Nearly 29% of people in Bulgaria are at risk of poverty, the Chair of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) Zornitsa Rusinova told reporters during a public consultation organized by the ESC and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy at the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. The consultation was on the topic of challenges and risks associated with the codification of legislation in the field of social support and its impact on the adequacy of social benefits.
Rusinova said that over the past 10-plus years, many changes have been made to social legislation regarding people with disabilities, the separation of social services into a separate law, and changes to the way social assistance is provided, including the introduction of the poverty line. She added: “We can see, however, that despite a significant increase in resources – for example, under the Persons with Disabilities Act and the Personal Assistance Act, as well as in social assistance, which has risen considerably in recent years – one in three children in Bulgaria is still at risk of poverty, and nearly 29% of the population is at risk of poverty.” This means that the time may have come not simply to adjust certain indicators, such as the level of child benefit or heating allowances, but to seek a new model of social support, she concluded.
The ESC Chair said that such a large-scale change must aim to ensure adequate resources are available, channelled where they are needed, and lead to tangible results. “The goal is for people to achieve greater autonomy, lead independent lives and gradually require less support, rather than becoming increasingly dependent on the system,” she added.
Rusinova said that there are currently over 60 different social assistance and support measures available. She added: “The Minister for Labour and Social Policy [Nataliya Efremova] mentioned nine laws, while our colleagues from the Social Assistance Agency cited nearly 25 laws, so we are aware that sometimes even social services staff or local authority officials themselves experience difficulties in applying the legislation due to the frequent and rapid changes that have been made over the years.”
Rusinova noted that such frequent changes inevitably affect the people who are meant to benefit from the measures and services. She shared that she hopes that the ESC will be able to catalyse change for the better.
Nearly 29% of Bulgarians Are at Risk of Poverty – Expert THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-29 10:12:40
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