site.btaOne in Four Pensioners to Receive Christmas Bonus, Labour Minister Says

Every fourth pensioner will receive a Christmas bonus for the upcoming holidays, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov told a news briefing at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. The decision was taken at the regular meeting of the Cabinet earlier in the day. 

Those who receive pensions and allowances up to the poverty line of BGN 638 will receive a Christmas bonus of BGN 120. According to estimates, in December their number will be around 536,000 people. Christmas bonuses will require BGN 64.32 million, the Minister specified. He assured the pensioners who will receive the bonuses that "the calculations have been made, the money is there, and everything will be fine." 

Gutsanov said that the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is currently working on a law to make the allocation of Christmas and Easter bonuses more precise. The goal is for not only pensioners but also vulnerable citizens to receive such bonuses. The Minister said that they are figuring out exactly how to do this. For example, sometimes a mother needs the bonuses because she lives below the poverty line. Other times, however, she is at the poverty line but has other income, like renting out apartments or leasing land. In other words, very accurate checks must be made. The National Revenue Agency will also be involved in drafting this bill, the Minister emphasized. The goal is to ensure fairness and that Bulgarian citizens who need support actually receive it and that no one is disadvantaged. 

Gutsanov reported a success in the social sphere that has not happened in recent years - the increase in the minimum wage, the funds for maternity benefits in the second year of maternity leave, and compliance with the so-called Swiss rule, according to which pensions are increased every year. "We have largely achieved what we set out to do," he said. According to him, what has been done in the social sphere in next year's budget is a serious step forward.

Asked if he liked the proposed state budget, he said that there is no social minister who does not want more. But at the same time, the achievements in this budget are indisputable, and it is no coincidence that it is said to be the most social one, the Minister said. As for salaries in the public sector, and specifically in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Gutsanov asked whether salaries of around BGN 1,600 to 1,700 at the Social Assistance Agency or salaries of around BGN 2,100 at the National Employment Agency are high. According to Gutsanov, the figures should be commented on very carefully because the people in these departments "have to face all the problems that come to them from people with disabilities, mothers, etc. with a smile." Not everything should be lumped together, Gutsanov said.