Families and heirs of everyone killed in the crash on the Trakia motorway will get a one-off payment of €8,000. The cabinet agreed the aid at an emergency meeting, labour and social policy minister Natalia Efremova told a briefing.
The crash near Zimnitsa happened on Tuesday, and Wednesday was declared a day of mourning. The injured were taken to hospitals in Sliven, Yambol and Burgas.
See also: Day of mourning tomorrow after Trakia motorway pile-ups near Zimnitsa
"We have just discussed it and decided that one-off social payments of €8,000 will be paid to all families and heirs of the people who died," Efremova said.
The social assistance directorates will pay out the money, which is meant to cover the families' first needs. It has been approved from the social ministry's budget. Under the law, relatives who show need can also get an extra one-off payment.
Social services in the municipalities will offer free psychological help to the victims' families.
Efremova offered condolences to the families of the dead and wished the injured in hospital a quick recovery. She thanked passers-by, volunteers, police officers and medics who rushed to help at the two incidents on the motorway.
Efremova also presented changes to the Personal Assistance Act, put forward by "Progressive Bulgaria". Under them, personal assistants will work under a new, special contract that is not an employment contract. People with disabilities will no longer have to formally provide a regulated workplace in their home. Pay will be calculated in a new way, using a rate.
The minister said the aim is better quality, a better-working system and more checks, with the independent living of people with disabilities at its centre. She said assistants provide a service rather than work under an employment relationship, and most often come from the close family of the person they care for.
"This will count towards social security record, and personal assistants will not lose any rights," the minister assured.
Efremova also said pay will not be cut and will certainly not be lower than it is now. When hours are reassessed, some assistants may get more.