site.btaPower-Holders Are Now Looking to Ways to Secure Christmas Supplements for Pensioners

After government officials have said earlier in November that no money is available for Christmas supplements for pensioners, retirees on Tuesday are closer to being paid the coveted supplements as the power-holders started looking for resources for such payments.

First, MRF - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski said that the government must secure funding for seasonal pension supplements. Then, the chair of the parliamentary social policy committee, Denitsa Sacheva, said that she has written to Labour and Social Policy Minister, Borislav Gutsanov, to ask him to propose ways legislative solutions for such payments. Finally, the Minister said he has asked the National Social Security Institute to Do analyses and suggest how supplements can be paid.

Here is how the story evolved during the days:

Early on Tuesday, MRF - New Beginning said that their leader, Delyan Peevski has written to Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova urging the government to decree the payment of Christmas supplements for pensioners. The supplement should be BGN 110, up from the BGN 100 in 2024.

Later in the day, Denitsa Sacheva, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Labour and Social Policy, said she expects Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov to present legislative proposals for financial assistance to disadvantaged citizens ahead of Easter and Christmas. Sacheva shared her formal letter to the minister in a Facebook post.

Sacheva also noted that the current system of paying holiday supplements through pensions "distorts the pension model", as such payments should be considered social support rather than pension additions. Public debates on the issue, she warns, often escalate into political attacks and accusations of populism at the expense of the most vulnerable.

Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov promptly replied, telling reporters in Sofia that he has requested the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) to provide detailed calculations on how to secure funding for a potential Christmas supplement for pensioners. He acknowledged the logic of her proposal for changing the approach to such payments, but noted that doing that requires careful preparation and cannot happen "overnight."

Finally, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left put out a statement insisting on the payment of Christmas supplements to Bulgarian pensioners. “Over two million pensioners in Bulgaria live on limited incomes, which is why the government, with the active participation of BSP - United Left, is continuing its efforts to ease the pressure of inflation and rising prices of basic goods and services. The Christmas supplement is not charity, but a gesture of respect and support,” the political party says.