News

15 June 2026

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva sent a recommendation to National Assembly Chair Michaela Dotsova, to the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee Konstantin Prodanov, and to the Chair of the Committee on Labour, Demographic and Social Policy Venko Sabrutev, urging an increase in monthly benefits for raising children with permanent disabilities and legislative changes to end deductions from financial support when using the “personal assistance” service.

The recommendation was prompted by numerous complaints from parents and organisations representing children with disabilities, who have pointed out that the amount of benefits under Article 8e of the Family Benefits for Children Act has not been adjusted for the third consecutive year, despite rising costs for therapies, rehabilitation, medications, medical examinations, transportation, and assistive devices.

“These funds are not a privilege, but vital support for thousands of families who make tremendous efforts every day to ensure decent living conditions and opportunities for their children’s development,” the Ombudsman emphasised.

According to Velislava Delcheva, it is necessary to introduce a mechanism for the automatic annual adjustment of benefits that takes into account inflation, the minimum wage, and other social indicators.

In her recommendation, the Ombudsman also draws special attention to the issue of personal assistance for children with the most severe disabilities. Under the current rules, when using the “personal assistance” service, up to 380 leva of the monthly benefit for a child with a disability of 90 percent or more is redirected to pay the personal assistant’s wages. Thus, out of the total monthly support of 1,180 leva, a portion of the funds intended for therapies, rehabilitation, medications, supplies, and the child’s daily needs is used to finance the service.

According to the Ombudsman, this mechanism puts the most vulnerable children and their families at a disadvantage, as it forces them to choose between financial support for the child’s needs and access to personal assistance.

Velislava Delcheva insists that legislative changes be made to the Personal Assistance Act and the Family Benefits for Children Act so that the salaries of personal assistants for children with 90 per cent or more disability are fully funded from the state budget, without this leading to a reduction in the monthly financial support for the child.

According to data cited in the recommendation, such a change would affect 8,154 children with the most severe disabilities. It would ensure that the full amount of the monthly benefit of 1,180 leva is maintained to meet the child’s needs and, at the same time, would provide the necessary personal assistance as a separate form of state support.