2025-06-11
The National Audit Office found that the State Social Insurance Fund Board SODRA has not yet identified the full range of social benefits (periodic and partly lump-sum) allocated to persons but not paid to them for various reasons. The Fund's liabilities for such benefits are not reflected in the financial statements. This is one of the main reasons why the auditors issued a qualified opinion on the accounts of the Fund.
Implementing the recommendation of the National Audit Office, SODRA inventoried and recorded in its accounts a part of lump-sum benefits (EUR 1.1 million) allocated in the last four years and, after additionally informing the beneficiaries about the unpaid benefits, in 2024 paid them EUR 162.2 thousand (sickness, paternity, unemployment, occupational accident and occupational disease benefits).
"Following the implementation of the National Audit Office's recommendations, some people have already received their due lump sums which were on hold. After our observations, SODRA took action, contacted the recipients and asked for additional data to be able to pay out the allotted benefits," says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.
These audit results were highlighted by the representatives of the National Audit Office, when presenting the results of the audits on the 2024 set of accounts of the State Social Funds to the Seimas Committee on Audit.
The National Audit Office aims to make audits faster and more efficient, therefore it addressed SODRA to provide auditors with more convenient access to its information systems. These systems contain data on the activities of the State Social Insurance, Guarantee, Long-Term Employment Benefits and Pension Annuity Funds. Better access to information would not only help to speed up audits, but also to detect risks in good time and to assess the effectiveness of the management of the State's social liabilities. It would also reduce the bureaucratic burden and save time for SODRA staff responsible for data submission.
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