The Economic and Social Council is organizing a public forum on the future of social payments and legislation in the field of social support. Representatives of business, unions, NGOs and the government will participate in the discussion.
Among the main topics are the size and adequacy of payments financed with public funds, as well as the coordination between different forms of support for vulnerable groups. The need for changes in the regulatory framework will also be discussed so that the system better responds to socio-economic changes and crises.
A common Code of Social Support is proposed
The participants will consider the proposal to unify the fragmented regulation of social payments into a Code of Social Support. As a possible next step, the development of a clear roadmap towards its creation will also be discussed.
The debate will be based on already adopted ESC opinions and analyses. They highlight the need for better coordination between the individual segments of the system and the application of common principles such as adequacy, purposefulness, timeliness, transparency and sustainability.
The ESC has also supported the need to develop a Social Support Code in its 2022 opinion, which proposes to unify and update the rules for the various elements of social assistance.
Over 60 types of payments under different laws
In front of the Bulgarian National Radio, the Chairwoman of the ESC Zornitsa Rusinova stated that currently there are over 60 social payments under different laws. She pointed out that there are significant funds and a large number of people covered, but according to NSI data she cited, 29 percent of the population is at risk of poverty.
According to her, the goal of such a change would be to build a more comprehensive model of social support that would help people who have fallen into poverty to receive the necessary assistance and get out of this state.
The forum is about to outline the positions of the participating countries and possible legislative steps. A preliminary decision to adopt a Code of Social Support has not been announced.
Sources: Bulgarian National Radio, Economic and Social Council