The Ombudsman Introduced Legal Changes to Protect the Rights of Orphan Children

Ombudsman Maya Manolova submitted to the National Assembly legislative amendments which concern the conditions for receiving a survivor's and personal pension from children left without one or both parents.
 
Among the proposals are dropping the requirement for retirement at the age of 25 to obtain a child's survivor's pension, as well as reducing the 3-year length of service of a deceased parent to 30 years of age per year, and for parents over 30 year - from 5 to 3 years.
 
Manolova offers another drop in the income criterion for receiving a personal pension. This will enable a child to receive a personal income without an income requirement in cases where a child can not receive a survivor's pension.

Manolova pointed out that the legislative changes will affect 5800 children. "These are the children of Bulgaria, orphan children, children with one or two deceased parents, and I think that the state at least for orphan children can allocate funds and to help them grow up on equal terms with other children," said the public defender.