Bituach Leumi Benefits

Members of Bituach Leumi living in Israel may be eligible for various benefits including child benefits, unemployment and disability.

Below is an outline of the available benefits and how to access them.

Child Benefits

In addition to health insurance coverage for children, parents receive kitzvat yeladim, a monthly allowance for each eligible child. Bituach Leumi has also established a nationwide savings plan for children in Israel called chisachon l’Kol yeled.

Kitzvat Yeladim (Child Stipend)

Parents of a child, who is registered with Bituach Leumi and has not left Israel for more than 3 months are eligible to receive kitzvat yeladim, a monthly child stipend. 

This stipend is paid irrespective of income. Parents will receive:

• 173 NIS for the first child
• 219 NIS for the second, third and fourth child
• 173 NIS for the fifth child and on

Applying for Kitzvat Yeladim: 

Parents of an Israeli citizen with a mispar zehut should receive this benefit automatically. 

Foreigners can apply for this benefit when registering their child with Bituach Leumi. The form should be uploaded via צירוף מסמכים at the end of the online application. 

To apply for a child already registered with Bituach Leumi:

Submit the application from the העלאת מסמכים section of the mother’s online Bituach Leumi account.
See here for more information on creating an online account. 

1. Under פעולות באתר on the side of the page, choose העלאת מסמכים.
2. For נושא choose ילדים
3. For קטגוריה choose תביעות/ טפסים
4. For מסמך choose תביעה לקצבת ילדים

Click to upload the following documents:

1. For first child only: proof of bank account in the mother’s name (e.g. a void check)
2. This form (BL5025) (see here for an elucidated version of the form)
3. A copy of the child’s passport and visa
4. Dapei knisot v’yitziot for the child and one parent

A daf knisot v’yetziot is an official page documenting one’s entries and exits from Israel.

You can obtain a daf knisot v’yetziot at The Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) by presenting your passport. Adults over 18 must go in person; one spouse cannot represent another. A child under age 18 does not need to be present; a parent can obtain the document on his behalf. 

No appointment is needed. Go during opening hours (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 am-12:00 pm; Monday and Wednesday afternoons 2:30 pm–5:00 pm.) The document is printed free of charge.

The Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) in central Jerusalem is located at Shlomtzion Hamalka 1 (off of Rechov Yaffo).

A few days after submitting the request, send a query through the צור קשר section of your account to check on the status of your application.
For נושא הפניה choose קצבת ילדים.
One should receive a response within a few days.

Chisachon L’Kol Yeled (Savings plan)

In 2017, Bituach Leumi established the chisachon l’kol yeled (savings for each child) program to ensure that all children in Israel have access to savings when they reach adulthood.

Until a child turns 18, Bituach Leumi deposits around 58 NIS per month into either a savings account or investment fund in the child’s name. Parents may choose to add up to an additional 58 NIS per month from their kitzvat yeladim allowance, to be deposited in the plan. 

When children turn 18, Bituach Leumi deposits a one-time grant of 582 NIS. The child may withdraw the funds with parental consent. If they wait until age 21, an additional 582 NIS is granted, and the child may withdraw the funds without parental consent.

All management fees are covered by Bituach Leumi until age 21. After that, fees are deducted from the account.

Parents will receive annual reports on each child’s plan. 

Registering for Chisachon L’kol Yeled
Parents choose the desired savings track. If no track is chosen by the time the child is six months old, Bituach Leumi will use the same track as older siblings or choose one themselves.

To learn more, select a track option, or double contributions, visit the Child Savings Plan page on Bituach Leumi’s website.

To changing an existing track, contact the savings company directly. 

Birth-Related Benefits

D’mei Leidah (Paid Maternity Leave)

Women who work and pay Bituach Leumi contributions from their salary are entitled to maternity leave (chofesh leidah) and, if they meet certain work history criteria, paid leave (d’mei leidah).

• Worked for 10 of the 14 months (or 15 of 22) preceding the birth: 15 weeks (105 days) of paid leave
• Worked for 6 of the 14 months preceding the birth: 8 weeks (56 days) of paid leave

Claims may be submitted following a live birth or following a stillbirth after 22 full weeks of pregnancy.

Leave may start up to 53 days before the due date and may be extended for multiple births or if the mother or baby required extended hospitalization.

Fathers can take leave in place of the mother if she qualifies for the full leave. His leave must be at least 21 consecutive days, starting six weeks after the birth.  If a mother is incapable of caring for her baby for whatever reason, the father may take her leave starting from the first day.

