Forms of support for people with disabilities
People with disabilities have the right to various forms of support, designed to compensate for their additional expenses, provide access to healthcare, social services, and ensure a better quality of life. This support is provided by the state through different institutions such as the Social Assistance Agency, the National Social Security Institute, the Agency for People with Disabilities, and the National Health Insurance Fund.
Support for the Right to Education
In order to ensure access to education, children with disabilities are granted additional points when applying to educational institutions.
Children and students with disabilities and special educational needs receive general and additional support in kindergartens, schools, and personal development support centres under the Pre-school and School Education Act and the state educational standards. This support is provided by psychologists or pedagogical counsellors, speech therapists, social workers, and resource teachers.
Special schools for the education and support of students with sensory disabilities—hearing impairment or vision loss—are state-funded. They offer full-day schooling, meals, and, if necessary, dormitory accommodation. They may provide education from preschool through primary and secondary education, including specialized or vocational training and qualification. Exceptionally, these schools may also have nursery groups for children aged 10 months to three years, and may admit children from the age of 2.
State-funded vocational high schools organize training for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses after completion of the 7th grade. They study professions suitable to their health condition that they may pursue afterwards.
Students with permanent disabilities are entitled, under certain conditions, to receive a monthly scholarship during high school. These scholarships are funded by the state budget and granted according to the regulations of the respective school.
To support people with permanent disabilities enrolled in state universities, several measures are applied in accordance with the Persons with Disabilities Act and the Higher Education Act. These are implemented according to the internal rules of the universities and are tailored to the type and degree of disability. They may include the provision of accessible materials, adaptation of the learning process, scholarships, dormitory accommodation, partial or full fee waivers, and others.
Support for the Right to Work
In Bulgaria, measures have been implemented to support the employment of people with disabilities in specialized, protected, or regular work environments. They have the right to perform work that is not contraindicated for their health condition. They are protected from dismissal, which may only occur with prior authorization from the Labor Inspectorate following consultation with the Territorial Expert Medical Commission (TELK). They are also entitled to extended paid annual leave. People with permanent disabilities are allowed to simultaneously receive a disability pension and a salary or unemployment benefit, provided they have at least 12 months of insurance contributions within the last 18 months.
To encourage the employment of people with disabilities, the state and local authorities support the activities of specialized enterprises and cooperatives for people with disabilities, as well as occupational therapy centers, through various incentives, financial relief, and other measures, including funding through targeted projects and programs.
Employers with more than 50 employees must meet quotas for employing people with permanent disabilities. The Agency for People with Disabilities funds measures for employers of people with disabilities, including financial support to provide access to workplaces (adaptations, equipment, training and retraining, etc.), funding for targeted projects and programs of specialized enterprises and cooperatives for employment support and technological innovation, including appropriate working conditions; the creation of protected employment environments in Protected Employment Centers, and preferences for reimbursement from the state budget of insurance social contributions paid by employers for employees with disabilities.
The Agency for People with Disabilities periodically announces calls for project proposals for starting and developing personal businesses, for which people with permanent disabilities may apply. Conditions and deadlines are published on the agency's website.
Through its regional employment offices—Labor Bureaus—the Employment Agency offers training and provides employment to people with disabilities through various programs. Information about current opportunities and participation requirements can be found on the agency’s website.
Disability Pensions
People with disabilities have the right to receive a disability pension, depending on their personal circumstances. The following types of pensions are legally provided:
- Pension for general illness
- Pension for work-related accidents or occupational disease
- Social pension (not based on insurance history)
- Pension for military or civilian disability
Information about the conditions for obtaining and using these pensions can be found on the National Social Security Institute’s website. If a person is entitled to several disability pensions for different reasons, the highest one will be granted.
Monthly Financial Support, Targeted and Other Assistance
Parents/adoptive parents of children with permanent disabilities are entitled to monthly allowances under the Family Allowances Act, regardless of the family's income. These allowances aim to support families in raising children in a family environment and promote their social inclusion. They are provided until the age of 18, or until the child completes secondary education, but no later than age of 20. Guardians, custodians, relatives, or foster parents who care for children under the Child Protection Act are also eligible.
The amount of each allowance depends on the type and degree of the disability and is determined annually by the State Budget Act. It may not be lower than the previous year.
