One-off benefits for students who continue their studies in the second, third and fourth grades will now be granted without the need for a certificate that the child is enrolled in school. The requirement was dropped after the National Assembly voted on the proposal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to change the Law on Family Benefits for Children, adopted with the State Budget Act for 2023. It enables the employees of the Agency for Social support (ASP) to officially check children continuing their studies up to the fourth grade. Applications submitted to date, for which a certificate has not been submitted, will be reviewed ex officio.

For students in grades one and eight, proof of enrollment in the appropriate grade remains, as there is pre-ranking and enrollment for these grades. The certificate is required in case families want to receive the aid before the start of the school year. When this is not presented, the aid can be paid after October 15, after the ASP has officially received from the Ministry of Education and Science the data on the students actually enrolled in the relevant class for the school year.

Applications for one-off aid for students must be submitted by October 15 at the latest.

According to the State Budget Act for 2023, promulgated in no. 66 of the State Gazette of 01.08.2023, the amount of the one-time aid for students for the academic year 2023/2024 remains at BGN 300, which will be paid twice - BGN 150 for each term. The amounts of other types of family benefits, which are determined by the State Budget Act for 2023, are also preserved.

More information about the types of assistance provided by the Social Assistance Agency and the ways to submit applications for them is published on the website https://asp.government.bg/, section "Social Assistance".

With the Public Social Insurance Budget Act (PSIBA), also promulgated in no. 66 of the State Gazette, the amount of childcare allowance is increased to BGN 780. The higher amount will be paid retroactively from January 1.