He must submit:

• Claim for Paternity Allowance Form
• Letter from his wife stating she is returning to work and authorizes the father’s leave.

Bituach Leumi pays based on the higher average salary from the three months or six months before birth. The maximum allotted is 1,752.33 NIS per day, deposited in one payment into an Israeli bank account in the mother’s name. 

• If a woman could not work at regular capacity in the three months before birth, for reasons related to pregnancy or due to illness, a strike, or another reason, d’mei leidah may be calculated according to the months preceding this change. Present Bituach Leumi with proof of the reason along with the application.  

If money is owed to Bituach Leumi, the debt may be deducted from d’mei leidah.

Filing for Dmai Laida
D’mei leidah will be deposited automatically, with no need for filing a claim, if the woman:

• Is a self-employed Israeli citizen
• Works for an employer who files the claim
• Was receiving unemployment up to the birth
• Was receiving bedrest benefit up to the birth

In all other cases, a claim for d’mei leidah must be submitted. 

Submit the claim via the mother’s online account or via שליחת מסמכים on Bituach Leumi’s homepage.

• Choose: מחלקת גמלאות (first choice)
• Subject: דמי לידה
• Category: פניות
• Mismach: פניה

Include: 

• Maternity Allowance Claim Form
• For women without a teudat zehut: bank account authorization (e.g., a void check)
• For births at home or abroad: ishur leidah (hospital authorization of birth)

Teudat zehut holders can also submit the online form. 

Maanak Leidah (Birth Grant)

Maanak leidah is a sum of money that Bituach Leumi deposits into a member’s bank account after she gives birth.

As of 2026, maanak leidah is granted as follows:

• First child: 2,103 NIS
• Second child: 946 NIS
• Third child and on: 631 NIS
• Twins: 10,514 NIS
• Triplets: 15,771 NIS

Filing for Maanak Laida
In most cases, there is no need to file a claim. The hospital informs Bituach Leumi of the birth, and the money is deposited directly into the mother’s Israeli bank account within approximately two weeks. 

In the following cases, a request must be manually submitted: 

• A Bituach Leumi member who gave birth overseas. The application is submitted only upon her return to Israel. 
• A foreign citizen who gave birth during her waiting periodA visa holder is required to live in Israel for 183 days before they are eligible to apply for Bituach Leumi. for Bituach Leumi. The application may be submitted once she is a registered member. 
• Adoptive parents are eligible for this grant and must submit an application manually. 

To request maanak leidah submit the following either when registering the baby for Bituach Leumi as outlined here, or – if the baby is already a member – from the mother’s online account or via שליחת מסמכים (file upload) on Bituach Leumi’s homepage.

1. Under פעולות באתר on the side of the page, choose העלאת מסמכים.
2. For נושא choose דמי לידה/מענק לידה
3. For קטגוריה choose תביעות/ טפסים
4. For מסמך choose (תביעה לתשלום מענק לידה מענק אישפוז וקצבת לידה (בל 300

Click to upload the following documents:

• This form (BL300) (see here for an elucidated version of the form)
• Child’s passport and visa
• Child’s birth certificate or discharge papers from the hospital that specify the child’s name
• For first child only of a non-Israeli mother: proof of bank account in the mother’s name e.g. a void check

A few days after submitting the request, one should send a query from the צור קשר section of their account inquiring about the status of the application.
For נושא הפניה choose הריון ולידה.
One should receive a response within a few days.

Shmirat Herayon (Bedrest)

If a woman is required to be on bedrest for at least 30 consecutive days or is unable to work at her particular job due to her pregnancy, she may be entitled to compensation from Bituach Leumi. 

If a woman comes off of bedrest and then needs it again, she can receive additional compensation if the subsequent periods are 14 days or longer.

To be eligible for bedrest compensation, a woman had to have worked and paid Bituach Leumi from her earnings at least 6 of the 14 months preceding the bedrest. 

Bituach Leumi pays based on the higher average salary from the last 3 or 6 months preceding the bedrest, up to a maximum of 350.47 NIS a day. During this time, Bituach Leumi payments are deducted from the benefit, as they are from one’s salary.

Applying for Shmirat Herayon
Submit a Bedrest Benefit Form, part of which must be filled out by one’s employer, along with a Medical Authorization Form signed by a high-risk gynecologist. 

If the reason for one’s cessation of work is due to the type of work or the work environment (e.g. a gym teacher or a miner), one must provide authorization from a rofeh taasukati (a work environment doctor) confirming that she is unable to work at that particular job. 

