Disabled groups decry welfare minister's bill
Bill presented by Welfare Minister Katz proposes raising disability benefits to NIS 3,100 in January 2018; disabled groups protest, citing original September framework agreement that stipulated benefits be raised to NIS 4,100 and linked to average wage; organizations threaten to restarts protests, road blockings until their demands are met.
Different groups participating in the disabled protests to raise disability benefits presented unanimous and vociferous objections to the bill presented by Minister of Labor and Welfare Haim Katz (Likud) to raise said benefits, calling it unsatisfactory.
Moreover, even groups that called off their protests two months ago after a framework agreement had been reached between their representatives and the government in the Histadrut Labor Federation's offices have threatened to renew road blocking protests if the bill is enacted into law.
The bill, which Katz proposed to assist disabled people who were not included in the original framework agreement's scope, has not received budgetary approval by the Finance Ministry. Furthermore, since the bill expands on what was agreed between the parties for 2018, it is highly doubtful the ministry—which was party to creating the original agreement—will lend its support to the new bill.
In addition, the agreement reached two months ago stated benefits will be linked to the average wage, but the bill made no mention of that. That clause was one of the agreement's most significant achievements, as it ensures benefits will continue growing simultaneously with the growth in quality of life, and will not gradually erode as they do now, being linked to the consumer price index, which rises at a much slower pace.
The Welfare Ministry said benefits will indeed be linked to average wages, but through a separate government decision.
A further reservation voiced by the disabled groups concerns the bill determining the maximum amount a disabled person may earn before their benefits are reduced will be raised to only NIS 4,000—NIS 300 less than the original agreement.
Finally, the organizations are protesting the fact bill determines the first payment will only be made six months after legislation is completed, retroactively.
The "Disabled, Not Half a Person" group, which was party to the agreement reached two months ago, provided a three-week ultimatum to transform the bill to better reflect the agreement reached and threatened that if this was not achieved, the group will "renew and significantly escalate its protest with steps never before seen, in full coordination with Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn."
Another group that participated in the agreement's forming, the "Disabled Protest's Headquarters," said it considered the bill a "challenge on the agreement."
Its members threatened to "operate at their own discretion, including an active return to the protest with all guns blazing."
MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz), on the other hand, who submitted a bill seeking to equate disability benefits with minimum wage and participated in the formulation of the original agreement, was of the opinion Minister Katz's bill should be promoted since the agreement did not seem to be about to be enacted into law, or to enter into force this coming January.
"I want to see money starting to flow into bank accounts in January, because elections could happen soon, and then we'd have to start everything from scratch. I consider Katz's bill a step up. Amendments can come later, going towards the final goal of at least minimum wage," Gilon said.
The "Disabled Panthers" group, perhaps the most militant, did not consent to accepting the original agreement to begin with and escalated its protest in the past two months, making a demand similar to Gilon's to equate benefits with minimum wage. The organization therefore considers the welfare minister's bill to be unsatisfactory and has threatened to continue blocking major traffic arteries as well as strategic locations.
The chairman of the "Disabled Organization," Dr. Amichai Tamir, who participated in the Histadrut negotiations but opposed the final framework, said in response to the bill that "16 years later, the meager benefits will not allow us to survive while the current bill still leaves the disabled below the poverty line. This is unacceptable for the disabled, who are fighting for their right to exist with dignity."
The Welfare Ministry responded as well, saying, "Minister Haim Katz's bill includes new groups not included in the previous agreement. Increments will be decided on once the legislative phase is completed through the Knesset's Labor and Welfare Committee, which will prepare the bill for its second and third readings and final approval."
