Basic services and shelter:
Successfully appealed to the Energy Minister and the Israel Electricity Authority to cease the practice of disconnecting vulnerable persons from the electricity grid (15-03-2020).
Successfully appealed to the Construction and Housing Ministry demanding an easing in bureaucracy and a grace period for vulnerable persons paying rent for public housing (15-03-2020).
Debt:
Successfully appealed to the head of the National Insurance demanding a freeze on all debt collection from those receiving welfare or retirement benefits (19-3-2020).
Along with the Clinic for Human Rights in Society at the University of Haifa, contacted the National Insurance Institute requesting an emergency arrangement regarding the postponement of collecting debts, and an additional request to translate all information in respect to the issue into Arabic and other languages (26-03-2020).
Bank and Welfare Services:
Successfully wrote Bank of Israel to make services accessible to customers with restricted accounts (23-03-2020).
Along with the Clinic for Human Rights in Society at the University of Haifa, appealed to the Bank of Israel to aid clients in withdrawing their social security allowances (24-03-2020).
Along with the Clinic for Human Rights in Society at the University of Haifa, contacted the supervisor of the Postal Bank and the Minister of Communications demanding that Postal Bank services be adapted to receive customers, especially those receiving welfare benefits (26-03-2020).
Petitioned to the HCJ with the Clinic for Human Rights in Society at the University of Haifa against the Banks Commissioner for not opening banks the following Sunday so that pensioners can withdraw their cash. Following the petition, the banks provided debit cards to ease restrictions on withdrawals, and branches were opened to permit in-person withdrawals. The petition was however dismissed, even though the needs of vulnerable pensioners have not all been met. We then applied for contempt of court after not all pensioners received their debit cards and the bank services were limited, and the Banks Commissioner did not know to say how many debit cards were distributed (06-04-2020).
Cost control:
We appealed to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health demanding that they use their authority under the Product and Supervision Act and impose supervision over products needed to protect oneself from Corona, such as face masks and hand sanitizer (02-04-2020).
Social frameworks:
Contacted the Education and Social Welfare Departments in Lod following the request we received from a family with children that have special needs. We demanded an emergency response to provide psychological services and for the education and welfare departments to guide all those interested parents in dealing with children who lack a therapeutic and educational framework (30-03-2020).
Urgently appealed to Welfare and Social Services Ministry, the Health Ministry, and the Director of the National Insurance Institute regarding the refusal to allow caretakers into nursing homes and sheltered housing institutions, and received a response that prevention of letting caregivers in was done against the ministry orders (02-04-2020).
Joined several organizations in appealing to the Labor and Social Welfare Committee regarding “Serious and Immediate Damage to Social Services and the Reduction of Social Work during the Corona Crisis” (29-03-2020).
Appealed twice to the National Insurance Institute following their decision to postpone all medical appeal committees to an unknown date, and their refusal to accept our request for a less harmful arrangement. This decision stops many people from being able to receive their disability benefits (05-04-2020).
Joined other organizations in demanding Tel Aviv Mayor provide a safety net for residents of the city (22-3-2020).
Appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon to urgently intervene in formulating an emergency aid package to assist those unable to economically survive the quarantine (25-03-2020).