The forms can be submitted via the mother’s online account, or via internet upload on the home page of btl.gov.il.

A Bituach Leumi doctor will review the request and may request additional documentation.  

Once approved, the woman is required to call the automated bedrest hotline at 08-650-9934 to update them every month on her working status. 

The claim may be submitted from 30 days into bed rest until 12 months from its onset.

Unemployment Benefits

Avtala (Unemployment)

Unemployment is available to those who have willingly or unwillingly left their place of employment and meet certain eligibility requirements. It involves two different offices: Lishkat Hataasukah / The Employment Bureau and Bituach Leumi. Lishkat Hataasukah monitors the unemployed and assists them in re-entering the workforce by offering jobs suited to their previous training and experience. Bituach Leumi provides monthly unemployment payments for the duration of eligibility.

Who is Eligible for Unemployment?
One must meet all of the following criteria:

• Has been fired from or willingly left a job.
• Is recognized by Bituach Leumi as a resident of Israel.
• Is between 20 and 67 years old.
• Was legally employed (self-employed workers are not eligible).
• Has worked and paid Bituach Leumi from his/her salary for a minimum of 12 out of the 18 months prior to ceasing work. 

Quitting
If one willingly leaves a job and does not have a “legitimate” reason for quitting, they will only begin receiving unemployment payments 90 days after ceasing work. “Legitimate” reasons for quitting include a decline in one’s own health or that of a family member, worsening of working conditions so that the job is no longer suitable, or moving far away from the place of work (60 km away from workplace; or 40 km for the mother of a child under 7 years of age).

A woman is allowed to leave her job following maternity leave in order to care for her baby.  However, if she cannot provide a “legitimate” reason for leaving (as mentioned above), unemployment payments will only being 90 days after registration.

One who willingly left a job will be required to present proof of these reasons to avoid a delayed start of unemployment payments.

Period & Rate of Eligibility
The maximum duration of one’s unemployment status will range from 138 to 175 days, depending on one’s age and how many dependents (i.e. spouse and children) they provide for. Note that Bituach Leumi does have a maximum distribution limit per month. If one’s deserved allotment exceeds this limit, payments will be distributed at smaller increments over a longer period of time. Refusing a job offer from Lishkat Hataasukah results in a loss of 30 days allowance.

The rate of eligibility is determined based on (a) one’s age and (b) the average of one’s income in the six full work months preceding their first report to Lishkat Hataasukah. The less one earns and the older one is, the larger a percentage of their average salary they will receive.

How To Apply for Unemployment

Step One: Report at Lishkat Hataasukah
As soon as one stops working, report to Lishkat Hataasukah. It is critical that this be done immediately. Teudat zehut holders can register immediately online via the Taasukah website , then appear in person within 15 days.  

If someone left a job and did not have a “legitimate” reason for quitting, reporting at Lishkat Hataasukah immediately is not as imperative, but still recommended.

Visa holders must go down in person to register.

Applicants will be asked to provide the following:

1. Teudat zehut or foreign passport with valid visa
2. Proof of loss of job, proof of legitimate reason for quitting, or letter declaring quitting for no legitimate reason
3. Any professional certification (teaching certificate, college degree, etc.) that one has(optional)

Lishkat Hataasukah will register the applicant as unemployed from the date that they first register. They will take the applicant’s fingerprints and give them a form that needs to be submitted to Bituach Leumi to apply for payments. They will also name a day of the week and time slot that the applicant must appear at on a weekly basis to “sign in” at the machine at the left side of the entrance, using their mispar zehut or Bituach Leumi number, in order to maintain their unemployed status and continue receiving Bituach Leumi payments. 

Lishkat Hataasukah is also responsible to offer the applicant job interviews in potential places of employment. They will begin to do this sometime into your period of eligibility at the weekly sign-ins.

If one cannot make it to a weekly sign-in due to sickness, bring a doctor’s note to the next sign-in and present it to a clerk. If one will be unable to sign in due to vacation, clear it with a clerk beforehand. 

In some cases, failure to sign-in is not permitted; in other cases, Lishkat Hataasukah may accommodate by extending one’s allotted eligibility window and issuing payment at a later date.

Step Two: File Unemployment Status with Bituach Leumi
Submit the following to Bituach Leumi by fax, via internet upload from the home page of btl.gov.il or from one’s personal online Bituach Leumi account. Teudat zehut holders can also use this online form. 

