More and more pensioners in Bulgaria are working so they can support themselves

More and more Bulgarian pensioners are working, the National Statistical Institute reports. Compared to last year, there are 47,000 more working pensioners. Many of the elderly are forced to work or earn extra income to support themselves.

Kostadin Kehayov is one of them, his pension is not enough to cover the ever increasing expenses of the family.

"If it's enough, we won't work, it should be increased so we can stay at home and look after our grandchildren," the pensioner said about the size of his pension.

Kornelia Hristova gets the minimum pension. After the latest recalculation, it is 467 BGN. Her husband’s is by 150 BGN more. Taken together, the two pensions were not enough to get them through the month. So they decided that the husband should continue working as an engineer in the company where he worked before retirement. Kornelia Hristova says that it was very difficult for her and her husband to live on their pensions alone. The family spent most of it on household bills and the rest on food.

Working after retirement is no exception in Blagoevgrad. In most families of pensioners, in the regional city, at least one of the two works. But if both pensioners do not work, people admit that they rely on their children and relatives for financial support.

"It's good that people have sons or daughters, they help their parents. Otherwise we couldn't support ourselves financially, especially people who don't work extra. I'm a pensioner, I work for insurance companies, I earn extra income and that's how I get by month to month," says Liliana Hristova.

Older people most often find work in the fields they were employed in before. Over the past year, the total number of pensioners in Bulgaria has decreased, but the percentage of those who continue to work after retirement has increased.

Even with salaries added to pensions, most pensioners admit they have no money left for entertainment, holidays, and very rarely buy new books or clothes.