Latvia | Ombudsman's Office informs about work in the field of fight against poverty

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia Juris Jansons has already submitted five applications to the Constitutional Court on the unconstitutionality of the amount of several state-determined benefits to vulnerable groups in the fight against poverty.

Ombudsman Mr. Juris Jansons pointed out that poverty causes social exclusion, therefore it is the duty of a socially responsible state to create a social assistance system that ensures a dignified standard of living and allows a person to fully integrate into society. Ombudsman explains that the state's obligation to ensure a dignified standard of living also follows from the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The relevant regulation provides that every person has the right to a standard of living necessary for his/her and his/her family's health and well-being, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, primary education, and social services.

So far, cases on social assistance have not been considered in the Constitutional Court, but the Constitutional Court has acknowledged that social assistance also falls within the concept of social security included in Article 109 of the Constitution of Latvia.

Source: The Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia