50-euro Christmas bonus becomes law, covering over 500,000 people

The sum of 50 euros will become the first holiday bonus to be granted by law, rather than at the discretion of the government. The funds are included in the 2026 draft budget, with the aid intended for Christmas and payment to be made in November. For the first time, the funds will not be directed solely to pensioners, but also to all individuals receiving social payments, as well as other specific groups. It is expected that approximately 507,000 Bulgarians will receive this targeted aid.

For years, various governments established the practice of granting additional funds to pensioners for Easter and Christmas. During the "Zhelyazkov" cabinet, Denitsa Sacheva from GERB requested that the social minister from the BSP, Borislav Gutsanov, prepare legislative changes to regulate these payments and make them independent of executive branch decisions. As a result, in the final days of the previous National Assembly, deputies accelerated the adoption of the respective amendments.

During the last payment, only pensioners received bonuses for Easter. They amounted to 50 euros for people living below the poverty line (380.63 euros) and 20 euros for those with incomes between the poverty line and the minimum wage. For the upcoming Christmas holidays, no such distinction will be made.

The sum of 50 euros will be paid to the following groups:

- individuals receiving monthly or targeted social assistance, as well as those who have received one-time support for incidental needs;

- young people aged 18 to 21 who, upon reaching adulthood, were placed in social or integrated health-social residential care services and are leaving them for the first time;

- individuals receiving energy assistance for the current heating season;

- parents receiving monthly assistance for raising a child with a permanent disability up to 18 years of age or until the completion of secondary education, but no later than 20 years of age, with these benefits granted regardless of income (Art. 8e, para. 1 of the Family Benefits for Children Act);

- individuals receiving monthly child support without the right to a survivor's pension from a deceased parent (Art. 8f, para. 1 of the same act);

- children placed with relatives, close friends, or in foster families;

- war veterans assisted by the Social Assistance Agency;

- disabled veterans and war victims who also receive support from social services.

However, it is expected that some pensioners who previously relied on such bonuses will not receive the funds. The reason is that although their incomes may be below the poverty line, they have not applied for social assistance or do not meet the criteria for receiving it for various reasons.