site.btaLawmakers Expand Group Eligible for Christmas and Easter Supplements

Parliament passed legislation to enshrine the so-called Christmas and Easter supplements. In a single session, lawmakers adopted amendments to the Social Assistance Act in two readings, as proposed by GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva and a group of MPs. The amendments expanded the group of people eligible for the supplements, which will be paid twice a year – in April and November.

The goal is to create a sustainable legislative solution and a sustainable state policy to support all vulnerable low-income groups, which can include single mothers, large families, and pensioners whose pensions fall below the poverty line. Until now, only pensioners were entitled to such targeted assistance.

There Is Such a People MP Tsvetan Predov proposed an amendment that provides for all children to receive Easter and Christmas supplements. The draft bill includes a restriction, limiting eligibility for the holiday supplements to children placed in foster families or with relatives, as well as people aged 18 to 21 who, until reaching that age, had been receiving social or integrated health services for residential care and are leaving such care for the first time. War veterans who receive assistance from the Social Assistance Agency will also be eligible for the holiday supplements.

The amount of the targeted assistance will be specified in the State Budget Act for the respective year. No additional administrative costs are expected for the implementation of this legislative initiative, and it will have no direct or indirect impact on the state budget, as no new social assessment will be required.