1. Form BL1500 – unemployment claim form (not necessary when using the online form)
2. Proof of earnings: a letter from one’s previous employer(s) or tlushim certifying the amount of earnings for 12 out of the 18 months preceding unemployment. Make sure to include the last 6 months’ tlushim. If one still holds a second job, present tlushim from that job, as well (see Partial Unemployment below)
3. Proof of cessation of work: letter from employer, including the reason one was let go, the date they stopped working, the employer’s signature and his stamp; or, in the case of quitting for a legitimate reason, proof of that reason
4. Certifications from the tax authorities regarding tax exemptions or discounts if applicable
5. Bank account details
6. For those without a teudat zehut: proof of a bank account in their name eg a void check or a letter from the bank titled ishur nihul cheshbon

Once the claim has been processed by Bituach Leumi, one should begin receiving unemployment payments on approximately the 12^th of every month. As mentioned above, monthly payments from Bituach Leumi are contingent on weekly sign-ins at Lishkat Hataasukah.

Avtalah Chelkit (Partial Unemployment)

Avtalah chelkit is a partial unemployment benefit that applies to one who has left or lost one of two or more jobs. After registering in Lishkat Hataasukah as described above, one must file for avtalah chelkit at Bituach Leumi and include tlushim from both the job he lost and the job(s) he still holds. Keeping up avtalah chelkit payments requires both the weekly sign-in at Lishkat Hataasukah as well as presenting the tlush of the current job to Bituach Leumi each month. This can be done via fax, internet upload or from one’s personal online Bituach Leumi account.  Bituach Leumi will take one’s ongoing income into account when calculating the partial unemployment they deserve.

Chalat (literally: unpaid vacation)

During the Corona crisis, the working public became familiar with the term “chalat”, an acronym for chofesh l’lo tashlum, or unpaid vacation. This term was used when an employee was laid off for an indefinite period. A worker on chalat may apply for unemployment, even if he plans on returning to his job at a later date, if possible.

Workplace Injury

If one is unable to work due to a work-related injury, e.g. one that occurred on the way to or from work or while performing a work-related task, it is worthwhile to explore teunat avodah benefits. While this is a longer process and demands extra paperwork and medical proofs, it may grant those eligible a larger stipend than standard unemployment.

Common Unemployment Terms

• Avtalah – unemployment
• Avtalah chelkit – partial unemployment
• Chalat – unpaid vacation
• Chofesh – vacation
• Dmei avtalah – unemployment pay
• Hityatzvut – appearing weekly at Lishkat Hataasukah
• Teunat avodah – workplace injury
• Tlush (pl. tlushim) – official pay stub(s)

Other Benefits

Kitzvat Nayadut (Mobility Assistance)

Those with compromised mobility may be eligible for benefits known as kitzvat nayadut. One’s eligibility is determined by the Ministry of Health and sent to Bituach Leumi to determine the benefits one is entitled to. Instructions are available online for filing a claim for kitzvat nayadut.

Kitzvat Neichut (Disability)/Kitzvat Yeled Neche (Disabled Child)

Bituach Leumi offers disability benefits, including monthly stipends, to adults with various physical, emotional and cognitive disabilities that impair their working abilities or, in the case of a housewife, her ability to manage a household. Loss of work capabilities due to an illness or injury may also entitle an individual to this benefit, known as neichut. 

A child with a disability can also be recognized by Bituach Leumi as a yeled neche (disabled child), and the parents can receive benefits and stipends for them. This benefit can be critical for a child that needs a special education setting and can provide much needed financial support when there is a child with complex needs. 

The process of applying can be long and involves submitting an application along with supporting documentation and then appearing before a medical board that determines the level of disability.   

If someone has a disability or a child with a disability, please reach out to Chaim V’Chessed for assistance in applying for this benefit. 

Kitzvat Zikna (Old Age Pension) 

Old age pension is provided by Bituach Leumi at two different ages: retirement age and age 70. Various factors are considered to determine an individual’s qualifying age. The pension amounts to approximately 1750 NIS, with additional supplements based on factors such as the number of years worked in Israel.

Olim who immigrated to Israel at a later age may also be eligible for this benefit in cases of financial need. 

There are additional benefits available from Bituach Leumi such as Sheairim (Survivors Benefit) for those who have lost a spouse, Hashlamat Hachnasa (Income Support) for those with significant financial needs and Siyud (Nursing Benefit) which is given to individuals who have reached retirement age, reside in the community, and require assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), and supervision at home for for their safety.

Further details and additional benefits can be found on the Kol Zchut and Bituach Leumi websites.