In this post, I would like to talk about the Disability Allowance and the attitude towards the disabled population in our country, which is degrading and inhuman.
I am fortunate that I work and get a salary, in addition to the disability pension that I get, because I have Tourette and am recognized as a disabled person. I don’t get a high salary, but with the welfare money, I have enough to finish the month and buy all that I need. I have a lot of sympathy and respect regarding the struggles of the disabled community, and I am fortunate to live in an amazing community that supports me every day.
One of the biggest problems facing equal opportunities is the Ron Law. According to the law ,once you begin to work, they start taking out from your pension! This issue greatly lowers the motivation of people with disabilities to go out to work. Usually, a person with a disability doesn't get a decent salary because they can only work in a part-time job and as a result they barely finish the month.
They also need to enforce the law that every institute is obligated to hire a person with a disability to help them blend into society and into the working cycle. I consider the situation in which I work at the Ramat Negev Regional Council as a win-win situation - I feel pride and satisfaction from my job and the moatza provides a working place for me to grow and develop.
The state needs to continue applying this solution and it will help raise the self-esteem of people with disabilities. The state should approve this legislation as soon as possible and not stall with it.
The other issue is the amount of the pension. The amount of the allowance is insufficient, and you can’t live with it. Today it stands at approximately 2337 NIS which is too low for people with disabilities to live with dignity. In today’s economy, the price of medicine is too high and most of the money goes to this need, which doesn’t leave much money to live from. The State has promised to raise the amount of the disability pension which is a necessary and appropriate step, but it upsets me that it is taking so much time to implement. Meanwhile, you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel - the pension doesn’t go up and the people that need it only suffer and experience hopelessness. The government needs to get it together and raise the disability pension right away. The more time they take to implement it, the longer this inhuman and crooked situation against people with disabilities that can barely finish the month, will stay the same.
As I see it, the amount of the disability pension should be at least the same as the minimum salary.
In conclusion, I think that the issue of the disability pension has been neglected for years. The government needs to address this issue right away and do justice to the disabled community, to correct this injustice that has lasted over a few administrations which chose to ignore this issue. The obligation of the government to the disabled community, which is a weak population, is not predestined and a developed society should help a poor community to become a part of it. I believe that this way the disabled community will get stronger and the Israel society will be a better and more enlightened one.
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