People over the age of 18 with permanent disabilities are entitled to monthly financial support, calculated as a percentage of the poverty line, depending on the degree of disability. They are also eligible for targeted assistance based on individual needs, type, and degree of disability. This may include:
- Purchase of a personal motor vehicle
- Housing adaptation
- Spa treatment and/or rehabilitation
- Rental of municipal housing
The Agency for Social Assistance reimburses travel expenses within the country for people with disabilities when the legally prescribed technical aids, devices, equipment, and medical products cannot be provided, manufactured, or repaired at their permanent address, and their presence is necessary.
Deaf and deaf-blind individuals have the right to free Bulgarian Sign Language interpreting services provided by a certified interpreter. Deaf and deaf-blind university students and PhD candidates are entitled to up to 60 hours per semester of additional sign language interpretation. The Agency for People with Disabilities maintains a list of Bulgarian Sign Language interpreters.
To support the mobility of people with disabilities, they are entitled to compensation for travel expenses within the country under certain conditions according to the Social Assistance Act and the War Veterans and Victims Act.
For more detailed information, you can visit the Social Assistance Agency's website about the support provided to people with disabilities.
In Sofia and other major cities, discounted public transport cards and designated parking permits are available. Other support measures are also in place, and more detailed information can be obtained from the local municipality.
Other Reliefs
To ensure access to various services for people with disabilities, a wide range of reliefs are provided. These include:
- Reduced fees for issuing personal documents and special driving licenses
- Exemption from vignette road fees
- Public service discounts—e.g., rail transport, museum entrance fees
Depending on their policies, municipalities may provide additional relief such as municipal housing, parking spaces, public transport travel, etc.
Additionally, some banks offer fee waivers or reductions for issuing and maintaining bank cards and accounts. Various cultural and sports organizations provide preferential conditions for people with disabilities, supporting their social inclusion.
Tax Relief
Tax relief for persons with disabilities in Bulgaria aims to provide support and encourage their full inclusion in society. Information on tax relief for individuals is published on the website of the National Revenue Agency.
In order to benefit from all forms of tax relief, an individual must have received taxable income during the year for which the annual tax return is submitted and must not have outstanding public liabilities subject to enforcement on the submission date. If there are any, they must be settled before submitting the declaration with Appendix 10, where the individual lists the tax deductions they wish to apply.
People with reduced working capacity of 50% or more are entitled to a reduction in their taxable income by a legally defined amount. If they are engaged in patent activities or earn income from such activities, they may reduce their patent tax, provided they carry out the activity personally and do not hire employees for this work during the tax year.
They are also entitled to a reduction in property tax, applicable only to their primary residence. People with permanently reduced working capacity do not owe tax for their personal car, provided that the vehicle meets certain technical specifications.
Parents and guardians of children with a recognized degree of disability over 50% are also entitled to personal income tax relief, with statutory amounts deducted from their taxable income.
Tax relief is also available for personal contributions made during the year to additional voluntary pension funds, voluntary health insurance, and life insurance policies—up to the limits specified in the Personal Income Tax Act. Information on tax relief for individuals is published on the National Revenue Agency's website.
In addition to tax relief for persons with disabilities, they may also claim other tax deductions up to the amount of their taxable income. These include relief for home improvements or repairs, voluntary insurance and pensions, purchase of insurance experience for retirement, donations, young families, children, children with disabilities, and cashless payments.
Useful Links to Institutions
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
Agency for People with Disabilities
National Social Security Institute
National Health Insurance Fund
National Revenue Agency (NRA)
Tax Relief – NRA Webpage
Local Taxes and Fees – NRA Webpage
Patent Tax – NRA Webpage
Key Legislation
Vocational Education and Training Act
Pre-school and School Education Act
Ordinance on Inclusive Education
Income Taxes on Natural Persons Act
International Acts
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ratified by Bulgaria)
This article has been prepared with the support of the OECD, as part of the project "Strengthening the Capacity for Implementation of the National Financial Literacy Strategy", funded by the EU through the Technical Support Instrument. This material is for informational and educational purpose only. It does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or offer to buy or sell financial instruments, or the provision of any other type of investment services. More information can be found here.
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