Summary
Policy on poverty in Israel has changed frequently in recent decades, particularly with regard to material assistance to people in poverty. In the early years of the state, financial assistance to people living in poverty was entrusted to welfare bureaus. In the 1980s, with the implementation of the income supplement program, responsibility was transferred to the National Insurance Institute. At the beginning of the 2000s, policy changes led to a sharp decline in the level and volume of these aids, while considerable efforts were made to motivate the poor population to integrate into the labor market. Despite these efforts, the percentage of poor families remains particularly high, standing at almost one-fifth (4.18%) of families in Israel. In the past decade, there has been another change in policy towards poverty. Alongside the National Insurance benefits, an effort has been made to provide people living in poverty with comprehensive therapeutic solutions, including material assistance, through social workers in social services departments. This policy, which is prominently expressed in the “Breath of Relief” program of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services and JDC-Ashalim, offers intensive and holistic treatment of families, including promotion of the realization of rights, assistance in integration into the labor market, and material assistance. This paper examines policy changes regarding people living in poverty during the four years
Recent decades and their causes, in particular the expansion of responsibility for care and assistance to these families in social services departments. The study also includes an analysis of the characteristics of participants in the “Breath of Relief” program and an examination of patterns of use of material assistance among various population groups. Based on the findings, possible directions for improving the material aid system as a policy measure to combat poverty are proposed.
