The first condition: continuity of residency
You must be an Israeli resident for at least 24 consecutive months and you must be at least 20 years of age. Under certain circumstances (such as illness, pregnancy, drug abuse, etc.) you can also receives benefit if you are 18 years of age.
If you have been a resident of Israel for less than 24 consecutive months, you may be entitled to benefits if you are one of the following:
Your spouse has been a resident of Israel for at least 24 consecutive months.
You or your spouse receives one of the following benefits from the National Insurance Institute: an old-age pension, survivors' pension, a work disability pension, dependents' pension for a work injury.
You are a new immigrant who has been in Israel for at least 12 cumulative months and 5 years have not yet elapsed from the date of your immigration.
orphaned child.
abandoned child.
sole-parent.
Separated.
One of the following situations pertains to you: illness, pregnancy, or extreme hardship.
The second condition: the means test
Your income and the income of your spouse from wages, from a pension or from the following benefits which are considered as work income: injury allowance, maternity allowance, risk pregnancy benefit, bankruptcy compensation, and reserve service benefit (The other NII benefits are considered as income from other sources; see below.) do not exceed a certain amount, determined by your age, family status and the number of people in your family.
Your income and your spouse's income from other sources: Payments and benefits provided by the National Insurance Institute and other entities, as well as capital and property (including property from which you receive no income, except for your residence) - do not exceed the amount of the benefit.
The following income is not taken into account: child allowance, benefit for disabled child, attendance allowance, mobility benefit, long-term care benefit, maintenance pay for a widow and orphans, special work disability benefits, an allowance or benefits paid to the needy under the Welfare Services Law and payments made by the World Jewish Congress to Righteous Gentiles.
Regarding a person who pays maintenance or child support under a court judgment to his wife or child who are not living with him, the amounts of maintenance or child support are deducted from the amount of his income. However, the deducted amount may not exceed the income support benefit due to him according to the composition of his family.
The third condition: the employment test is required for a person claiming the benefit and his spouse, who are one of the following:
Unemployed and registered with the Employment Service, from which he is requesting work under the rules determined by the Employment Service and which has not offered him to any work suited to his health and physical condition, or which referred him to vocational diagnosis and rehabilitation.
A person who refuses to accept work offered to him or refuses to cooperate is not entitled to benefit for two months.
A person receiving an unemployment benefit which is lower than the amount of the income support benefit is entitled to an income supplement, provided that he also reports to the income support section of the Employment Service and is prepared to take any work that is offered to him.
Required document: authorization from the Employment Service.
Period of entitlement: as long as the applicant is out of work and is requesting work under the rules determined by the Employment Service.
A person undergoing vocational training whom the Employment Service referred to a continuing education or career retraining course which is held during the day for a maximum of 12 months, and he is participating regularly in the course.
Required documents: authorization from the Employment Service regarding the referral for training and certification of participation in the course.
Period of entitlement: as long as the claimant participates in the training, up to one year.
A person working for a low salary – either a salaried employees or self-employed – whose income from work is lower than the amount determined for his age, family status and the number of people in his family, provided that he is working full time or he is working part time for reasons of health or because the Employment Service did not find him other work.
A person working in a sheltered workshop is entitled to benefits if he is working at the customary scope in that workshop.
Required documents: the last three pay slips and certification from the employer regarding the scope of the position and the amounts of one-time payments that were made in the past year (vacation pay, clothing allowance, 13th salary, premiums and so forth).
Period of entitlement: as long as the above conditions exist.