Sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that may have many impacts on daily functioning after the abuse.
The National Insurance Institute is aware of that, therefore, in cases involving a significant decrease in working capacity, victims of sexual assault may be entitled to a general disability pension – for exhaustive conditions of entitlement to a general disability pension click here.
Please note that in case the sexual abuse occurred at the workplace, the examination follows a separate route and different conditions -
to learn more about sexual harassment at work, click here.
Important information:
- A claim for disability pension can be submitted to us even if you did not file a complaint to the police.
- A claim can be submitted regardless of the time elapsed since the aggression.
- A claim can be submitted for any kind of sexual abuse.
- A general disability pension is paid in cases involving a significant loss of working capacity due to the sexual abuse, and not for the actual difficulties faced in connection with to the sexual abuse.
Submitting a general disability claim
How to submit a claim for general disability pension is explained in this link.
What documents are to be attached to the claim?
- On must attach to the claim any document about your mental and medical state as result to the sexual assault – the document can be a letter from a psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist or any other party able to testify on your condition. At least one of the documents must be produced by a physician or psychiatrist.
- It is recommended that the documents detail the connection between your mental state and your capacity to work.
- If there are other medical issues unrelated to the sexual assault, relevant documents must be attached as well.
Helping Hand
Helping Hand Centers provide assistance in the preparation of a medical file and in submitting a claim to the National Insurance Institute.
Service is provided by a professional staff of senior specialist physicians in various fields – such as: psychotherapy, family medicine, internal medicine, occupational medicine and orthopedics – and medical secretaries.
To learn more about Helping Hand Centers, click here.
Summons to a Medical Board
- A physician of the National Insurance Institute will review the documents and refer the claim to a psychiatric physician (or another specialist physician if needed).
- After submitting the claim, you will be sent a summon to a Medical Board dedicated to victims of sexual assault which will be held in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva or Jerusalem. However, one can request for the Board to hold its hearing in a branch nearby the claimant's place of residence.
- The Board will be comprised of a male or female psychiatric physician specially trained for the treatment of victims of sexual aggression (you are entitled to require to be summoned to a Board with female psychiatrist and secretary). Please note that you can come to the Board with an accompanying person.
- The physician will address you and ask you questions. The discussion will be held after the physician went through your claim form and its attachments. Questions will mostly be clarification questions. Importantly, your voice plays a decisive role in the Board. You shall expose all existing difficulties and issues as a result of the sexual abuse and how they impact your working capacity.
Sharing the difficulties you are facing due to the sexual abuse with the physician will help him or her assess that predicament.
If it would be hard for you to speak at the Board, you may come with a prepared letter explaining your difficulties, in your own words, and hand it over to the Board. - In order to help us improve our service, you can complete a Medical Board satisfaction questionnaire on our website.
Receipt of committee results
Medical Board results will be mailed to your residential address or mailing address, if any.
You can also see the results of the Board on your Personal Service account on our website.