This is how President Parvanov got involved with his intervention in the amendments to the Law on Integration of People with Disabilities. With a clear lack of competence in integration policies, the president was outraged by the introduction of an income measure for granting monthly support to people with disabilities.
Naturally, the government must legally supports the poor, and there must be an income measure for it. However, the “monthly integration allowance” in the current LIPD, is neither more nor less, than social support. How else can be called something that is calculated as a percentage of the guaranteed minimum income and serves to supplement the user’s income. In the specialized law, the monthly integration allowance is defined like amounts of BGN 9.75 for transport services, plus BGN 13 for information and telecommunications services, plus BGN 13 for studying, plus BGN 9.75 for accessible information plus BGN 9.75 for dietary nutrition and medicines. The monthly supplement also includes BGN 195 for spa treatment and rehabilitation services, although, paid once during the year against payment documents. In other words, if the person has not died, he must have a physical, visual and hearing impairment at the same time in order to receive 55.25 (fifty-five leva and 0.25) per month. In real life, the monthly allowance is between BGN 10 and 30, but it is paid to nearly 500,000 people, which makes almost BGN 200 million from the Minister Djankov “vegan pizza”. The problem, however, is not in the “vegan pizza”, but in the effect of eating it – it is not healthy, and its regular consumption leads to obesity. All negative consequences!
Try to stay in bed for only one day, but not because you are sick or just want to have a nap, but because you are physically dependent on someone’s assistance. How will the BGN 30 monthly supplement help you in this task? Not at all! They support the family’s budget and the person, who takes care of you, and therefore he cannot work for a decent wage. They keep you forever dependent on someone for whom you are just a burden. When in a special law for people with disabilities, these money are called “integration”, they deprive you of all opportunities for a dignified life and realization, which citizens without physical dependence have. So far, it is expected to be also in the future. Thanks to the “efforts” made by the nationally represented organizations of and for people with disabilities, thanks to President Parvanov and his populism, garnished with incompetence.
As a European citizen and taxpayer with disabilities, who wants to live with dignity in Bulgaria, I insist on hearing from the “advocates” of the monthly integration allowance convincing arguments and strong reasons for its keeping in LIPD!
The president’s metaphor of treating only those who have a temperature above 39 degrees and refusing to cure “healthier” is not a convincing argument. Mr. President, everyone should be treated, not to keep on artificial respiration!
I urge my money to be invested in useful initiatives, not to be wasted, eternized the lifelong dependence of a person with a disability on the family or institutional care.
I urge all politicians to take a disability rights training course, take an exam and to be withdrawn, if they do not receive a certificate!
I am not interested in national represented organizations – their capacity is limited, but if our politicians became competent, they will stop their subsidies for existence and insist for real results against the money.
Kapka Panayotova
Active citizen and regular taxpayer