May 24, 2020

To: Mr. Israel Katz – Minister of Finance. Mr. Yaakov Litzman – Minister of Construction and Housing.

We, the public of the invisible disabled whose disability is not outwardly prominent, including the public of mentally injured people in the State of Israel, wish to alert of a wrongdoing which has been taking place for many years: discrimination used against us regarding the amount of the assistance we receive to pay rent. The disability pension on which we subsist is in the amount of 3217 shekels per month – and the amount of the rent assistance we receive is 770 shekels per month, which does not take into account our critical subsistence expenses: food, medications, travel by public transport and so forth (and it should be noted that in almost all of these expenses we are not eligible for any discounts, except a discount of 80% in the municipal rates payments, which does significantly help us; but since our income is low, even that discount often falls short of truly meeting our needs). Meanwhile, other disadvantaged groups in the population, such as the public of pensioners, receive contribution fees that are much higher than 770 shekels per month.

Therefore, we ask that the amount of the assistance we receive to pay rent be increased and that it be linked to the current costs of rent.

P.S.:

1) On August 10, 2018, I joined a social movement called “Nitgaber”: a movement trying to promote the rights of the “invisible disabled” – people whose disability is not outwardly prominent, which lack of prominence causes us to be the target of harsh discrimination. The movement’s founder (who is also taking part in this petition) and its current manager is Ms. Tatyana Kadochkin. She can be reached by telephone at 972-52-3708001 on Sundays through Thursdays between 11:00-20:00, except on Jewish and Israeli holidays.

2) A link to the website of the “Nitgaber” movement: www.nitgaber.com

3)Here are several links where additional material on the subject, in English, can be found:

docs.google.com/document/… https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_1PIZ2aarcjbe08HWomxOgjGkxBIEJ9Fn8W9LzJYo70/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NfwIiOIvjQweTxGxCWqPDjgJBX228k_HZ1m7YsN4OF8/edit?usp=sharing docs.google.com/document/… https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jlcnpJGDS7c7Mfxf3YTqVKtO8_2-egep9eIA3FlDw0c/edit?usp=sharing docs.google.com/document/… docs.google.com/document/… docs.google.com/document/… https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V4Zr-eO22zr43Dx7kZsvdDyU0WEcMW3eFC_KKMQR8LA/edit?usp=sha docs.google.com/document/… docs.google.com/document/… docs.google.com/document/…

Signed: