Peer review on 'Work-capacity assessment and employment of persons with disabilities', Riga, Latvia, 26-27 April 2018

The peer review will be hosted by the Latvian Ministry of Welfare and discuss approaches for assessing and establishing work-capacity or disability, measures to improve labour market integration of persons with disabilities and the role of labour market institutions and other actors.

Latvia is currently in the process of reforming its disability assessment system with the aim of providing additional support services and active labour market policies to support labour market integration for those who are able to work.

Amendments to the Labour Law have been prepared and are currently under discussion. Such changes are aimed at easing the dismissal of persons with disabilities, as there is evidence that the current legislation has adverse impacts on the willingness of employers to hire persons with disabilities.

A range of support services for people with disabilities is available but:

• they are not necessarily bound in one package,.
• the overall process, concerning the person, is not sufficiently monitored and supervised.
• available services are linked to the disability status rather than target person’s inclusion into the labour market.

There are also tax incentives (personal income and corporate taxes) to encourage employment of persons with disabilities.

The objective of this peer review will be to discuss:

• approaches for assessing and establishing work-capacity or disability,.
• the most effective measures (tax incentives, support services, active labour market policies) for the labour market integration of persons with disabilities and.
• the role of labour market institutions and other actors in improving labour market prospects for persons with disabilities;.

The peer review will be hosted by the Latvian Ministry of Welfare and attended by government representatives and independent expert from ten other European countries.