Latvia, Markets and Companies, Pensioners

She said that the minimum pension for disabled people in the state does not cover costs of dignified standard of living. "It is not sufficient to cover costs of the needs defined by the lawmaker - food, clothing, housing, health care and mandatory education," said Silina.

At the same time, people with disabilities also have special needs in relation to health care.

The ombudsman reminds that the minimum pension for people with disabilities ranges from EUR 64.03 to EUR 102.45 a month, depending on the group of disability, while the minimum pension to people who are disabled since childhood ranges from EUR 106.72 to EUR 170.75 a month.

"A study financed by the European Commission established that the food basket in Riga in 2015 to ensure healthy nutrition was EUR 153 per person and EUR 574 per family of two adults and two children," said Jansons. The means that the minimum disability pension does not even ensure basic needs of food, said the ombudsman.

In order for the ombudsman to be able to turn to the Constitutional Court, he first has to address the respective lawmaker with a call to tackle the situation.