Haim Katz: Not enough money to help the elderly

Haim Katz, photo: Eyal Yitzhar
Haim Katz, photo: Eyal Yitzhar

Israel's Welfare Minister says that an exorbitant sum of NIS 100 billion is required to raise monthly pensions to NIS 5,000.

Speaking to IDF Radio (Galei Zahal) this morning, Minister of Social Affairs and Social Services Haim Katz said, "While I am familiar with the difficulties the elderly face and only NIS 100 billion would be required to help them." Katz commented on the stirring TV report on Channel 2's Friday news edition Ulpan Shishi, which presented the dire condition of elderly people in Israel, who are forced to work as cleaners and couriers in order to survive - and said that his office does not have a sufficient budget to help them.

"I am well aware of the situation 235,000 people, regretfully, receive income support, and those over 80, if they live by themselves receive NIS 3,150 per person or NIS 5,000 per couple," Katz said. "There is not much to do about this. I would want Israel to provide an NIS 5,000 old age pension."

"Did anyone think how much this would cost? If you multiply one million by NIS 3,500, the difference between NIS 1,500 and NIS 5,000, and then multiply it by 12 months Israel would have to pay NIS 100 billion annually. If we have this money, this is all right, I would want some as well," Katz said. "I am saying that I have tried to do the best that I can - in the current budget, I had raised income support by NIS 1.3 billion, providing a further NIS 300 per month," the minister added.

"I have been making tremendous efforts to increase the budget, but it is not easy. The number of poor elderly people is higher than the number of people receiving income support. Unfortunately, 400,000 elderly men and women are living below the poverty line. One of the illnesses people rarely talk about is loneliness, 65,000 of those receiving income support are alone."

"The numbers are high and we do not have enough

Katz also commented on the story of Yeshayahu Avienech Mekonnen, 83 years old, who is employed as a cleaner in Ben Gurion Airport and has an NIS 500,000 debt. "I do not know if he has a debt. How did he acquire this debt? It should be checked. The Justice Ministry oversees the Bailiff Office. Unfortunately, the entire budget of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services is NIS 6.5 billion. The state of Israel should launch a national project and say 'we support the elderly' and in 2017, it should declare 'this is a welfare year'", Katz said. "This is the situation in Israel and we should try and help, even if we can only make a small difference. The numbers are high and we do not have enough."

"I would require NIS 100 billion per year to do what the lady in the report said which is about 30% of Israel's budget to provide elderly people with a monthly pension of NIS 5,000. If we do not come to our senses and try and find solutions - the situation will only deteriorate," the minister concluded.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 21, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

Haim Katz, photo: Eyal Yitzhar
Haim Katz, photo: Eyal Yitzhar
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