“We were alerted by associations and relatives of people with disabilities about the planned amendments to the Labour Code and the Personal Assistance Act. There are indeed many worrying proposals among them. First and foremost is setting the hourly rate for personal assistants at €5.24 and abolishing the adjustment linked to the minimum wage. If the old mechanism remains in place, they should receive €5.57 per hour; the difference is not huge. The formula must remain because it gives them security that their income will increase.” This was stated on the Bulgarian National Radio airwaves by Denitsa Ivanova, a member of the Executive Bureau of the BSP National Council and municipal councillor from the left-wing group in Ruse.
She added that the removal of the length-of-service allowance, differences in social security contributions and the lack of equivalent guarantees for paid leave and protection upon termination of a contract were also concerning.
“When discussing the increase in the number of TELK decisions, their credibility and the funds allocated for them, the problems must be examined in depth. Having such a decision gives many people access to a range of services. Let us examine the oversight of the assessments and of the doctors and specialists who issue them. Why should the most vulnerable group—the children—be targeted?”, Ivanova asked.
She was adamant that personal assistance is neither a privilege nor an administrative service, but a right of people with disabilities to a dignified life, independence and participation in public life. In her words, personal assistants are precisely those who turn this right into reality every day.
“No parent wants to be their child’s social assistant. Behind every contract there is a person who performs work; behind every hour of personal assistance there is someone for whom that hour may mean the opportunity to eat, get around, study and communicate. We in the BSP do not accept social policy being treated as a tool for savings at the expense of the most vulnerable groups in society,” the socialist stressed. She also expressed concern about the fact that the changes affecting thousands of families are being made without public discussion.
Asked about the arguments that this would give personal assistants the opportunity to take on other contracts as well, Ivanova said she did not accept them for several reasons: caring for people with disabilities is 24/7, not from 08:00 to 17:00; employers rarely hire parents of people with disabilities, these people are emotionally and physically at breaking point and have no opportunity to recover, let alone take on a second job.
“For all these reasons, BSP Chairman Krаm Zarков was also the first to take a position this morning and voice his criticism of these changes. We call for this proposal to be reconsidered and for a public debate to be held with the people who use these services and for whom they are a means of survival,” the socialist urged.
Ivanova stressed that at moments like this, the absence of the BSP from parliament is acutely felt on social issues. In her words, despite this, the left has a strong voice in local government and on the ground alongside the people.