Legislative proceedings intended to implement the Welfare Services Law for people with disabilities have encountered significant difficulty after the Ministry of Welfare decided to withdraw the regulations intended for a vote in the Knesset's Labor and Welfare Committee at the last minute. This law is of critical importance, aimed at shifting the Ministry's service provision mechanism from a diagnosis-based model to one based on the level of support required by the individual. The core of this law depends on the approval of regulations in the Welfare Committee, a process now stalled due to profound disagreements.
The professional crux of the dispute concerns whether to include people with mental health conditions who also suffer from cognitive impairment within the law's definitions. The Ministry of Welfare seeks to exclude this population, arguing they already receive support through the Ministry of Health's "rehabilitation basket." According to Minister Haim Katz, including this group could lead to an overload of services and the depletion of resources for other populations, such as those with intellectual or physical disabilities, for whom the Ministry of Welfare is the sole provider. Ministry officials estimated that including approximately 15,000 individuals with mental health conditions and cognitive decline could add approximately one billion shekels to the cost of the law.
Conversely, Committee Chair MK Michal Woldiger opposes this exclusion. She asserts that there is no justification for denying necessary assistance to an individual due to the presence of an additional disability. Data presented suggests that Woldiger questions the Ministry's financial calculations, claiming that the population in question is smaller than the Ministry's estimates. Amidst this, Dr. Idit Saragosti of the "Bizchut" organization argued that the proposed definition might lead to the exclusion of people needing support solely based on the origin of their disability, which she claims contradicts the law's principles.
Alongside the political-professional crisis, the Ministry of Welfare faces a "second front." The Social Workers Union announced partial industrial action in protest of the expected workload following the law's implementation. The Union stated that the state cannot impose additional tasks without allocating sufficient resources and manpower. The Ministry of Welfare rejected the Union's claims, noting that they have prepared for the law's implementation by adding personnel positions, and that they do not understand the motives for these measures, which could harm service recipients.