Reserve Service - Claims submitted by discharged career army personnel and discharged career air crew personnel

A person discharged from the career army who serves in reserve duty during the 90 days after his discharge is entitled to a reserve service benefit according to his career army income, provided that he began his first reserve service within 60 days from the date of discharge and less than 60 days elapsed between the end of his first reserve service and the beginning of the next.

After 90 days have elapsed from the date of discharge, he will be entitled to a benefit according to his pre-service status, like any other claimant.

A person discharged from the career army who was an air crewman can continue to receive the reserve service benefit according to his career service income, even after 90 days have elapsed from his date of discharge, according to a special agreement for air crews, provided that he meets the following criteria:

1.   The first reserve service began within 60 days of the date of discharge from career service.
2.   Less than 60 days elapsed between the beginning of one reserve service and the next.
3.   He is a student in an institution of higher education (only an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education) and began his studies within a year of his date of discharge.
A student studying in the Open University is considered a student only if he studies at least five courses in one academic year.
4.   He is not working as either a salaried employee or as a self-employed worker.

        A discharged air crewman who begins studying after 90 days have elapsed from the date of his discharge receives the reserve service benefit as follows: for the period between the 91^st day from the discharge and the beginning of his studies, he is paid the reserve service benefit at the minimum rate, and from the day he begins his studies he receives benefits according to his income from his career service.

         When a discharged air crewman who was discharged from career service does not meet the above criteria, such as having begun to work or stopped studying in an institution of higher education, or more than 60 days elapsed between one period of service and the next, he will not be entitled to receive the reserve service benefit again in the future under the “Air Crew Agreement” (he must report immediately on commencing work as a salaried employee or as a self-employed worker, or on termination of his studies).

          A retired air crewman is not entitled to the benefit under the “Air Crew Agreement” (but he is entitled to payment as someone discharged from career service).

        Reserve service in career service conditions - reserve service determined by the IDF as service in career service conditions is also considered career service with regard to the reserve service benefit, as specified above. However, if more than 60 days elapsed between reserve service that preceded the service in career service conditions and reserve service after the service in career service conditions, the period of the service in career service conditions will not be counted in these 60 days, and will be deemed regular reserve service.

For example: An air crewman was discharged on January 1, 2000 and since then he has been doing reserve service twice a month. Up to the end of March 2000, his reserve service benefit was calculated according to his income from career service. From the end of March 2000 to August 2000, he received the reserve service benefit at the minimum rate. In September 2000, he began his academic studies and then went back to receiving the reserve service benefit according to his income from career service.