Social law

Almost 1,200 pension applications are being processed per day by the Single Social Security Entity (EFKA), while last month, according to data from the Labor Ministry's Helios database, almost 30,000 new pensions were paid out.

Bulgarian deputies finally accepted the extension of the three main budgets - of the state, of social security and of the Health Fund.

Agencies at the Single Social Security Entity (EFKA) are running two parallel projects, in addition to the issuance of the pending pensions: main, auxiliary and retirement lump sums.

The additional amount to pensions of BGN 70 (EUR 35), with which to provide Easter supplements for Bulgarian pensioners, will begin today.

Pensioners who receive their pensions through post offices will be able to receive the additional amount from them as well. The rest will receive a transfer within the month.

The immediate relatives of people killed in the Tempe railway disaster will receive a special pension, as part of a package of measures announced by the government on Friday.

Around 40,000 pensioners will receive an advance payment of €100 by March 15 for their supplementary pension, and even retroactively for as long as it has elapsed since the issue of the main pension.

Beginning January 1, 2023, the retirement limit for women is moving up again, and it will continue moving until 2032 when the limit for women and men should be equalized at 65 years.

The door to retirement before the age of 62 remains open for thousands of workers both in the public and private sectors, provided they met the special conditions envisaged in the previous years.

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban stated, on Wednesday, in Galati, that the Government will increase the pensions "by as much as possible, depending on the economic realities," on the basis of "serious analysis, data and prognoses". "We work on analyses, on data, on serious prognoses, on impact studies and so forth.

The Senate plenary rejected on Wednesday the bill initiated by the lawmakers of the Save Romania Union (USR), providing for a 90 percent tax on special pensions. "The USR has been trying to fully abolish special pensions since 2016, but our efforts have been to no avail because of the hypocrisy of the parliamentary parties.