There are many ways to pass the time in the beautiful city of Tzfat, one of the least pleasurable is waiting in line for service at one of the many various government offices, but now in the high tech era many of these offices have web sites where much can be done to save time.
The Tzfat Municipality is run by Ilan Shochad, his video interview can be found in the Tsfat People section where he sings various renditions of Lecha Dodi Here
To reach the Mayor, members of the city council, city social workers, the municipal offices can be found on 43 Jerusalem Street
The Telephone number for Information and Emergency is 106
Be ready to sit and wait or hold on line for a good while. If your needing help with anything dealing in city Tax, Water Rates or National Health Insurance you must go elsewhere for service. Here is the where and some tips to help out... Always phone the offices first to confirm that they are open. Always bring all relevant documentation including Israel ID card and a book since the chances are that you will have to wait.
Regarding City Taxes and Water rates, for making payments of city taxes (arnona), queries regarding discounts etc and payment of water bills, Go to the 1st floor of Mercaz Tzil on Aliyah Bet Street
Hours: Sunday, & Tuesdays 08.30 - 12.30 & 16.00 - 18.00
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 08.30 -1300
Tel: 04 692 3626/7 or 04 692 3773
Betuach Leumi (National Insurance Institute)
For all national insurance matters including contributions, unemployment benefits, disability, income support, maternity allowances, pensions, and new immigrant rights, the address is 100 HaPalmach Street which is diagonally opposite the Yigal Allon Center and next door to the main Post Office.
Hours: Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 08.00 - 12.30; Mondays & Wednesdays 15.00 - 17.00
Tel: *6050
In order to speak to them, you first need to call & establish a PIN number.
Much time can be saved by Signing up for "Sherut Ishi" (personal service). Registration is free at the local Bituach Leumi office. Once you've received your code and added a password you can enter your personal account.
"Sherut ishi" can show you whether or not Bituach Leumi's information about you is accurate."Accurate information" is the key term.
WARNING - Inaccurate information may lead to the deferment of benefits due to you, or to the unknown accumulation of debt, or both. A lot of seniors don't find out how much their debt is until they apply for retirement benefits. Your employment history is stored in the section entitled "esoukim" under the "netuni bituach" menu. Bituach Leumi uses information on this list to calculate benefits such as maternity leave, accident or injury compensation, and/or retirement. Important note: The onus is on the insured (i.e. you) to prove employment for missing time periods. A new mother I know didn't receive full maternity leave benefits because an employer she had worked for at the beginning of her pregnancy hadn't notified Bituach Leumi of her employment.While every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 is obligated to pay monthly Bituach Leumi insurance, irregardless of employment status, and that exceptions are given to IDF soldiers, National Service volunteers and students taking college or university courses, it is not generally known that the requirement kicks in without notification immediately upon one's release/completion of studies. Since notification aren't sent, debts start to build up, and Bituach Leumi profits nicely from accrued interest and linkage. The onus is, once again, on the insured young adult to arrange for automatic payments with Bituach Leumi.
IMPORTANT - Be sure to report any and all changes. Failure to do so may bring unfortunate results.
Bituach Leumi has no problem with everyday, run-of-the-mill claims. Benefits for maternity leaves, work injury compensations, and old-age pensions are processed efficiently and smoothly.
A generally unknown Bituach Leumi fact: The clerks who interface with the public and take your paperwork aren't the ones who make the decisions. Decisions are made by bureaucrats in back rooms, who the public rarely, if ever, meets. The clerks on the frontlines are overworked and underpaid. Their working conditions are horrible. Only those with high suffering-thresholds or without another choice stay on to make it their career. It's no wonder, then, that unusual cases and one's rightful efforts to attain redress make them lose patience and/or say whatever pops into their minds. Bituach Leumi now has a telephone service center (Moked). The Moked, however, is outsourced, so whatever is told you by one of their operators must be confirmed.
How does one access those back room bureaucrats? Through the hiring of a tax advisor or lawyer, who has access to a special service center called the "Moked Hametzaigim". Unlike the public's service center the "Moked Hametzaigim" is manned by Bituach Leumi employees and the response time is much quicker too.
Find out and know your rights by getting the pocket brochures (in Hebrew) detailing your rights regarding the most common insurance claims including, but not limited to maternity leave, old age benefits, and guaranteed income. The pocket brochure can be found at the local Bituach Leumi office. More detailed information can be found on the Bituach Leumi website HERE.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your claim, then you have the right to protest to Bituach Leumi's "P'niot LeTzibur" (internal comptroller). The digital form can be found on Bituach Leumi's internet site should be followed up with a letter to the Bituach Leumi's She'arim Department in order to expediate processing claims.
Bituach Leumi's internal auditing takes place in August. Make sure you check your Bituach Leumi account status every year towards the first of September, and investigate all surprises. If need be it is good advice to Hire a Tax Advisor in order to discover the many other hidden rights for living expenses ("dmei mechiya") and other benefits.