By Michal Koreh
The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
John Gal
The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem
Refaela Cohen
The National Insurance Institute, Jerusalem, Israel
This article presents comparative findings of social assistance schemes in eight countries and compares them with the Israeli social assistance scheme. The findings show that these schemes, which are designed to provide a minimum income to families and individuals lacking sufficient resources for subsistence, have similar basic features. T hey are all allocated according to the principle of need and are conditioned upon various income and work tests. Though sharing common features, the characteristics of the schemes vary significantly, leading to considerable differences in: the scope of population that is entitled to benefits, in the relative generosity of benefits provided by the scheme; overall expenditure on the scheme; and the effectiveness in combating poverty.
An examination of the Israeli program indicates that while overall expenditure corresponds to expenditures in the countries compared, the percentage of recipients is considerably higher, indicating the program's central r ole in the Israeli social security system. While the Israeli program is comparatively liberal in its treatment of applicants' capital an d assets, it i s particular strict towards car ownership (which annuls t he rig ht to benefits). Moreover so, it has a comparatively rigid approach towards recipients that do not comply with the program's requirements. The benefits in the Israeli scheme are comparatively low, especially following the 2002-2003 cutbacks. As a result the program's effectiveness in combating poverty is limited.