Britons living in Bulgaria. Guide to Bulgaria, Sofia and Varna

IT PAYS FOR BRITS TO LIVE IN BULGARIA - Gateway "Europe"
Bulgaria: For whose benefit?Unemployed Britons can now afford to live the high life, getting beer for 35p and a slap-up meal for less than £6 ... but they ...

A restaurant meal costs less than £6, and it can be washed down with a litre of beer for 35p or a bottle of wine for £3.50. A ruling in the Balkan state has forced authorities to pay EU nationals out of work in the country the same benefit rate they will get at home. And, unlike the high property prices in Britain, a two-bedroom flat in the Bulgarian capital Sofia can be yours for just £22,000. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in January, has one of the lowest costs of living in Europe. Eating at home is even cheaper - a loaf of bread is just 30p. It means Britons will receive £230 a month, which is more than the £140 -a-month average wage in Bulgaria, and nearly four times as much as the £60 a month that the average jobless person gets. Michael Witwer, 30, who lives in the village of Vratsa, won the case and is now getting e570-a-month - equal to £397. The High Court, demanding to be paid benefits in line with EU laws, which the country has signed up to. When converted to the local currency, the lev, £230 goes a long way.