NSSI: Disability pension is not paid based on an expired TELK decision

"24 Chasa" and the weekly newspaper for the second half of life "Club 100" are conducting a campaign to help their readers through personalized consultations with experts from the National Social Security Institute.

Within the framework of the special "Personal NSSI" project, every reader can send questions related to pensions, unemployment benefits, survivor's income, maternity, or payments based on a TELK decision. The experts of the social security institute will provide the most complete answers possible.

The answers will be published every month in the newspaper "24 Chasa", in "Club 100" and on the information portal 24chasa.bg. Questions for the NSSI specialists can be sent via email or by mail to the address.

Reader's question

"I was receiving a disability pension until March. In February, I submitted an application-declaration for re-examination by TELK, because the term of my expert decision expired. I have been without a pension for two months now. Why is the new decision taking so long, given that my pension is the same?"

Veska Ivanova

NSSI response

The payment of a disability pension is tied to the existence of a valid expert decision from the Territorial Expert Medical Commission (TELK) or the National Expert Medical Commission (NELK). The document must certify the person's permanently reduced working capacity or type and degree of disability – TNR/VSU.

After submitting an application-declaration for re-examination, the pension is paid under the conditions and procedure established in the current legislation. If the term of the expert decision has expired and the medical expertise authorities have not yet issued a new decision, the National Social Security Institute cannot grant or continue the payment of the pension based on the expired TELK decision.

When a new expert decision is issued and it determines a percentage of TNR/VSU that entitles the individual to a pension, the territorial branch of the NSSI makes the necessary assessment. If the legal conditions are met, the payment of the pension is resumed.

In such cases, the amounts due for the pension are paid retroactively in accordance with the provisions of the Social Insurance Code.

If information is needed on the stage of the re-examination file, the citizen should contact the respective TELK or the Regional Health Inspectorate. The proceedings for issuing the expert decision are under the competence of precisely these authorities.