Social Assistance
Социално подпомагане
Coverage
Persons residing in Bulgaria who cannot sufficiently cover their necessary subsistence from income/assets.
Financing
The scheme is entirely tax-financed out of the state budget.
Administration
- The administration and organisation of the scheme falls under the jurisdiction of the Social Assistance Agency (Агенция за социално подпомагане).
- Local welfare authorities belonging to the Social Insurance Agency manage the scheme (i.e. review applications, decide on eligibility, and pay out benefits).
Qualifying Conditions
- Persons residing in Bulgaria.
- Persons with income/assets below subsistence levels as defined by law.
- The applicant must not be able to receive (sufficient) maintenance from other family members, such as children or (former) spouse.
- Benefits are means-tested based on monthly net incomes and assets of the elderly person and his/her family (spouse and other cohabiting family members/individuals) measured against the monthly differentiated guaranteed minimum income for the preceding month; excluded from means testing are e.g. assets of BGN 500 per person, and under specific circumstances ownership of additional housing.
Benefits
- Types of benefits: monthly benefits; one-time needs-based benefits (e.g. exceptional needs, such as related to healthcare, education, utilities and others); targeted benefits (for covering reasonable costs for housing and heating).
- The amount of monthly benefits is based on the sum of benefits minus income and assets of the elderly person and his/her family.
- Benefit rates are determined and differentiated based on the age of the elderly, the level of disability (if present), and whether the elderly individual lives alone or not.
- Monthly benefits are typically granted as long as qualifying conditions exist.
- Benefits are not subject to income tax.
Coverage
Financing
Administration
Qualifying Conditions
Benefits
Persons residing in Bulgaria who cannot sufficiently cover their necessary subsistence from income/assets.
The scheme is entirely tax-financed out of the state budget.
- The administration and organisation of the scheme falls under the jurisdiction of the Social Assistance Agency (Агенция за социално подпомагане).
- Local welfare authorities belonging to the Social Insurance Agency manage the scheme (i.e. review applications, decide on eligibility, and pay out benefits).
- Persons residing in Bulgaria.
- Persons with income/assets below subsistence levels as defined by law.
- The applicant must not be able to receive (sufficient) maintenance from other family members, such as children or (former) spouse.
- Benefits are means-tested based on monthly net incomes and assets of the elderly person and his/her family (spouse and other cohabiting family members/individuals) measured against the monthly differentiated guaranteed minimum income for the preceding month; excluded from means testing are e.g. assets of BGN 500 per person, and under specific circumstances ownership of additional housing.
- Types of benefits: monthly benefits; one-time needs-based benefits (e.g. exceptional needs, such as related to healthcare, education, utilities and others); targeted benefits (for covering reasonable costs for housing and heating).
- The amount of monthly benefits is based on the sum of benefits minus income and assets of the elderly person and his/her family.
- Benefit rates are determined and differentiated based on the age of the elderly, the level of disability (if present), and whether the elderly individual lives alone or not.
- Monthly benefits are typically granted as long as qualifying conditions exist.
- Benefits are not subject to income tax.
Legal Basis: Social Assistance Law (Закон за социално подпомагане); Rules on Application of the Law on Social Assistance (Правилник за прилагане на закона за социално подпомагане); Family Code (Семеен Кодекс).