Local authorities in Bulgaria have been able to provide vital services to vulnerable people during the pandemic, through its home care network Patronage Care for the Elderly and People with Disabilities.

When COVID-19 hit and a state of emergency was declared in Bulgaria, most public services were closed or severely restricted.  

It meant that local authorities across the country would have to find a way to provide vital services to vulnerable people in their homes.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy was quick to respond. With help from ESF funding, it set up the Patronage Care for the Elderly and People with Disabilities project, a network of mobile home care services that has so far supported thousands of people across Bulgaria.

Through the project, the Ministry’s Human Resources Operational Programme has ensured that local authorities have been able to support 9,783 people since March 2020, including people with disabilities, elderly people, and people who are under quarantine after returning from abroad.