ex-Soldier wins claim over Insurance Institute in court, receives her grant plus

 

After working her 150 days over the course of 2 years at a gas station & hotel – jobs worthy of the NIS 10,000 grant awarded to soldiers following discharge – allowance board denied her the financial benefits…but a Judge then awards gratuity.

By Yoram Yarkoni

Female IDF combat soldiers – Photo courtesy: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

An honorably discharged soldier, who filed a damages claim against the National Insurance Institute arguing she did not receive a discharge grant awarded to soldiers who work for specific fields of industry immediately after military service, despite the fact that she did pursue employment in several of the specified industries.

The IDF soldier completed her army service in September 2009. Prior to her release, she she was told that if she worked 150 days in one of the predetermined industry sectors, a hotel for instance, a gas station, or a construction site, she would receive a NIS 10,000 grant ($3,000).

She began working in January 2010 in a hotel in Eilat, then at a gas station in Ramle, taking breaks to study between the jobs.

It took her more than two years to accumulate the 150 days she needed to receive the grant, but when she applied for the money, the Insurance Institute rejected her application, saying she needed to complete the work consecutively.

All her claims that this condition was not explained properly were dismissed.

The soldier and her mother did not give up, however. They spoke with the Insurance Institute’s call center representatives, recording them explaining that the work did not need to be done in consecutive days.

The Insurance Institute responded that the two put words into the representatives’ mouths, not having meant what they said.

In the Tel Aviv District Court, the judge decided that the call center representatives strengthened her claim, and that the Insurance Institute needed to send a representative to the soldiers’ conference, and not just be content with a complicated outline in its website.

The Insurance Institute was ordered to give the soldier her grant, as well as an additional NIS 1,000 ($300) for her anguish.

 

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4473157,00.html