These days, elderly citizens of Israel are dealing with financial and health challenges that are only getting worse. Those who devoted the better part of their lives to supporting Israeli society and the state of Israel are not having their needs met, precisely at the time when it’s most crucial.
The Ministry of Finance recently announced that it was canceling the planned freeze on the senior citizen allowance. That decision is necessary and important, but it isn’t enough. For senior citizens who rely on these allowance as their sole source of income, the money is not enough to deal with the weighty economic reality in light of the ongoing war. The senior citizen allowance in Israel currently stands at only 2,600 shekels ($694) each month, which is not enough to cover basic expenses. What’s more, the value of the allowance compared to the average wage in Israel decreased by 18% over the last decade. This ongoing deterioration only increases social gaps and makes it harder for Israel’s senior citizens to live with dignity.
A new study from the Joint and the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute reveals that 27% of Israel’s senior citizens saw a decline in their economic situation since the start of the war and that more than 21% faced declining health. Some senior citizens were forced to choose between purchasing needed medicines and purchasing food. This situation is unacceptable in a society that’s supposed to care for its senior citizens. The daily distress faced by elderly Israelis includes experiences of loneliness and anxiety as well as economic troubles.
The struggle to raise the senior citizen allowance is a struggle for the right to live in dignity. Canceling the freeze is an important step that ensures an economic safety net for senior citizens that will allow them to live stable lives without experiencing daily distress. The government must raise the senior citizen allowance to a level that allows for life with dignity—the sooner the better.
The author is the head of elderly affairs at the 121 Engine for Social Change nonprofit. This article was translated from Hebrew by Leah Schwartz.
