site.btaMinistry of Labour and Social Policy Issues Report on Its Activities from January 2025 to February 2026

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy issued a statement on Friday, detailing Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov's and his team's work from January 2025 to February 2026.

Gutsanov reports that one of his successes within his mandate was the inspection of nursing homes for the elderly and the discovery of so-called "houses of horrors". According to the Ministry, 15 illegal facilities were terminated and 19 licenses of facilities that did not meet the standards were revoked. The statement adds that due to the tightened control, 405 licenses were voluntarily returned, and inspections continue. 

The Ministry notes that EUR 400 million has been allocated under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to improve conditions in state-funded facilities for the elderly. Funds will primarily go towards renovating all 81 state-funded homes for the elderly with 12 homes having already been fully renovated and renovations in the remaining homes are expected to be finished by August. 

The statement notes that Minister Gutsanov proposed legislative changes to provide Christmas and Easter allowances and that nearly 2,200 people with disabilities are receiving free high-tech assistive devices for the first time, after years of delayed provision. They will also receive electric vehicles and charging stations for social services, as well as photovoltaic systems. 

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy announced that over 3,700 people have applied for the "I Choose Bulgaria" programme, which offers various types of support to individuals who have returned to Bulgaria from abroad and started permanent employment. 

The Ministry also noted the allocation of funds to municipalities for disaster prevention and mitigation, increases in the minimum wage to EUR 620.20 and the poverty line to EUR 390.63 as successes.