Legislation9/6/2026

Vote on Welfare Services Regulations for People with Disabilities Canceled

The Ministry of Welfare withdrew at the last minute the implementing regulations for the Welfare Services for People with Disabilities Law, and therefore the planned vote in the Knesset committee will not take place. The reason is a dispute concerning the rights of people with mental disorders who also have cognitive-neuropsychological impairments.

Key facts

•The law: Welfare Services for People with Disabilities Law
•The regulations were withdrawn before the vote in the Knesset committee
•Approximately 15,000 people are included in the group in dispute
•The additional expenditure is estimated at approximately one billion shekels
•2 billion shekels have been allocated for implementing the law

Why the Dispute Arose

The ministry proposes excluding from the law's scope people with cognitive impairments of psychological origin if they already receive a "rehabilitation basket" from the Ministry of Health. The chair of the Knesset Welfare Committee, MK Michal Woldiger, opposes this: if the service a person needs is the responsibility of the Ministry of Welfare, the origin of the impairment should not deny them support.

What the Law Provides

The Welfare Services for People with Disabilities Law is intended to fundamentally change how assistance is allocated. Services are supposed to be determined according to the extent of support the person needs, rather than according to the diagnosis they received, as was the case in the past. Full implementation of the law depends on the regulations being approved by the Knesset committee.

The Ministry's Arguments

The ministry fears that including an additional group will burden services and reduce the resources intended for people whose cases do not fall under another specialized government ministry: people with autism, intellectual disabilities, and physical and cognitive disabilities. According to its data, approximately 15,000 people with mental disorders experience cognitive decline. Providing additional services for them may require approximately one billion shekels beyond the 2 billion shekels already allocated for implementing the law.

What Happens Next

The regulations were withdrawn, and the source does not report a new date for the vote or an agreed solution regarding the group in dispute. At the same time, the Social Workers' Union announced partial labor measures: its members will stop participating in meetings and training sessions on disability issues until the dispute concerning workload and resources is resolved. The ministry argues that the necessary budgets and positions have already been allocated.

What this means for you

As long as the regulations have not been approved, the new framework for providing services established by the law cannot be fully implemented. For a person who has both a mental and a cognitive disability, it has not yet been decided whether they will be able to receive appropriate services from the Ministry of Welfare alongside a "rehabilitation basket" from the Ministry of Health.

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