site.btaParliament Determines Scope of People Entitled to Personal Care

Sofia,November 20 (BTA) - The National Assembly Friday passed
conclusively amendments to the Personal Care Act determining, as
 of the start of 2021, the scope of people entitled to personal
care depending on the actual need for such care funded by public
 money and intended for the neediest and  most vulnerable
people. 
The amendments specify that the Personal Care Act is in effect
only on Bulgarian territory, and replace the term "persons with
disabilities" with "users".

A "user" is identified as a person with permanent disability of
a determined type and level or a level of permanently reduced
work capacity who is entitled to attendance; children with 90
per cent or over disability or permanently reduced work capacity
 who are not entitled to attendance.

If the user is a minor or a person placed under complete
judicial disability, they are represented by their legal
guardian. If the user is under age or has been placed under
partial judicial disability, they need the consent of their
parent/adoptive parent or legal guardian.

The maximum personal care hours remain 168 a month. These hours
are determined in accordance with the existing four levels of
dependence on another person's intensive support in the
performance of various activities. Users with a level one
dependence are entitled to up to 14 hours of personal care a
month, level two to no more than 42 hours, level three to a
maximum of 84 hours, and level four to no more than 168 hours a
month.
       
The revisions improve the mechanism for control over the
provision of personal care. Violations and irregularities can
result in suspension of personal care.    

The amendments also guarantee that municipalities will have the
funds necessary to achieve sustainability and better quality of
the personal care provided, by supplying a given municipality
with resources to administer personal care in accordance with
the monthly hours of personal care received by the users in that
 municipality.

RY/DS