Early retirement
Early retirement is available up to one year before the ordinary pension age, once the required service is met, in exchange for a reduction that stays unchanged for the whole time the pension is paid.
Conditions
Early retirement is available up to 12 months before the чл. 68, ал. 1 age — the same for women and men — provided the required service under чл. 68, ал. 2 is already met (the same service that applies to the ordinary pension: 36 years and 10 months for women, 39 years and 10 months for men).
| Sex | May claim up to |
|---|---|
| Women | 12 months |
| Men | 12 months |
The reduction — and why it does not lapse
For every month short of the чл. 68, ал. 1 age, the pension is reduced by 0,4 % (чл. 70, ал. 14 KSO). Unlike systems where the reduction is removed at a later age, in Bulgaria the percentage set when the pension is first awarded does not change on any later recalculation (чл. 68а, ал. 3 KSO).
No provision was found stating a direct ceiling on the total reduction — чл. 70, ал. 14 states only the monthly rate.