Bulgaria proposes reforms to disability assistance payments, ending minimum wage link

Maria Todorova and Krasimir Papazov introduced amendments to Bulgaria's Personal Assistance Act in the Bulgarian parliament. The proposed changes would alter how personal assistants for people with disabilities are employed, paid, and insured. The legislation would end the link between assistants' pay and the national minimum wage starting January 1, 2027. Under the new rules, assistants' hourly rate would remain at the 2026 level, rather than reflecting a planned 6.4% minimum wage increase.

The proposed reforms affect a social program relied upon by nearly 80,000 people with disabilities. The changes are designed to alter national social spending and public finance policy in Bulgaria. According to the explanatory memorandum, the reform aims to save 228M euros.