New Measures to Support the Employers and the Employees during the State of Emergency

The National Assembly adopted the State of Emergency Measures and Actions Act which provides for several amendments in the Social Security Act (SSA). The aim of these amendments is to support both the insurers, in their capacity of employers and the insured persons.

Terms and requirements during the state of emergency

• The terms related to compensations under the SSA, pensions, workplace accidents, professional illnesses, the control, and the disputes shall be terminated until the state of emergency is over.
• All applications, appeals and other documents related to the compensations, pensions and other benefits shall be submitted electronically with a qualified electronic signature or a personal identification number, or via a licensed postal operator. These documents shall be deemed submitted on time if the insured persons or the pensioner submit them with the respective territorial directorate of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) within 14 days as of the date the state of emergency is lifted.
• If the competent official fails to resolve on any of the applications due to the state of emergency, this shall not be interpreted as an implicit refusal.

Funds for remunerations from the “Unemployment” fund

• Until the expiry of the Act, but no longer than 3 months as of its adoption, the NSSI shall pay the insurers 60 % of the total amount of their employees` social security income. The requirements for the insurers entitled to this benefit shall be listed in an act adopted by the Council of Ministers.

• If the insurers, in their capacity of employers, fail to pay their employees` remunerations in full, they shall return the money they have already received.

Recalculation of the pensions during the state of emergency

The retirement pension shall be recalculated ex officio as of April 1^st, 2020, if a person who continues working, has acquired the necessary length of service after December 31^st, 2018, but has not submitted the necessary applications.

Deadlines for the reports and financial statements of the pension insurance companies

The deadline for submission of the actuarial reports for the previous year, the reports on the implementation of the management systems of the pension insurance companies and, on their activities, as well as their annual financial statement and their activities report, is September 30^th 2020.

The news above is for information purposes only. It is not a (binding) legal advice. For a thorough understanding of the subjects covered and prior acting on any issue discussed we kindly recommend Readers consult Ilieva, Voutcheva & Co. Law Firm attorneys at law.