The €200 allowance is granted to people of retirement age whose monthly net pension is below €992 and who, according to the population register, live alone.

The once‑a‑year payment aims to support older people with smaller pensions who live alone and to reduce their risk of poverty. This year, the eligibility threshold is €992 per month. It is based on 1.2 times the average old‑age pension of the second quarter of the previous year, rounded to the nearest whole number.

The allowance is paid automatically and does not need to be applied for, said Alla Himma, head of the pension department at the Social Insurance Board.

The Social Insurance Board checks state registers to determine whether a person meets the eligibility criteria. The conditions must be met throughout the entire control period — from 1 April to 30 September.

Himma added that people who receive a pension from abroad had to submit information about the amount of their foreign pension by 31 August, because both the Estonian and foreign pension amounts are taken into account.

It is also important that a person's address information in the population register matches reality. If family members or other individuals are registered at the address but do not actually live there, this may prevent the automatic payment of the allowance.

When determining eligibility, it does not matter whether the pensioner works or receives other social benefits or income. Work income is disregarded to encourage older people to remain employed.

The support is not paid to people living in care homes receiving round‑the‑clock care services. Nor is it paid to individuals who are imprisoned or undergoing compulsory psychiatric treatment during the control period.

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