The pensions of 1.2 million Bulgarians who ended their service by 2001 will be calculated again as of October 1 in order to do away with a social injustice, BTA reported.

An average increase of 8.5 per cent is expected, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said during a visit to a home for elderly people in Balchik on Thursday.

The Prime Minister told the elderly people that the government will continue to implement its active policy "For Dignified Old Age". The implementation of the budget is closely followed in order to determine the size of the Christmas pension, he said. He recalled that the bonus was 25 leva in 2005 and 100 leva in 2007, and said that this year's Christmas pension will be quite larger.

Energy support this coming winter will be increased by 60 per cent, and it will be available to 360,000 families, Stanishev further said. According to him, the people who are worst hit by inflation will be supported by individual financial packages for the winter.