Israel's National Insurance Institute Clarifies Rules for Unemployed Election Workers

Recipients of unemployment benefits in Israel can now earn up to 19,600 shekels from temporary work related to Knesset elections without a reduction in their state payments, provided they meet four specific conditions. The National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi) issued these clarifications ahead of the 26th Knesset elections, detailing the circumstances under which the unemployed can take on temporary roles during the election campaign and still receive their benefits. The special arrangement is strictly for work directly connected to conducting the elections. The employment must occur between September 12 and November 10, 2026. Payments must come directly from a candidate, political party, or the Central Elections Committee; payments from staffing agencies may be counted towards benefit calculations. The total income allowed under this special provision is capped at 19,600 shekels for the entire campaign period, not per month. Days worked under this arrangement will not count towards the qualifying period for unemployment benefits. Bituah Leumi stated that recipients do not need to report this specific income, as it will be automatically transmitted to the institute. If all four conditions are met, the earned income will not affect unemployment benefits. The institute also reminded recipients of general eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits, including residency, age (20-67), cessation of employment, registration with the Employment Service, and meeting insurance contribution requirements, typically 12 months of employment within the 18 months prior to registration. Bituah Leumi encourages prompt registration with the Employment Service after job termination and offers online tools for eligibility checks and benefit calculations.