Additional benefits and rights for people with disabilities —
the complete guide

When someone receives recognition of a disability — whether general disability, hostile-action casualty status, a work accident or PTSD — they usually focus on one thing: the monthly allowance. But the truth is that the allowance is only the beginning. Behind recognition of a disability lies a whole network of benefits, discounts and exemptions that can add up to thousands of shekels a year — and many people are entirely unaware they exist.

The central problem: no official body “gathers” all the entitlements together for you. Every benefit is given by a different body — the local authority, the electricity company, the Tax Authority, the Ministry of Education, the National Insurance Institute — and each requires a separate application, with its own criteria and its own deadlines. The result: people who are entitled to things simply never claim them, not out of unwillingness but out of not knowing.

In this article we have gathered the main benefits available to people with disabilities — from the ones everyone knows (municipal tax, electricity) to less familiar rights such as a civil claim against the Palestinian Authority for terror victims. These benefits are relevant to a wide range of people: anyone assessed with medical disability percentages, hostile-action casualties, work accident victims, people living with PTSD, and family members caring for someone with a disability. Even if you already receive an allowance today, it is very likely there are further benefits you have not yet claimed.

1. A municipal tax discount

This is one of the most significant and most common benefits. People with recognised medical disabilities may be entitled to a substantial discount on their annual municipal tax (arnona) — sometimes tens of per cent of the charge, according to the local authority’s criteria.

It is important to understand: the discount is not given automatically. You have to apply to the local authority (the municipality or council) and attach certificates of your disability percentages. Among those who commonly qualify:

• People with a recognised degree of medical disability from the National Insurance Institute (at rates set by each authority)
• Recipients of a general disability allowance or a special services allowance
• Hostile-action casualties and disabled IDF veterans
• Recipients of income support, under certain conditions

The level of the discount, the qualifying rates and the filing deadlines vary from authority to authority and are updated every year. So it is important to contact your own local authority and check the precise criteria — sometimes a difference of a single disability percentage point decides entitlement.

2. A discount on the electricity tariff

Many families in which someone has a disability are entitled to a discount on the electricity tariff. The benefit is aimed mainly at people who depend on electrical medical equipment — ventilators, oxygen concentrators, home dialysis machines and the like — but also at recipients of certain allowances.

There are two main benefits in this area:

• A fixed discount on the tariff — for certain qualifying people, by medical condition or allowance.
• An increased electricity quota at a reduced tariff — for people operating life-sustaining medical equipment that consumes a lot of electricity.

The application is made to the electricity company with medical certificates attached, and sometimes confirmation from the National Insurance Institute or the Ministry of Health is also required. For families whose electricity burden is high because of medical needs, the benefit saves hundreds to thousands of shekels a year.

3. Benefits in education and study

This is a less familiar but very important area — particularly for young people with a disability seeking an education, and for parents of children with disabilities. The benefits here can add up to tens of thousands of shekels over the course of a degree:

• Full or partial exemption from tuition fees at universities and colleges for students with a recognised disability
• Dedicated scholarships from various funds and from the National Insurance Institute for students with disabilities
• Adjustments in examinations and study — extra time, special conditions, technological assistance
• Help purchasing study equipment and adapted aids
• For children: special education entitlements, personal aides, transport and accessibility adaptations at educational institutions

Claiming these entitlements can open a door to an education that might otherwise have looked financially impossible — which is why it is worth looking into properly, even if study seems a long way off right now.

It is also worth remembering that adults retraining following a loss of earning capacity may be entitled to help funding study and to vocational rehabilitation through the National Insurance Institute. Vocational rehabilitation is designed to enable a return to the workforce in a role adapted to the limitation — and it is a significant entitlement many people are unaware of.

4. Tax exemptions and concessions

Financially, this is one of the most significant areas — and where many people lose the most money without knowing it.

• An income tax exemption: a person assessed with a high medical disability (usually 90% or more, or 100% for a defined period) may be entitled to a full or partial exemption from income tax on their income. This is a benefit that can amount to tens of thousands of shekels a year.
• A purchase tax concession: people with disabilities buying a home may benefit from reduced purchase tax bands.
• Vehicle tax benefits: a discount or exemption from purchase tax and the licensing fee for a vehicle adapted to the needs of a person with a disability.

A critical point: the income tax exemption is not granted automatically, and it does not derive directly from the National Insurance disability percentages. A separate application must be made to the Tax Authority’s medical committee, which sets the disability percentages for tax purposes. Many people who qualify for the exemption have simply never applied.

