National Insurance to Distribute Back-to-School Grants to Over 140,000 Israeli Families

Ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, Israel's National Insurance Institute will transfer annual back-to-school grants tomorrow to more than 140,000 families across the country. The grant aims to ease the financial burden of purchasing school supplies such as textbooks, notebooks, and backpacks. This year, approximately 335 million shekels will be distributed automatically to eligible families' bank accounts, marking an increase of about 35 million shekels compared to last year.

The grant will cover 197,000 children from families headed by self-employed parents and 79,000 children from families with four or more children receiving social benefits like income support, alimony, disability, senior citizen, or bereavement allowances. Each eligible child aged 6 to 18 will receive 1,204 shekels, automatically paid for children born between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. Children outside this birth range but currently enrolled in first or twelfth grade may also qualify upon submitting official school enrollment confirmation to the National Insurance Institute.

Zvika Cohen, acting CEO of the National Insurance Institute, emphasized that the grant is designed to assist eligible families with back-to-school expenses and is mostly distributed automatically to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. He highlighted that investing in children and education is an investment in Israel's future, expressing pride in the institute's role in supporting families during this critical time.