Child Allowances & Family Grants
Child Allowances and Family Grants in Israel: What Your Family Is Entitled To
From the month a child arrives or is born, Israel supports families through monthly allowances, one-time grants, and enhanced help for those who need it — and nearly all of it runs through Bituach Leumi, the National Insurance Institute. Much of it is automatic; the rest is a form away. For olim, the eligibility starts immediately on arrival. Here's what exists, who qualifies, and how to claim it.
The monthly child allowance
Every child under 18 living in Israel draws a monthly allowance, paid automatically into a parent's bank account. The amount rises with the second child:
ChildMonthlyAnnualFirst child₪140₪1,680Second child₪210₪2,520Third child onward₪210 each₪2,520 each
In practice that works out to roughly ₪350/month for two children, ₪560 for three, ₪770 for four, and ₪980 for five. Rates are revised each August in line with the cost of living, paid around the 20th of the month, and continue until each child turns 18.
The large-family supplement
Families with four or more children get an additional monthly supplement on top of the standard allowances — automatically, with no separate application:
ChildrenStandardSupplementTotal/month4₪770₪190₪9605₪980₪369₪1,3496₪1,190₪549₪1,739
For seven or more children, the supplement keeps rising on a formula basis, taking very large families above ₪2,000 a month. All children must be under 18.
Newborn and multiple-birth supplements
A newborn supplement adds about ₪118 a month for the first 12 months — bringing the monthly total to roughly ₪258 — before reverting to the standard ₪140. It applies to a first child, or to any child born three or more years after the previous one.
Multiple births draw the standard allowance for each child plus newborn supplements, lifting the first-year monthly total to around ₪516 for twins and ₪774 for triplets — and that's before the separate one-time grants covered below.
The single-parent supplement
Single-parent families receive a materially higher allowance:
ChildrenTwo-parentSingle parent1₪140₪3402₪350₪6353₪560₪9304₪960₪1,415
You qualify if you're divorced with custody, widowed, never-married, or separated — confirmed with the relevant documents and reconfirmed annually. Remarriage or cohabitation can end it, but child support you receive does not reduce it.
The disabled-child supplement
A disabled child draws significantly enhanced support — a basic allowance of roughly ₪1,000–3,500 a month depending on the level of disability, on top of the regular child allowance, with a further ₪500–1,500 mobility allowance where relevant.
A medical committee determines the level (commonly 50%+ to qualify), covering physical and developmental disabilities alike — autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and others. Beyond the cash, it can unlock tax benefits, a vehicle-tax exemption in severe cases, special-education services, and equipment and respite grants.
The orphan allowance
A child who has lost a parent receives an orphan allowance — roughly ₪1,500–2,500 a month per child, well above the standard. It's a partial allowance where one parent has died and a full one where both have, paid to the guardian, and it continues to age 18 (or 21 if the child is studying). The support often extends further too, to education subsidies, summer-camp funding, therapeutic services, and housing assistance where needed.
One-time grants at birth
Every birth brings a one-time grant, which alternates high and low by birth order:
ChildBirth grantWhenFirst & third₪1,831within 1–2 monthsSecond & fourth+₪1,098within 1–2 months
Multiple births bring far larger grants — around ₪10,260 in total for twins, ₪15,760 for triplets, and ₪20,523 for quadruplets — plus a separate equipment grant (up to ₪10,000 for twins, ₪20,000 for triplets and above) through the Ministry of Welfare. Birth grants can be claimed up to 12 months retroactively.
The adoption grant
Adoptive parents receive a one-time grant scaled to the child's age at adoption:
Age at adoptionGrantSpecial needs0–2 years₪15,000+₪5,000–20,000, by need3–5 years₪12,0006–10 years₪10,00011–14 years₪8,000
The basic grant comes through Bituach Leumi (with extra support via the Ministry of Welfare), and adoptive families receive the same monthly allowances and adoption leave as everyone else.
When money's tight: income support and housing
Low-income families can claim income support (havtachat hachnasa) — a means-tested top-up to a minimum income, ranging from up to ₪3,000/month for a single parent with one child to around ₪4,000 for one with two. Two useful points: child allowances do not count as income for this test, so they don't reduce your support; and separately, the Ministry of Housing offers rent subsidies of ₪400–1,500/month based on income, family size and location, with priority for large families and single parents.
Who qualifies
The basics are straightforward: the child is under 18, lives in Israel, holds a Teudat Zehut, and has at least one parent who is an Israeli resident. Residency turns on a centre-of-life test — broadly, 185+ days a year in Israel.
A few special situations are worth knowing. Holidays and short trips don't affect the allowance, but six months or more abroad usually stops it. For divorced parents it goes to the custodial parent (or splits 50/50 under joint custody). A child at boarding school still qualifies, paid to the parent. And the allowance ends when a child enlists in the IDF.
How to claim it
For babies born in Israel, it's largely automatic — the chain runs hospital to Ministry of the Interior to Teudat Zehut to Bituach Leumi — but nothing is paid until you provide bank details. Olim are eligible immediately from the month of arrival, with up to 12 months backdated.
You'll need Teudot Zehut for the children and parents, your Teudat Oleh and translated birth certificates, and proof of residence in Israel plus your bank details. You can apply three ways — online at btl.gov.il, by phone on *6050, or in person at a branch — but claim within 12 months, because anything older is lost for good.
Getting paid, and keeping it flowing
Allowances are paid around the 20th of each month by direct deposit into an active Israeli account in the parent's name. There are no cheques.
Keep Bituach Leumi informed promptly about a move, a change in family status or custody, a child leaving Israel, or new bank details. Updates that arrive late can trigger overpayments you'll have to repay — and a bank change can cost you a month in transition.
If something goes wrong, most issues clear within a week or two of a call to *6050, with any missed payments deposited retroactively. A payment that didn't arrive is usually missing or wrong bank details. A wrong amount is often a new baby not yet added or a child who turned 18 — verify the breakdown online. A payment that stopped suddenly is frequently a system flag for living abroad or a missed annual confirmation, which a call and proof of residence will fix. And for divorced parents, payment follows the court order to the custodial parent, or splits 50/50 by written agreement.
B'hatzlacha.
General information for olim, not personal financial or legal advice. All figures are stated rates that change — allowance amounts are revised annually — so verify current amounts and eligibility directly with Bituach Leumi (the National Insurance Institute) before relying on them.
New to Israel and not sure what your family can claim? Olim Advice offers free guidance to every oleh — we'll help you work out which allowances and grants apply, and make sure nothing slips past the 12-month claim window. Reach out at olimadvice.com.