The annual Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) poverty report, covering 2008, was released today, Monday, documenting an increase in nationwide unemployment as well as an increase in requests for supplemental and senior citizen benefits.

The report, which also contains a forecast of 2009 and 2010, unfortunately predicts the alarming trend will continue in 2009, and peak in 2010.

Operators of the nation’s larger non-profits that concern themselves with assisting the needy concur, stating all the data points to the same alarming forecast, a worsening of the already difficult situation, a reality that has already exceeded the government’s ability to address properly.

Officials point out living expenses, primarily rent, is a primary contributing factor, explaining too many families are forced to pay one-third or more of their salaries for rent, resulting in their inability to meet basic monthly expenses. This takes into account that both parents are working, earning about NIS 4,000 monthly, adding if one of the couple becomes ill or cannot work, the family’s economic status drops almost instantaneously.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)