Newly discharged lone soldiers to receive ‘corona payment’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday approved a “coronavirus payment” for newly discharged lone soldiers after lawmakers urged the government to provide help.
Under the plan, a grant of up to NIS 4,000 will be granted to lone soldiers who have been discharged from the IDF in the past year and found jobs since their release.
According to reports, newly discharged lone soldiers will have to show two payment slips from an employer.
The plan was formulated under the direction of Netanyahu,
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and the directors-general of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Finance Ministry and the Social Equality Ministry.
In addition, as part of the expansion of the economic plan that will be introduced, subject to an amendment of the law, soldiers will be able to withdraw funds for any purpose.
Soldiers are permitted to withdraw their discharge deposit, known as pikadon in Hebrew, after five years for six specific purposes: education, vocational training, driver’s license, starting a business, marriage and buying an apartment. The amount depends on where and how long the soldier served.
Earlier in the day, MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz) urged
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to release funds for recently discharged lone soldiers who are facing financial stress due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I urge the defense minister to allow the deposit for lone soldiers to be released immediately and allow them to withdraw the money,” he wrote in a letter.
At the height of the pandemic, the IDF distributed “rapid grants” of NIS 600 ($170) to some 6,000 lone soldiers in the military and another 3,000 troops who required financial assistance. One-time grants of NIS 500-NIS 1,200 ($140-$330) were distributed to soldiers who are married with children.