In 2023, UNHCR's cash-based interventions in Bulgaria evolved to address the persistent challenges faced by vulnerable households, particularly those with disabilities, serious medical conditions, single parents with dependents and older people without family support. Transitioning from one-off assistance to a multi-transfer approach, the programme provided regular support over 4 months to meet basic needs consistently. With a focus on refining eligibility criteria and aligning transfer values with government assistance levels, UNHCR provided financial assistance to 7 178 individuals (3 054 HHs) under its programme from July 2023 to January 2024.

To evaluate the outcomes of the cash assistance programme in Bulgaria, UNHCR and its partners conducted a post-distribution monitoring (PDM) survey. This survey was conducted following cash distributions with the aim of capturing a comprehensive understanding of the utilisation, impact, and contributions of the cash assistance to the well-being of the prioritised beneficiaries. Additionally, the survey helped identify operational challenges and opportunities for improvement in the delivery and management of cash-based interventions.

This report presents the results and main outcomes of the PDM, based on a randomised sample of 364 households. The survey was conducted through remote interviews from January - February 2024. Preliminary findings indicate that cash assistance was effective in responding to people’s immediate needs, alleviating financial burdens and improving their living conditions and overall well-being within the limited resources available.

Some key findings of the survey include:

• The top expenditures of the cash assistance included food, health costs and hygiene items.
• There was notable concern regarding an increase in prices in the last 4 weeks, with 43% respondents indicating that they'd noticed rising prices in food, clothing, and medicine in particular.
• 98.4% beneficiaries reported being satisfied with the cash assistance they had received. 95% households stated that cash assistance has slightly to significantly reduced feelings of stress, and 98% that it has improved living conditions, although this was only slightly or moderately for approximately 40%. This suggests that many families require additional assistance in order to achieve inclusion and self-reliance.
• 90% households reported resorting to 1 or more negative coping strategies in the past 4 weeks, indicating widespread reliance on critical coping mechanisms. Responses on the adopted coping strategies indicate a need for heightened attention and increased resources to assist the most vulnerable population.