| Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute
Denise Naon Jack Habib Assaf Ben-Shoham Judith King Noam Fischman
|
National Insurance Institute
Netanela Barkali Alexander David Gealia Miriam Shmelzer Gabriela Heilbrun Daniel Gottleib |
Lights to Employment is an experimental program to integrate recipients of income support into employment. In August 2007, the program replaced the Mehalev (from Welfare to Work) program in the areas in which the pilot was being implemented and in December 2007 it was extended to adjacent areas. Recipients of income support benefits who were required to take an employment test were referred to the program as were new applicants seeking benefits in these areas. Several changes were introduced to the regulations of Lights to Employment when it replaced Mehalev.
The study goals were to examine the change in patterns of application to the income support system; to assess the program’s impact on benefit recipients referred to the program regarding employment, receipt of income support benefits, and financial situation; to examine patterns of participation in the centers’ activities to promote employment among program participants; and to ascertain the participants’ assessment of the contribution the program had made to them. The study findings are intended to contribute to the factual base for decision-makers when they discuss the future of the program.
The study was commissioned and funded by the Government of Israel.