The Cabinet approved Christmas supplements for pensioners at its meeting today. For this purpose, the government will allocate 64 million leva to the budget of the National Social Security Institute, Nova TV reports.
On November 20, the government approved their payment after a meeting of the Joint Management Council.
At a briefing, Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov indicated that every fourth pensioner will receive a Christmas supplement. "64.3 million leva will be needed to pay them. We have calculated, the money is available in the budget, all pensioners who should receive them should rest assured. Currently, in the Social Ministry, we are working according to the law, so that the Christmas and Easter supplements are legally established. It will support all vulnerable segments of society. People who have pensions up to the poverty line, but have other incomes, will not be covered, we will conduct an analysis in cooperation with the National Revenue Agency. No one will be harmed", assured Gutsanov. He defined the draft budget as social.
About 536 thousand elderly people will receive 120 leva in addition to their pensions for December. The supplement is only for those who fall below the poverty line, which this year is 638 leva. The proposal came from GERB-SDF, and was later supported by "DPS Novo nacholu".
And Denitsa Sacheva announced that the government will propose a mechanism to regulate the Christmas supplements through a law. According to her, GERB has sent a letter to Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov, in which they have requested a legislative solution. The idea is for the supplement to reach the poorest as a new type of social assistance. However, this will happen within the next year.