Social support from the state is in focus in the Council of Ministers. The government, employers, unions and the civil sector are discussing the creation of a Code for Social Support, which would unite all social benefits. The goal is more visible rights and more accessible support for those in need. According to Finance Minister Galab Donev, who opened the discussion, an adequate system must be created that guarantees protection for people.
"Social support should be considered as something broader than providing a certain amount, and its basis must be the individual approach to persons in need of support," he said during the meeting, quoted by Nova TV.
According to Donev, the codification should create a predictable, understandable and an adequate system of social support that simultaneously guarantees protection for people in vulnerable situations and encourages the restoration of independence where possible.
„The social environment is changing and requires the social system to adapt to each different life crisis. Incomes, prices, household structure, the labor market, the demographic situation and the risks of poverty and social exclusion are changing. For this, a future code must be stable enough to guarantee rights, but also flexible enough for the system to respond to reality," he said.
According to Donev, vulnerable persons should be able to relatively easily get answers to several basic questions: „Am I entitled to support?“, „What support can I receive?“, „For what period?“, „What is its amount?“, „What are my rights and obligations?“ and “What options do I have to restore my independence?“.
“In my opinion, we should consider social support as something broader than providing a certain amount. Of course, financial assistance is vital when a person does not have enough funds for their basic needs, but in many cases money alone does not solve the problem. Because a person may need a job, training, social services, family support or access to other public services. That is why the individual approach in the system is so important“, said Donev.
In his words, the adequacy of social payments is not limited to the amount of specific assistance. It is related to the way in which we determine the need, the subjective criteria for determining and updating the support and to the extent to which it corresponds to the real economic and social conditions.
“That is why codification can be an opportunity to build a more consistent and predictable approach to this issue. Support must be sufficient to fulfill its protective function. But when a person has the opportunity to restore their economic independence, the system must create conditions and incentives for this to happen. A well-constructed social policy achieves precisely this balance from protection and assistance to support for independence," emphasized the Finance Minister.
Donev emphasized that the system must guarantee adequate support for people in a vulnerable situation, but at the same time take into account the real economic and social conditions. "A system that promotes labor and economic independence where this is possible, and a system that simultaneously recognizes that there are people for whom social support is not a temporary stage, but a necessary part of ensuring a decent life, Donev pointed out.
“Ultimately, codification will make sense if we make the system clearer and more effective for people in a vulnerable situation, more workable for institutions and more adequate for the real needs of society,“ he added the minister.
The Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova also took part in the discussion. She explained that there is no specific deadline for the creation of a social assistance code, as this is new legislation that requires time, consultations and public consent. The minister emphasized that the code will not represent a formal unification of existing laws, but a review of social legislation with the aim of making the system work more effectively for people.
Efremova noted that social support is distributed among a number of different laws and regulations. According to her, a person often asks himself which law and which institution meet his needs, as well as what documents are required. According to her, this can cause difficulties for the person in need. "This is precisely the point of codification - not for the person to know the system, but for the system to recognize that he needs support and what it can be", Efremova further commented.
Regarding the upcoming payment of Christmas bonuses and the inflation check, Efremova explained that people will not need to submit applications for them, since the systems contain information about them and data is exchanged with the National Revenue Agency about their income. The minister specified that a person with a pension around or below the poverty line may also have other income, which is why their entire financial situation is checked. She noted that anyone who believes they are entitled to assistance can submit an application to the Social Assistance Agency.
Pensioners who are entitled to heating benefits are part of the target group that is also entitled to the Christmas supplement, Efremova said. She indicated that the supplement will be paid in November so that the funds can be received before the December holidays.
Efremova also said that an increase in the benefit for the second year of maternity is being discussed. Estimates have been made, but talks are still underway and additional resources are being sought, since the change requires funds in the social security system. She did not specify a specific amount.