Beyond that, it is worth examining tax benefits as a family unit and not only at the level of the individual: spouses of people with disabilities, and parents of a child with a disability, may be entitled to additional tax credit points and to dedicated benefits. Sometimes a family-level review reveals entitlements that only become apparent when you look at the whole picture.

5. The right to a civil claim against the Palestinian Authority (for terror victims)

This is a less familiar but particularly significant right for hostile-action casualties and their families. Beyond recognition and benefits from the National Insurance Institute, Israeli law allows terror victims to file a civil damages claim against those responsible for the act of terror — including, in certain cases, against the Palestinian Authority and organisations involved in terrorism.

Claims of this kind are heard in the Israeli courts (and in certain cases in forums abroad), and over the years significant compensation has been awarded in them to casualties and to bereaved families.

6. Benefits in transport, mobility and vehicles

Mobility is critical to independence and quality of life — and there are many benefits in this area that people fail to claim:

• A disabled parking badge — a parking badge giving significant parking relief across the country (we have expanded on this in a separate article).
• A mobility allowance and a standing loan — help buying and running a vehicle for people assessed with a mobility limitation.
• Public transport discounts — reduced fares for people with a recognised disability.
• An exemption from or discount on the licensing fee for the vehicle of a person with a disability.

7. Housing assistance

Housing is a major expense in any household, and people with disabilities may be entitled to substantial help:

• Rent assistance — the Ministry of Construction and Housing provides rent assistance to those who qualify, including people with disabilities under certain conditions.
• Public housing — priority and physical adaptations for people with disabilities.
• Grants for adapting the home — help funding physical adaptations at home (ramps, accessible bathrooms, stairlifts) for people who need them because of their disability.

Adapting a home to medical needs is sometimes a very heavy expense — and the dedicated grants can cover a substantial part of it. It is important to check entitlement before carrying out the adaptations, since prior approval is sometimes required as a condition of the grant.

8. The disability certificate — the key to a large part of the benefits

Many people do not know that there is an official “disability certificate” — a document issued by the Ministry of Welfare to people assessed with certain disability percentages. The certificate acts as a kind of “key” consolidating recognition of entitlement, and makes it easy to claim a long list of discounts: reduced or free entry to sites, museums, national parks and performances, transport discounts, and sometimes commercial benefits from various providers.

Obtaining the certificate is a relatively simple process for anyone who already has recognition of a disability — but many people are simply unaware it exists, and so miss many everyday benefits over the years. If you have recognition of a disability, it is well worth checking whether you qualify for the certificate and obtaining it.

9. Further benefits worth knowing about

Beyond the main areas, there are many further benefits that add up to significant savings:

• Exemption from certain fees and special terms at banks for those who qualify
• Benefits within the health basket — rehabilitation devices, aids and treatments
• The special services allowance for people who need another person’s help with the activities of daily living
• Special protections in employment rights — adaptations at the workplace and sick days
• Discounts on leisure, cultural and sporting activities for holders of a disability certificate

Why do so many people not claim their entitlements?

The reason is simple: there is no “single address”. Every benefit comes from a different body, with a different form, a different criterion and a different deadline. The average person simply cannot know them all — and certainly not while coping with a complex medical or psychological condition. And so thousands of shekels a year are simply left on the table.

There is a further factor: entitlements are not “frozen”. A medical condition may change, disability percentages may rise, and legislation and benefits are updated from time to time. Someone who checked their entitlement two years ago may find that today further benefits are available — or that an existing benefit has been widened. Which is why it is important not to settle for a one-off check, but to revisit the whole picture of entitlements periodically.

How do you claim all your entitlements properly?

Claiming the full extent of your entitlements is done in four stages:

• A full mapping of the situation — the type of disability, the disability percentages, the level of income and personal circumstances.
• Identifying every relevant benefit — according to the personal profile, including benefits that are not obvious.
• Orderly applications to each body separately — with the right documents and by the required deadline.
• Follow-up and appeals — in the event of a refusal or a determination lower than expected.

The monthly allowance is only the tip of the iceberg. Behind it lie dozens of benefits that can significantly improve your quality of life — you just have to know to ask.

In summary

Recognition of a disability opens the door to many entitlements beyond the monthly allowance — municipal tax and electricity discounts, benefits in education, tax exemptions, housing assistance and more. The only difficulty is that no single body brings them together in one place, and each benefit requires a separate check and application to the relevant authority. Knowledge is the first step — and now that you know the map of benefits, you can check what is yours and not give up a single entitlement.