Bulgaria: Easter Supplement of EUR 35 for People with Pensions below the Poverty Line

An Easter supplement of BGN 70 (EUR 35) will be given to elderly people whose pensions for this month are below the officially established poverty line - BGN 504 (EUR 258), announced Prime Minister Galab Donev. Thus, an additional amount will be available only for half of the pensioners. They will receive the supplement next week as a separate payment from their monthly pensions.

The reason that this time there are no Easter supplements for all pensioners is the fact that this is an extraordinary expenditure for the budget, and when they adopted the extension law, the deputies of the previous National Assembly reduced the possibilities of the caretaker government to make extraordinary payments. Acting Prime Minister Galab Donev explained:

"For some analysts, securing this resource is an easy job. I assure you it is not. We are providing these funds, despite the restrictions imposed on us by the 40th National Assembly, thanks to a saved financial resource from the caretaker government in 2022. I understand well, that this government decision will be perceived as unfair by pensioners who will not receive this supplement, especially those who receive just over BGN 504 from the poverty line. I can assure you that this was the fairest possible solution to the situation, in which the country is currently situated".

The caretaker government estimates that the most vulnerable who receive the Easter supplement of BGN 70 are people with pensions up to the poverty threshold of BGN 504. They are half of the pensioners in Bulgaria. The National Insurance Institute will pay the funds via bank transfer and through post offices at the beginning of next week.

Galab Donev also stated that by the end of April, the interim government will submit a...