site.btaLabour Minister: We Strive to Have Maternity Benefits Raised to Equal Monthly Minimum Wage in 2026
Minister of Labour and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov said here on Friday that his Ministry is preparing the budget for 2026, which will include an increase in the amount of money that a mother is granted for her first, second, and third child. The goal is for maternity benefits in the second year to reach BGN 1,100 to 1,200, which is expected to be the monthly minimum wage for next year, Gutsanov said.
Currently, the monthly maternity benefits amount to BGN 780. If the mother returns to work earlier, she receives 50% of that benefit. The Minister believes that this rate should be increased to at least 75%, as this is one way to "encourage young women to return to the real economy". He added: "The state needs young, educated people, and such financial incentives will help, including in dealing with the demographic crisis."
Asked whether the implementation of these measures would cause difficulties for the national budget, Gutsanov said that preliminary estimates show that the measures are economically justified and will not only not burden the fiscal system, but in certain scenarios they may even generate additional revenue. If the current level of BGN 780 in support for the second year of maternity leave is maintained, and only 10% of women return to work, by increasing the benefits from 50% to 75%, the state will avoid having to pay extra, and the budget will gain BGN 12.4 million, the Minister said. He specified that this amount would come from the taxes and social security contributions that women will pay when they start receiving a salary. According to the Minister, if the allowance and the percentage of it payable in the second year are increased, about BGN 10 million more would have to be allocated from the budget, which is not a significant sum.
/KT/
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