New legislation seeking to enable women residing in domestic violence shelters to claim income support benefits passes second, third (final) Knesset readings. The law which was submitted by Hadash Knesset Members passed its second and third readings with majority of 60 in favor and none opposing. The law will aid some 780 battered women who reside in 13 shelters for victims of domestic violence throughout Israel.

The new law will correct the situation where women who received income support benefits from the State were forced to give them up when they sought shelter. This left women in the dangerous position of having to choose between continuing to receive the allowance and living with a man who abuses them or seeking the aid of a shelter but losing the allowance.  MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) said: “We cannot have a situation where a battered women’s shelter serves as an alibi for the State to disassociate itself from its responsibilities. Women in these shelters need the income support benefits more than anyone as they have no other source of income and should not be afraid of losing their allowance if they go to the shelters.”