDPE for repeated expert-examination, including for the evaluation of special care, but SD refused or not possible carry out environmental assessment, VDPE take a decision to extend special care opinion for a period of up to six monthsbut no longer than will receive the relevant information from THE SD, which may change the previous decision.

! In a situation where the pre-determined disability status and the special care opinion have expired during the emergency, but the submission and all necessary documents for repeated expert-examination will not be received, the period of invalidity and the above opinion will automatically be extended for a period of six months.

8. Will the validity of the invalidity certificate be automatically extended during the emergency?

No! The validity of the disability certificate will not be extended automatically.

Persons who are automatically subject to an extended period of invalidity, Certificate the extended period will be issued at the request of a person only.

If it is necessary to receive an invalidity certificate with an extended period, THE VDPE shall be requested to issue an invalidity certificate. The request for free form may be submitted:

• by post, VDEQ department addresses are available on THE VDEAP website: https://www.vdeavk.gov.lv/lv/filiales;

• Electronicallyvia e-service EP176 “re-issuing of a disability certificate” in the single national administration service portal www.latvija.lv;

• ar secure electronic signatureby sending to e-mail: vdeavk@vdeavk.gov.lv.

More information on the issuance of disability certificates is available on THE website of THE VDEAS: https://www.vdeavk.gov.lv/lv/pakalpojumi/atkartota-invaliditates-apliecibas-izsniegsana.

! A photograph of the person is no longer required for renewal of the disability certificate. For the use of benefits, the disability certificate must be presented together with a personal identification document, i.e. a passport or ID card or a certificate of a student or student.

! Expired certificate is not valid. In order to receive benefits in places where the certificate is to be presented, for example in public transport, it is necessary to obtain a certificate with an extended period of time.

Given that more and more institutions receive information on disabled persons in electronic form, leading to an increasing reduction in the need for the presentation of a disability certificate, please consider the need to obtain a certificate with an extended period of validity.

9. What if the period of invalidity has expired before 11 October 2021 and the documents have not been submitted?

In these cases, the pre-determined period of invalidity automatically will not be extended.

A person must address his or her family or the medical practitioner with a request to fill in the referral to the disability expert-examination. The doctor will fill in the shipment in the light of the information at his disposal and will send THE VDEAP via e-services to inform the person.

Following receipt of information from his doctor that the consignment was prepared and sent TO VDEADC, the following documents must be submitted to the VDEADC:

• a submission regarding the necessity to perform disability expert-examination;

• completed functional capability self-assessment questionnaire, appropriate format photograph for the manufacture of the disability certificate.

These documents may be submitted by a person TO THE VDEPSC by post, filling in the e-submission portal. www.latvija.lvby signing a submission with a secure electronic signature.

For more information on how to submit documents, see: https://www.vdeavk.gov.lv/lv/pakalpojumi/iesniegums-vdeavk-par-invaliditates-ekspertizes-veiksanu.

After receipt of documents, as well as taking into account the information at its disposal (if any), the disability expert-examination will be carried out in accordance with the requirements laid down in laws and regulations and, within the limits of the possibilities, take a decision regarding the determination or refusal of disability.

10. What if the child reaches the age of majority in an emergency?

In these cases, it is not possible to automatically extend the previous disability decision as both the criteria for the determination of disability and the applicable support measures (including benefits) arising from the disability group, the severity of the disability and the type of interference are changed.

The person himself or her legal representative must contact the family doctor or the medical practitioner who will decide on the preparation of the referral to disability expert-examination on the basis of the information at his disposal.

After receipt of the necessary documents, as well as taking into account the information at its disposal, the disability expert-examination shall be performed in accordance with the requirements laid down in regulatory enactments. In cases where there will be incomplete information that will give rise to doubts as to whether the person meets or does not comply with the determination of the status of the disability, if this is possible, THE NCA will carry out the person's assessment on the spot or ask for additional information. If it is not possible to prevent any doubt, a decision will be taken in favour of a person for a period of six months, but not longer than until the receipt of new or additional documents for the examination of disability expert-examination and the issuance of a new administrative act in the case of the individual person.

Information prepared on 27.10.2021.