Two Insurance Tracks for Women

As of 1996, in order for a woman to be covered by old-age insurance, she has to comply with the following three conditions:

1. The woman was an Israeli residentA person whose life is centered in Israel. Criteria for determining this include: Israel is your permanent place of residence, where your family resides, where your children go to school, your primary place of work, or where you are studying. over the age of 18 years.
2. The woman was born after 1.1.1931.
3. For someone who immigrated to Israel - she immigrated for the first time before the age of 60—62 according to the month of birth.

There are two insurance tracks for women:

• Insurance for a “housewife”;
• Insurance for a “non-housewife”;

• While she is married to an insured husband, and does not work either as a salaried employee or self-employed;
• While she receives survivors’ pension and does not work either as a salaried employee or self-employed;
• While she receives work-injury dependents benefits and does not work either as a salaried employee or self-employed.
  

A woman will be insured as a “non-housewife” during the following periods:

• A working woman – during all the periods she works, irrespective of her family status;
• A single woman or divorcee – whether she works or not;
• A married woman whose husband is not insured – whether she works or not;
• A widow who does not receive survivors’ benefits or dependents’ benefits as a result of the passing away of her husband – whether she works or not;
• An abandoned wife – a married woman, two years after traces of her husband were lost or he has spent more than two years overseas, without her consent, and has not paid maintenance during that time – whether she works or not;
• A disabled woman – a woman receiving a disability pension, whether she works or not.

 Moving from one type of insurance to another

With any change in the family or employment status of the woman, her insurance status changes as well, according to the aforementioned conditions. It follows therefore that during the lifetime of any woman, at times she could be insured as a “housewife” and at other times as a “non-housewife”.

For example:

• A single woman, resident of Israel, who is 18 years of age, is insured as a “non-housewife”.
• When she marries, if she does not work – she moves to the status of “housewife”.
• When she begins to work – she reverts to the “non-housewife” status.
• If she divorces – her status will be “non-housewife”, whether she works or not.