Sign in

Disability

Last update: April 4, 2019
Last update: April 4, 2019

Contens:

Employment of people with disabilities

People with disabilities receive a higher degree of protection in the labour market.

Vocational rehabilitation - continuous activity aiming at acquiring and maintaining suitable employment for a person with a disability, provided and financed, upon application, by the Labour Office. In co-operation with a person with a disability the Labour Office will compile an individual plan for vocational rehabilitation.

Training for a job - initial training of an individual with a disability for a suitable job based upon an agreement with the Labour Office. The training for a job may be performed with an assistant's support. The training lasts for a maximum of 24 months.

Specialised retraining courses - performed under identical conditions as other retraining.

Sheltered work positions and sheltered workshops

A sheltered work position is a position created by an employer for an individual with a disability based upon a written agreement with the Labour Office. A sheltered work position must be maintained for at least 2 years from the day specified in the agreement. A sheltered workshop is an employer's work unit in which a minimum of 60 per cent of the employees are persons with disabilities.

Contributions provided to employers

The Labour Office may award an employer a contribution towards the creation of a sheltered work position and a sheltered workshop. An employer who provided training for disabled individuals may receive full costs of such training for disabled individuals, from the Labour Office. An employer who employs more than 50 per cent persons with disabilities, out of the total number of employees, is entitled to a contribution.

Mandatory proportion of employment of persons with disabilities

Employers who employ more than 25 people are required to employ individuals with disabilities to the proportion of 4 per cent out of the total number of employees. The methods of meeting this obligation, that is employment relationship, acquisition of products and services or penalty payments to the state budget, are considered to be equivalent and may be mutually combined.

Assessment service and the EU

Each EU country follows its own regulations and assessment categories in the assessment of health conditions.

If an individual is outside the country where s/he is entitled to benefits, s/he would not normally be required to return to her/his home country for the purpose of an assessment. In such cases, the state in which person is resident, may make a medical report that will be submitted to the State where the person is entitled to receive benefits. The State where person is entitled to benefits may then reserve the right to have the person examined by a doctor of its choice.

E-forms

Considering different organisation of assessment services in different EU countries, there are uniform European forms, so-called E-forms. In the Czech Republic the forms are completed in by GPs. However, the responsibility for the presentation of the form rests with the relevant institution.

Temporary incapacity for work

In the event of the temporary incapacity for work of a person who is subject to co-ordination of social security, that occurs in the Czech Republic, the person concerned may ask the GP in the Czech Republic to complete form no. E 116. The GP will submit the completed form, together with a domestic confirmation of temporary incapacity for work, to the patient who must then deliver both the forms to the relevant OSSZ according to the place of work of the GP, within three days. The relevant OSSZ doctor will authorise the E 116 form and OSSZ will send it, together with the Application for cash benefits in the event of temporary incapacity for work (E 115 form), to the relevant institution in the member state where the person concerned is insured.

Other claims based on unfavourable health state

In other cases, the GP only completes E-forms on request by the OSSZ. The OSSZ contacts the GP if it receives a request from the relevant institution in another EU member country for such an E-form to be completed in cases where a person insured by that institution is staying in the Czech Republic. This primarily concerns medical reports for the purpose of consideration of entitlement to disability pensions and family benefits.

Social assistance benefits for people with disabilities

Care allowance

The care allowance is regulated by Act No. 108/2006 Coll. on Social Services, as amended. It is a non-contributory benefit paid to individuals dependent on care. The State participates through this allowance in providing social services and other forms of social assistance needed by an individual to handle basic life needs defined by the Act.

The care allowance is provided to persons who are due to their long-term unfavourable health condition dependent on another person’s assistance when dealing with basic living needs: mobility, orientation, communication, self-feeding, putting on clothes and footwear, washing oneself, toileting, looking after one’s health, personal activities and household tasks. The amount of care allowance corresponds to the degree of “dependence on care" which is based upon an assessment of ability to manage the above mentioned 10 basic living needs.

There are 4 levels of dependence:

  • Grade I (slight dependence);
  • Grade II (medium-heavy dependence);
  • Grade III (heavy dependence);
  • Grade IV (total dependence).

Dependency on care of persons entitled to the care allowance is assessed by a medical doctor of the Medical Assessment Service. One of the sources for the final assessment is a home visit during which social worker employed by the Labour Office of the Czech Republic evaluates of dependency on care in the real social environment of the person.

Children under one year of age are not entitled to the allowance.

The allowance provided to persons below 18 years of age in a calendar month is:

  • CZK 3 300, in the case of grade I (slight dependence),
  • CZK 6 600, in the case of grade II (medium-heavy dependence),
  • CZK 13 900, in the case of grade III (heavy dependence),
  • CZK19 200, in the case of grade IV (total dependence).

