National Insurance Under Fire for Double Payments to Reservists
Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists called up since October 7 have been hit with unexpected, substantial debts from the National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi), sometimes years after their service. These debts, ranging from approximately 1,229 shekels to 30,000 shekels, stem from alleged double payments of reservist compensation. In most cases, individuals discovered these debts randomly, with no prior notification from the Institute, and in some instances, interest and linkage had already been added to the sums.
The systemic failure is attributed to an accelerated payment mechanism implemented during the war, which led to chaos. Payments intended for reservists were sometimes issued directly to them while simultaneously being processed through their employers. Changes in employment status also created data discrepancies. The complex web of grants and supplementary payments made it difficult for reservists to identify overpayments in real-time, resulting in the state mistakenly issuing funds and then demanding repayment from reservists, often with little notice.
Several reservists shared their experiences. One individual, "Dor," who had already completed around 200 days of reserve duty, discovered a 7,000 shekel debt related to his prior employment as a salaried tech worker two years earlier. He expressed frustration at having to deal with the error while facing further reserve duty. Another reservist, who wished to remain anonymous, was forced to pay a 30,000 shekel debt from his savings, explaining that the Institute claimed it saw expected income from his employer during the period he was serving.
Student "Maayan" received small payments over several months, making the double payment difficult to detect. She criticized the National Insurance Institute's approach, questioning why it takes years to discover such errors. "Yuval" discovered a debt with significant interest after seeing a post on Instagram, feeling it was a "success system" designed to catch people who might pay without questioning. "Ariel" was asked to pay 1,229 shekels for just three days of service from 2024, two years after she had already served over 200 days and become self-employed.
"Yonatan," who served approximately 250 days, tried to flag a 2,000 shekel discrepancy in real-time but was told everything was fine. Nine months later, he faced a 9,600 shekel debt. While the interest was waived after an appeal, he had to pay the principal in installments. "Shai," a student, found a new 10,000 shekel debt without explanation, despite having previously returned an overpayment. He is considering legal action. The National Insurance Institute's official TikTok account also drew criticism for its responses to individuals seeking help, with one reply stating, "Should I come to your house to notify you?" and another suggesting personal responsibility is not a "dirty word."
