2026 Benefits: NIS 4,711 for Full Disability, While Long‑Term Care Waits Until April
The January deposit arrived, slightly higher than December's. An increase? Yes, but neither a gift nor a grant. It is the annual benefit adjustment. If the amount you received differs from the newspaper table, there is almost always an explanation.
On 1 January 2026, the National Insurance Institute published the year's benefit amounts, based on the price index and average wage. The average wage used for updating benefits rose by 3.4 percent. The general disability benefit for an individual with a full degree of incapacity is NIS 4,711, compared with NIS 4,556 in 2025.
The general disability table
Here are the published figures. An individual with full incapacity and an allowance for a spouse who does not receive this benefit: NIS 6,229, compared with NIS 6,024. At a 74 percent degree: NIS 3,211, compared with NIS 3,106. At 65 percent: NIS 2,894, compared with NIS 2,800. At 60 percent: NIS 2,718, compared with NIS 2,629. The allowance for each child, up to two children: NIS 1,214, compared with NIS 1,175.
Notice one small detail in the spouse row: the addition is for a spouse who does not receive this benefit themselves. If both spouses are eligible, the NIS 6,229 row is not necessarily yours.
Disabled child benefit
The disabled child benefit was also updated. At 50 percent of the full individual benefit: NIS 1,943 in 2026, compared with NIS 1,880. At 100 percent: NIS 3,820, compared with NIS 3,694. At 112 percent: NIS 4,501, compared with NIS 4,352. These are published tiers, not a diagnosis. A committee determines each child's degree, not an article.
Long‑term care waits until April
What about the long‑term care benefit? The answer surprises many: according to the same announcement, long‑term care benefits are expected to rise only in April 2026, alongside the minimum wage increase. If you are caring for a parent and expected an increase in January, it is not here yet.
Another figure was published: someone needing long‑term care who receives half the benefit because of the income test will receive NIS 829 at level 1 and NIS 3,618 at level 6. These are half benefits, not the full amounts. The income test remains individual. Advice for caregivers: keep the level notification letter and check in April whether the amount has changed.
Why your amount differs from the table
Here is a common source of confusion: a 3.4 percent rise in the average wage for benefit purposes is not a 3.4 percent increase in every paycheck in the economy. It is only the basis for calculating benefits. The right way to check is to compare the first deposit with the table and then with your individual letter.
A difference of a few shekels may result from an insurance deduction, an old debt or the day of the month. A difference of hundreds warrants an inquiry, since a degree may not have been updated or a child allowance may have been omitted. A child allowance, incidentally, requires the child to be recorded in the file. Begin an inquiry with the payment reference, not a photograph of an article.
Anyone receiving more than one benefit should check each payment separately. The full disability table is not the disabled child table, and confusing NIS 4,711 with NIS 3,820 creates the wrong expectation. A working spouse does not necessarily cancel the benefit, but where an income test applies, their income may reduce it. Read that in the letter.
Questions about your individual amount? The National Insurance Institute service center, as listed on official pages, is at *6050 or 048812345. You can also use the personal area on its website. Do not recalculate it in the family WhatsApp group.