The allowance provided to persons over 18 years of age in a calendar month is:

  • CZK 880, in the case of grade I (slight dependence),
  • CZK 4 400, in the case of grade II (medium-heavy dependence),
  • CZK 12 800, in the case of grade III (heavy dependence),
  • CZK 19 200, in the case of grade IV (total dependence).

The allowance is increased by CZK 2 000 for recipients who are dependent children below 18 years of age and parents of dependent children below 18 years of age if the income of the family is under 2.0 family’s living minimum.

The care allowance can be used for professional or informal care. It is up to discretion of the recipient of the benefit.

Allowance for mobility, grant for special aid, and certificate of person with disability

Act No 329/2011 Coll. on Providing Benefits for People with Disabilities and Amendments of Related Acts, as amended, regulates financial benefits (allowance for mobility, grant for special aid) and certificate of person with disability. Through them the State helps to reduce social consequences of disability and support social inclusion.

Allowance for mobility

Allowance for mobility is a recurrent obligatory allowance which is provided to people older than 1 year who are eligible for certificate of person with disability ZTP or ZTP/P and transport themselves - repeatedly and against payment. Clients of selected institutional services are not eligible, unless the Labour Office recognizes the reasons as worthy of special consideration. Monthly amount of the allowance is CZK 900. In the case of long-term use of home oxygen therapy or pulmonary ventilation the monthly amount is CZK 2 900.

Grant for special aid

Grant for special aid is a one-off obligatory benefit for aids not covered by the health insurance system enabling self-reliance, working activities, education, social contacts. The grant is intended for people with a severe disability specified in the law. Ministerial decree determines a list of aid for purposes of this benefit, for example: vehicle, guide dog, Braille printing machine, signal of doorbell, certain special modification of vehicle or flat.

Amount of the grant for special aid is settled under 3 regimes (aids with price under and over CZK 10 000, and a vehicle). The grant in the case of an aid with price under CZK 10 000 is provided only to people with income less than 8.0 living minimum. Some exceptions are allowed (when the person needs several aids in this price level, has higher income but is not able to buy these aids). The grant in the case of an aid with price over CZK 10 000 is not income-tested, client´s participation is 10 % of the price of an aid. Some exceptions for low-income people are allowed, but minimal participation is always CZK 1 000. The maximum amount of the grant is CZK 350 000, or CZK 500 000 in the case when the aid is a “lifting device". The minimum grant in the case when the aid is a “vehicle" is CZK 100 000, the maximumgrant is CZK 200 000 and the amount is set with respect to income of entitled person (and related persons).

Certificate of person with disability

Certificate of person with disability is “a card" which brings numerous favours/privileges in various branches. Eligible person is a person older than 1 year with physical, sense or mental disability that limited his/her ability of mobility or orientation.

There are 3 types of the certificate depending on seriousness of disability (TP, ZTP, and ZTP/P). A holder of certificate TP is eligible for using reserved seats in public transport means or for priority when solving his/her matter requires a long waiting with standing. Certificate ZTP, ZTP/P is a title to the free municipal transport, reduced fare on railways or regular coaches' lines, certain tax relieves, exemption from certain charges, etc.

Applying for care allowance, benefits, and the certificate

  • Applications for the care allowance and benefits for people with disabilities and certificate are handled by the contact points of the Regional Branches of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic. The person entitled to the care allowance has to submit his/her application based on the (permanent) residence, the eligible applicant for benefits and certificate can apply at any contact point. The addresses of the Regional Branches of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic can be found at https://www.uradprace.cz/kontakty-2.
  • Applications are submitted on prescribed forms. These forms are available in the Labour Office of the Czech Republic or from web sites https://www.mpsv.cz/formulare.
  • The appellate body is the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Entitlement to care allowance, benefits, and certificate

Persons – Czech citizens and foreigners - have a right to the care allowance, benefits and the certificate if they are registered as permanently resident in the Czech Republic and have their residence here. Relevant acts stipulate other eligible persons if they have their residence in the Czech Republic. In the range of persons covered, there are also EU nationals who are subject of directly applicable legislation of the EU (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 in the case of the care allowance and Regulation (EU) No 492/2011 in the case of benefits and the certificate).

Notice

This information has been simplified and is only intended as a rough guide. The full conditions for the granting of the care allowance, benefits or the certificate are set out in the legislation or will be explained to you, based on a more detailed knowledge of your own situation, by staff from the Labour Office responsible for making decisions on the allowance, benefits/certificate.

Contacts

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Na Poříčním právu 1, 128 01 Prague 2
Tel.: +420 221 921 111
www.mpsv.cz
e-mail: posta@mpsv.cz

Labour Office of the Czech Republic – Regional Branches and the Branch for the Capital of Prague
Na Poříčním právu 1, 128 01 Prague 2
Tel.: +420 221 921 111
www.uradprace.cz