After months of discussions and meetings between the Chairman of the Knesset's Labor and Welfare Committee, MK Efrat Reitan Marom, the Ministers of Finance and Welfare, MK Meir Cohen and MK Avigdor Lieberman and their office staff, the Director General of the National Insurance Institute, Meir Spiegler and his staff, the leaders of the Disabled Struggle and the founders of the "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being" association, Alex Friedman and Hanan Tal, and other organizations promoting disabled rights – came to a far-reaching agreements to expand the budget allocated to the Disability Law by the amount of NIS 900 million.

As part of the agreements, it was decided that beyond the stage planned in 2021 and set out in the reform March 2018, another stage will be implemented in 2022 which will be dedicated to adding designated rights as assistance to the disabled, specially to disabled children.

Please note that these supplements have not yet been passed as legislation by the Knesset. As soon as they are enacted, we will keep you informed on all our channels.

Expected supplements include:

• The basic disability pension will increase to NIS 3,700, retroactively from the beginning of the year.
• Bringing the disabled child benefit to the same level as the attendance allowance for adults, which represents a benefit increase of between NIS 176 and 436 per month, besides the benefit supplements expected to be granted as part of the 2021 stage.
• A supplement of hundreds of shekels for children with 100% degree of disability.
• Providing an allowance of about NIS 1,000 to parents of institutionalized children.
• A supplement for institutionalized adults.
• Creation of a new top rate in attendance allowance for adults and children (235%), which will grant a supplement of thousands of shekels to the benefit.
• Children in need of heavy medical care will receive a benefit at a 235% rate.
• Lowering the medical threshold for attendance allowance to 40% disability, so that the mentally impaired and people with intellectual disabilities and autism may also apply for attendance allowance.
• Payment of a double attendance allowance for disabled people holding a permit to employ 2 foreign workers.
• Leveling the amount of the benefit for new immigrants with disabilities.
• Increasing the supplement for recipient of an old-age pension with disability increment – until December 2021, senior citizens receiving a disability increment will obtain a supplement amounting to 50% of the disability increment applying to disabled persons of working age. As of January 2022, they will receive a supplement amounting to 75% of the disability increment applying for disabled persons of working age.

Last week, the first two discussions took place within the framework of the Knesset's Labor and Welfare Committee, in which all parties reiterated their commitment to providing solutions to the plight of disabled children, a promise that came to fruition now.
This advancement has been reached through various legislative amendments, in particular the joint decision that disability pension's indexation to the average wage in the economy shall apply at the end of all stages, in January 2023.

Avigdor Lieberman, Minister of Finance: "This is a historic step that expresses my deep commitment to the disabled. Legislative amendments are a significant message to the disabled public in general and the mentally impaired and disabled children in particular. We will continue to act responsibly while maintaining a growing economy and a prosperous state."

Meir Cohen, Minister of Labor and Welfare: "One of the goals I set for myself when I took office is to end the uncertainty that has existed for years concerning disability benefits. Today is a social celebration where the Israeli government shows its solidarity and concern for the disabled public in Israel. Their eyes are on us, and we will be there for them."

MK Efrat Reitan Marom, Chair of the Labor and Welfare Committee: "As I have promised since the day the matter was brought to my attention, I have worked hard to include higher benefits for disabled children already during discussions regarding the raise of disability benefits in the current reform without waiting for the next budget. That was my condition from day one, and I am glad that the National Insurance, the organizations for the disabled and the Ministries of Finance and Welfare have mobilized and that me managed to find together the appropriate, correct and just solution for the disabled population in general and for disabled children in particular."

Meir Spiegler, Director General of the National Insurance Institute: "In recent years, the National Insurance Institute and the organizations for the disabled have conducted an important value dialogue, which ensures a response to the needs of the disabled and improves their ability to function and live. At the end of the road, we were able to promote amendments to the Mobility Agreement, allowances for disabled children, raising the monthly allowance for adults and more. The above achievements are, more than anything, a testimony of the core role of the National Insurance Institute in caring for the social security of all Israeli citizens."

Alex Friedman, Founder of the Disabled Struggle and Chair of "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being": "After seven years, the struggle for the disabled ends successfully.
There is nothing more exciting than ending it with a historical announcement for disabled children. For years we went through ups and mostly downs and now we have managed to cross the finish line."

Hanan Tal, Founder and CEO of "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being": "After almost seven years, the disabled people's protest is coming to an end, a budget increase of five and a half billion shekels to be distributed each year among the 430,000 disabled as a whole, a tectonic change in the State of Israel. It is a day of celebration for the disabled public and the Israeli society in general. This is a tremendous achievement for us and we are proud to lead it on a full voluntary basis."