National Insurance Institute: Annual Education Grant to Be Deposited on August 11

Ahead of the start of the 5787 school year, the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) is expected to transfer the annual education grant on August 11 to eligible families. The grant, intended to assist with expenses ahead of the return to school, will amount this year to 1,204 NIS for each eligible child and will be deposited directly into the bank account to which the child allowance is paid.

According to the National Insurance Institute, the grant will be paid for children born between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. However, children who do not fall within this birth date range may also be eligible for the grant if they are entering first grade or twelfth grade this year. In these cases, a school attendance certificate must be submitted to the National Insurance Institute, and eligibility will be reviewed accordingly.

The grant is intended for single-parent families, i.e., an independent parent, as well as for families with 4 or more children under the age of 18, provided that one of the parents is entitled in July or August to one of the qualifying allowances: general disability, income support, alimony, survivors' benefits, or old-age pension. In addition, there are other cases in which the grant can be received, including those who have custody of a child who immigrated to Israel without their parents, a child who has lost both parents, or a child entitled to a special allowance or considered an orphan according to the definitions of the law.

In most cases, there is no need to submit an application. The National Insurance Institute emphasizes that those eligible to receive the grant automatically are requested to wait until the funds are deposited into the account and not to contact the institution before August 12, unless the payment has not been received.

Alongside this, there are cases where the submission of a claim for the grant is required. Among others, this concerns a parent living separately from their spouse for at least two years and managing a divorce process or family dispute during this period, an agunah (a woman unable to obtain a divorce), a woman staying in a shelter for victims of domestic violence, as well as new immigrants who have been in Israel for more than a year and less than two years, when the spouse does not reside in the country. A divorced parent who is an independent parent is also required to submit a claim for the first time, alongside a request to split the child allowance file.

In the case of divorced parents or parents living separately, the grant is usually paid to the parent who receives the child allowance and with whom the children reside. However, the payment can be transferred to the second parent if there is an agreement between the parents or if it is so determined in a court ruling, with the full amount of the grant being paid to one parent only.

The National Insurance Institute reminds that eligibility is examined in accordance with meeting the conditions during the month of July or the month of August of the relevant school year. In addition, a claim for the grant can be submitted within 18 months from the date of eligibility, while a later submission may limit the period for which the grant will be paid.

Last year, education grants were paid for approximately 278,500 children across the country, for a total amount of about 328 million NIS. Data published by the National Insurance Institute shows that this is an increase compared to 2024, when about 263,700 children received the grant, at a total cost of about 300 million NIS.