The National Assembly adopted in the first reading changes to the Law on family benefits for children.

The main reason behind the changes is the need to clarify the regulations guaranteeing the right to monthly family allowances for children with one or two deceased parents.

The changes are related to the clear and explicit regulation that the relaxed regime for granting the monthly allowances for raising a child until the completion of secondary education and monthly allowances for raising a child up to one year of age is applicable to children from both possible groups, the report states of the leading committee.

In the course of the debates, Iliana Zhekova stated that the PG of GERB-SDS will support the bill to amend and supplement the Law on family benefits for children, BTA reported.

The proposals in the draft law aim to guarantee the right to monthly allowances for children with one or two deceased parents and to prevent different interpretations in the application of the texts related to the granting of monthly allowances to them.

In the additional provisions of the law, two new definitions are added - a child with the right to an inheritance pension from a deceased parent and a child without the right to an inheritance pension from a deceased parent, the deputy specified.

Parliament accepted in the first reading that social benefits be tied to the poverty line

According to Žekova, the main change is related to dropping the concept of "child with one living parent" from the additional provisions of the law.

According to the current version of the Social Assistance Act, "child with one living parent" means a child who has not reached the age of majority, as well as the child who has reached the age of majority, if he continues to study, until the completion of secondary education, but no later than the age of 20- age at which one of the parents (adoptive parents) died and who is raised by the other parent (adoptive parent), in case he has not entered into a civil marriage.

If the parent, the adoptive parent enters into a civil marriage, he forms a new family and the monthly allowances for a child until the completion of secondary education are granted according to the general rules, taking into account the family's income, she clarified.

With the dropping of this definition, it is possible for children with one or two deceased parents to continue receiving child benefits, without taking into account the family's income, explained Žekova.

She pointed out that guardians and custodians who are raising a child have the right to receive child benefits.

The main motive of the proposed bill is to regulate the provision of monthly benefits to a vulnerable group of children, namely children with one or two deceased parents.

At the same time, however, there is another group of children who remain outside the scope of a relaxed regime for providing these benefits without an income test, which also deserves attention and support, the MP added.

Between the first and second reading of the bill, GERB-SDS will introduce a proposal to ensure that adoptive parents who raise their children alone will receive monthly child benefits until they complete secondary education, she informed.

National Assembly

legal changes

child benefits