One of the hardest things we encounter at Yamim Tovim Ashdod is older people living in real hardship while entitled to benefits they simply do not know about. Sometimes it is a difference of hundreds of shekels a month — the difference between buying medicine and going without.
This guide is for families: broadly what an older person in Israel is entitled to, and where to check.
Important: conditions and amounts change from time to time, and depend on age, contribution record, income and health. The binding details are always held by the official body. Do not rely on a figure you heard from a neighbour — check.
1. Old-age pension
The basic entitlement. Paid by the National Insurance Institute to anyone who has reached the qualifying age and meets the contribution conditions. The amount rises with contribution record and with age.
Note: it is not paid automatically to everyone — in many cases a claim has to be submitted. If your parent has reached pension age and has never checked, this is the first thing to look at.
2. Income support
This is the supplement most people miss. Someone whose old-age pension is almost their entire income may be entitled to a top-up from the National Insurance Institute.
Entitlement is assessed against income and assets, and it opens the door to further help — discounts, exemptions and support — so it is worth more than the sum itself. If you know an older person living on a pension alone, this is well worth checking.
3. Long-term care benefit
For those who struggle with everyday tasks — washing, dressing, eating, moving about the home — or who need supervision. It is given mainly as services (hours of a carer at home, incontinence products, an emergency call button), and in some cases can be taken as money.
The claim goes to the National Insurance Institute, followed by a dependency assessment at home. Advice from the field: write down in advance exactly what is difficult, rather than trying to recall it mid-assessment. Many older people try to "look strong" in front of the assessor and damage their own entitlement in the process.
4. Discounts and concessions
- Council tax (arnona) — a substantial discount for older people, based on income. Applied for at the local authority, not the National Insurance Institute, and usually has to be renewed each year.
- Medicines — a reduced co-payment ceiling at the health funds for certain older people. Check with the fund.
- Electricity and water — discounts for those receiving income support.
- Public transport — reduced fares on presentation of a senior citizen card.
5. Housing help
The Ministry of Construction and Housing runs rent assistance for those eligible, as well as public housing. Waiting lists are long, so applying early matters — even if things are manageable right now.
6. Local authority social services
The department of social services at the local authority is an address many people forget. Through it you can reach a social worker who knows the case, day centres, meals and emergency help.
In Ashdod, this means the municipality's department of social services.
Where to check — the official addresses
- National Insurance Institute — pensions, income support and long-term care: btl.gov.il
- Kol Zchut — every entitlement explained in plain language: kolzchut.org.il
- The local authority — council tax and social services
- Your health fund — medicines and medical equipment
Why this matters to us
Claiming what you are owed is not bureaucracy — it is dignity. An older person receiving what they are entitled to can buy medicine, heat the house, and stop choosing between the two.
But forms do not fill themselves in. Some of the older people we accompany on our home visits struggle to read documents, get to offices, or wait on the phone. Sometimes the greatest help is someone sitting beside them, going through the page.
If you know an older person in Ashdod who needs help, talk to us. And if you would like to be the person sitting beside them, you can volunteer or give so that we reach more homes.
If you are worried that the person you know is in deeper difficulty, it is worth reading how to tell that an older relative needs help.