Employment Service CEO Rami Graur accuses Social Security CEO Meir Spiegler of failing to pay billions of shekels in unemployment benefits, and Social Security does not remain indebted. In a statement issued today (Wednesday), Grauer called on Spiegler: “Given the default and its dimensions, I expect Meir Spiegler to show leadership and take responsibility for the overpayments he has made.
“He failed the test of the act and paid a billion shekels illegally and is now looking for culprits.” According to Grauer, “it is not too late to correct the mistake, with the required sensitivity the public will understand this, especially since Spiegler announced it in advance.”
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Social Security CEO Meir Spiegler and Employment Service CEO Rami Graur
(Photo: Employment Service)
Grauer argues that “the attempt to roll over responsibility for the employment service is shameful and sinful to the truth, it does not respect Spiegler and it is not worthy of the public sector. “To the economy as well, and instead proposed the German model at the beginning of the crisis. We work tirelessly to return job seekers to the labor force, as we have done throughout the crisis and so we will continue to do – this is our responsibility and not otherwise.”
It was recently reported that since the corona, hundreds of thousands of unemployed people have received unemployment benefits that they do not deserve, amounting to about a billion shekels. The payments are not supposed to reach the recipients either because they do not meet the conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefits, even in the mitigating conditions of the corona period, or because they returned to work and continued to receive unemployment benefits during this period.
The National Insurance Institute recently announced that a NIS 900 million debt was created by 300,000 unemployed Israelis who “forgot” to report back to work and continued to receive unemployment benefits – even when they began receiving wages. As unbelievable as it sounds, nearly a billion shekels has been paid by Social Security to more than a quarter of a million Israelis who did not report – because there was no obligation to report or contact the employment bureau – and now the institution has to chase after everyone to return the money they do not deserve. The National Insurance Institute explained: It is the job of the employment bureau to make sure that those unemployed report back to work.
After the news was published, the National Insurance Institute stated that “the permit payments transferred are about NIS 920 million, and on average it is about NIS 2,400 per person, which is about two weeks of unemployment benefits. The debt, like any other debt, will be collected sensitively, considerably and if payments are necessary. – That’s how it will be done. “
Social Security CEO Meir Spiegler blamed the employment service in interviews he gave to the media, claiming that Social Security payments are based on employment service reports. To determine entitlement to unemployment benefits, not to the entitlement itself, not to its scope, nor to its duration. “
According to the Employment Service, “Social Security, as the legal trust body for providing a social safety net to Israeli citizens in times of private and national crisis, has the exclusive authority to determine the conditions, scope and duration of entitlement to any social benefit, including unemployment benefits.”
The Employment Service further adds that, on the other hand, the service’s role in the matter of benefits “amounts to reporting to the National Insurance Institute on those who report themselves as job seekers and therefore claiming unemployment benefits or income support. He is a gross liar, unless he chooses to do so and knowingly puts himself in high overpayments, as he did. “
The Employment Service notes that “already at the beginning of the crisis, Spiegler clarified that in view of the large number of unemployment plaintiffs and the proximity to the National Insurance Seder night, he will pay all plaintiffs NIS 1.6 billion in advances. That is, “not only was Social Security aware of the possibility of advance payments but it was prepared for it and even updated the public.”
The National Insurance Institute stated in response that “Mr. Grauer’s attempt to mislead the public and to treat the professional examinations conducted by the National Insurance Institute as if they determine the citizen’s status as unemployed or working, indicates more than anything his escape from responsibility, which does not surprise anyone, and that there is no right to service. Employment except the creation of bureaucracy, turmoil, heaviness and confusion of those citizens who are doomed to be expelled from the labor market.
“The role of the employment service is to take care of TSA and KKH. It is unfortunate that many people returned to work on their own while they had a duty to take care of the citizens’ employment. They reported that they were unemployed.” Dozens of unemployed people complained about the inability of the employment service and indeed his inquiries were also answered unanswered.
“In the Corona crisis, it has been proven that Kabel and a committee have lost their power over the employment service, and it would be nice for its CEO to open his eyes and act to justify the continuation of the above service.”
“In his words, Graur took the abortion out of the bag, exposing the fact that the employment service has no authority and is in fact removing responsibility and is not responsible for anything. So the rhetorical question is asked, what does Graur do in the employment service?
“The Social Security has warned for a long time that the employment service data on the number of unemployed in Israel is inflated and exaggerated and does not correspond to the factual reality. Because we saw the gaps between our unemployment applications and them, the Social Security And control, including cross-referencing information between employers’ data and reports, employee reports, developing a system for the public that reflects their employment status, etc. Following these actions, the National Insurance Institute prevented overpayments of an additional NIS 5 billion!
“It should be noted that the Employment Service refused any inspection carried out by the National Insurance Institute, so regarding the establishment of a system or treatment of one place for the unemployed in the State of Israel. If the Employment Service were not engaged in ego wars “Reliable without bureaucracy and turmoil between two different systems. This is the right thing to do, especially in a time of crisis.”
Social Security CEO Meir Spiegler: “Referring to the words of Mr. Grauer, who dismisses Momo dismisses.”