Newly discharged soldiers eligible for more funds
Soldiers discharged over the past year are eligible for an additional grant of NIS 2,000 and job training, Finance Minister Israel Katz has announced.
The announcement was made at “the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu... to give [ soldiers] the best tools and allow them to build for their future,” he said.
“Everything is being done to help them integrate and succeed in civilian life,” Katz said.
The Finance Ministry intends to present its plan to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz soon before seeking Knesset approval, it said.
As many as 75,000 soldiers are expected to be released by the end of 2020. The total cost of the additional funding is estimated to be NIS 120 million. An extra NIS 500 was given to newly released soldiers earlier this year.
Many soldiers discharged less than six months before the coronavirus outbreak do not qualify for unemployment benefits because they have not worked long enough. Among them are lone soldiers who have no local family for support.
Prior to Rosh Hashanah, the Defense and Finance ministries said they would allocate NIS 10 million to support some 2,000 discharged lone soldiers. With the funds, the soldiers, who were previously eligible for financial aid from the Defense Ministry, received a third financial- aid package of NIS 4,000.
The previous two packages were given during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. The discharged lone soldiers will be eligible for a total of NIS 12,000.
IDF Manpower Directorate said it has received a surge in requests by soldiers to extend their mandatory service, even for a few more months, because the coronavirus crisis has caused jobs to be scarce.
“Soldiers who remain in the army beyond their mandatory service receive around NIS 7,000 a month, with young officers getting NIS 10,000,
reported.