The law currently recognizes parents bringing up orphans whose biological parents were both murdered in an terrorist action, and transfers financial assistance to them according to their actual loss of income or the average wage in the economy, depending on the ages and the number of orphans they have taken under their care.
Today, a family that has taken in 2 minor orphans is entitled to:
- In the first year - a payment equal to the actual loss of income or the average wage (whichever is higher) - for each of the two up-bringers.
- A family with 2 orphans up to the age of 3 is entitled to - one parent will receive a payment equal to the full loss of income or the average wage (whichever is higher), while the other parent, under the current legislation, will receive about half of that amount.
- A family with 2 orphans up to the age of 7 is currently entitled to a payment for only one parent equal to the loss of income or the average wage, whichever is higher.
- A family with an orphan over the age of 8 is entitled to half of the loss of income or half of the average wage, whichever is higher, for one parent only.
As stated, following the war, extreme situations were created in which two parents were murdered as a result of a terrorist action, and there is a fundamental need to change the regulations and increase assistance at this time.
The amendment, which will be published to the public today, seeks to increase the monthly assistance for up-bringers, as follows:
- A family that received a payment for one orphan will be entitled in the first year to 150% of the actual loss of income or the average wage (whichever is higher)
- A family raising one orphan up to the age of 3 will be entitled to 100% of the actual loss of income or the average wage.
- A family with 2 orphans will receive in the first year 250% of the loss of income or the average wage for both parents.
- A family with 2 orphans up to the age of 3 – both parents will receive assistance in the amount of 175% of the loss of income or average wage (whichever is higher)
- A family with 2 orphans up to the age of 15 – the parent will receive 125% of the loss of income or average wage, whichever is higher.
- From the age of 15 to the age of 18 (of the orphans) – the payment equal to the loss of income or average wage – will be in full (100%) compared to 50% today.
- It should be noted that families raising more than 2 orphans whose parents were murdered in a hostile action will also receive increased assistance in accordance with these published regulations.
In addition, the changes in regulations will also provide a solution for single-parent families and their eligibility will increase accordingly.
Upon approval of the new regulations by the Labor and Welfare Committee of the Israeli Knesset, the National Insurance reached an agreement with the Ministry of Finance pertaining to their retroactive application from 1/1/24. The regulations will be published to the public for 14 days.