site.btaRevisions to Labour and Social Insurance Legislation about Unemployment Benefits Passed Conclusively

Parliament passed conclusively amendments to the Social Insurance Code on Friday. The changes concern the procedure for determining the amount of unemployment benefits for those insured in Bulgaria and in a member state of the European Union (EU).

When calculating the amount of unemployment benefit for people who work for a short period in an EU country, it is planned to take into account their earnings for the last 24 months. Where the period from which the average daily earnings or average daily insurance income is determined, or the month in which the insurance is terminated, includes insurance periods acquired under the legislation of a country to which the European Regulations apply, the following shall be taken into account in determining the amount of the cash benefit: the earnings received by the person during his or her last employment; all earnings in Bulgaria as well as those in other countries to which the European Regulations on the coordination of social security systems apply for the last 24 months preceding the month of termination of insurance. 

MPs voted on international treaties in the field of state social security for the National Social Security Institute (NSI) to apply the European regulations for the coordination of social security systems. The NSSI maintains an information system on cash unemployment benefits received on the basis of length of service under the legislation of a country with which these regulations apply. 

Following a proposal of Desislava Taneva from GERB-UDF, MPs extended cash benefits for temporary incapacity for work due to occupational accident and occupational disease from 90 to no more than 120 calendar days for persons who are under contract for work during certain days of the month.