Soldiers and volunteers in the national and civil service, are not entitled to unemployment benefits during the service.
Unemployment benefits for those discharged from regular service
A discharged soldier must meet the conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefits as any other insured:
- In order to obtain unemployment benefits, you have to report to Employment Service.
- You are required to complete a qualifying period of 12 months out of the last 18 months prior to your report to Employment Service, as any other unemployed person. 6 months of regular military service, at most, can be taken into account in the number of required months for purposes of qualifying period.
The maximum number of days for which you may receive unemployment benefits, if you have started your period of unemployment in the first year of your discharge from regular service amount to - 70 days.
The rate of unemployment benefits you will receive is calculated in accordance to your wage before the start of your period of unemployment, although, in any case, it will not be lower than the minimal unemployment rate prescribed by the law for discharged soldier - NIS 133.3 per day.
Attending vocational training on behalf of Employment Service
If you started studying in vocational training in the first year of your discharge from regular service, you are not required to complete a qualifying period in order to receive unemployment benefits. Furthermore, if during the first year of your discharge, you resigned from your job in order to study in vocational training, you will be regarded as someone who left his job for justified reason.
The maximum number of days for which you can receive unemployment benefits during vocational training in the first year of your discharge is - 70 days, at most.
However, if you are entitled to unemployment benefits, study in vocational training and your education is below 12 years of studies, you will be paid unemployment benefits during your studies for a 138 days period, at most.
The unemployment benefit rate will be determined according to your salary prior the start of the unemployment period, and in any case, will not be below the minimum amount prescribed by the law for a discharged soldier - NIS 133.3 per day.
Unemployment benefits for those discharged from national and civil service
All conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefits applying to soldiers discharged from regular service, also apply to those discharged from national and civil service, who meet one of the following conditions:
- Performing a 24 months national or civil service
- A woman who performed national or civil service of 6 months at least, and get married within 30 days since the day you actually ended your service.
Those who performed national or civil service for a shorter period must meet the conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefits as any other insured.
Unemployment benefits for those discharge from permanent service
If you were discharged from permanent service, you may be entitled to unemployment benefits immediately after your discharge. You need to meet the conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefits as any other insured: you must report to Employment Service and complete a qualifying period as any other insured person.
Please note, months of permanent service will be accounted as months of work as a salaried employee.
Vital (preferred) work grant
Soldiers discharged from regular service and those achieving national or civil service, and worked for 6 full months in a vital work within the two years since the day of their discharge, are entitled to a grant from the National Insurance Institute - For more information, click here.
Benefit rates as of Jan 01, 2024