Pension payments will be accelerated and no delays will be allowed when the date for receiving them falls on a non-working day, a change in the Regulation on Pensions and Insurance Service is foreseen, the press center of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) announced.
Following the instructions of the caretaker Minister of Social Affairs, Hassan Ademorev, experts from the ministry and the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) prepared a change that will speed up the payment of money to the elderly.
Currently, post offices, banks and other payment service providers licensed by the BNB pay out pensions every month between the 7th and the 20th. When these days are non-working, the payment begins and ends on the next working day, the MLSP reminded. They commented that if the date coincides with weekends, it creates a serious delay, which creates financial difficulties for the elderly, as pensions are their only source of income for most of them.
After the change in the regulation becomes a fact, when the 7th or 20th are non-working days, the payment of pensions will begin or end on the previous working day. In this way, it will be guaranteed that pensioners will receive their pensions and supplements to them without delay, the MLSP believes.
This is another step towards realizing one of the main priorities of the caretaker government – supporting the most vulnerable, Minister Ademorev stated on the occasion of the proposal. The measure will not cost any money, but it will create peace of mind and guarantee the timely payment of funds to Bulgarian pensioners, he added. According to him, this is a long-standing problem that he is now finding a solution to.
The draft amendment to the Regulation on Pensions and Insurance Service has been published for public discussion. After the end of the consultations, it will be considered by the Supervisory Board of the NSSI, after which it will be submitted for final adoption by the Council of Ministers, the Social Ministry also said.
The payment of pensions in the previous month began on March 9, because March 7 and 8 were non-working days.