On a Bulgarian bank refusal of moratorium of a mortgage loan during COVID-19 outbreak 

The petitioner’s father applied to get a moratorium on his mortgage loan but the bank (part of bank group based in Hungary) refused to put the mortgage under moratorium on the basis that his father is retired. The bank stated that his income is not affected by the COVID-19 situation but the petitioner explains that that is not the case. The family is struggling financially due to COVID-19: half of the father’s pension goes towards paying the loan and the petitioner’s salary is used to buy food and essential medicine for his father’s medical condition. Due to COVID-19 the petitioner’s employer was forced to put him on unpaid leave. Without his salary the family cannot pay the mortgage and have enough money left for food and essential medicine. As the family income was affected by COVID-19 it should be possible to put the loan under moratorium and in that way follow the guidelines provided by the securities market regulators in Bulgaria and other EU countries.