In addition to receiving free medical care, all citizens are entitled to
a variety of social benefits, including sickness and disability pay,
pensions, maternity benefits, and family allowances. Most of these are
administered by the trade unions, but pensions are under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance. They are financed by the
central government and by contributions from the employers based on a
percentage of gross salaries and wages paid.
All workers are entitled to paid sick leave after three months' service.
In the case of accidents at work, there is no waiting period. Lump-sum
compensation for temporary disablement because of an accident at work
ranges in amount, depending on severity of injury and length of
service. During the period of disablement, the worker is entitled to
benefits ranging from 30 to 100 percent of his wage, depending on the
severity of the disablement and on his income. Prolonged or permanent
disability entitles the worker to a pension.
Old-age pensions are based on the years of service and kind of work
performed. The pensionable age is fifty-five for women and sixty for
men, but earlier retirement is possible for certain categories of work.
Pension payments range from 55 to 80 percent of wages based on a scale
covering the last five years of employment or, in some cases, three out
of the last five years. Higher rates are paid for work years past the
usual retirement age. Pensions are payable to dependents after the death
of the pensioner. Dependents also receive life insurance payments.
Cooperative farm members are entitled to pensions after twenty years of
work for women and twenty-five years of work for men provided they
worked 100 to 135 days each year. In 1972 it was suggested that 200 to
250 days of work per year should be required for pensions in exchange
for higher pension payments to cooperative farm members.
Pensions are collectible even if a person continues working. This system
was criticized by Zhivkov in late 1972. He suggested that persons who
continued to work after being eligible for a pension should be
encouraged to do so without drawing a pension but should, instead,
accumulate additional increments to their pension for each year worked.
In addition to old-age pensions there are pensions for special merit
payable to persons who have made an exceptional contribution to national
life and national pensions payable to fighters against fascism and
capitalism. All minimum pension payments were increased in 1972.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account