Half of those eligible have received the grants so far, the rest will receive by next week • Social Security: The bank account must be verified on the website or by phone

• Itzik Shmuli

The money on the way to the account : 50% of the grants under the horizontal program have been transferred to citizens so far, the National Insurance Institute reported yesterday (Wednesday). Today, the transfer of funds to those aged 18 and over, to another million citizens, will continue, and the goal is to end the operation by next week.

In the last four days, the National Insurance Institute has been able to verify more than 200,000 additional bank accounts, with the main age group lacking bank accounts being aged 21-18.

Last Sunday, the National Insurance Institute transferred NIS 1.4 billion for about three million children. On Tuesday and yesterday, about NIS 1.78 billion was transferred to about 700,000 people entitled to an increased grant. For about 100,000 additional beneficiaries of an increased grant, which amounts to NIS 1,500, the money will be transferred by the end of the week. The National Insurance Institute explains that some of the bank accounts of these beneficiaries are in the hands of guardians and benefit recipients who are not the beneficiaries themselves.

Since July 28, more than 289,000 citizen account details have been received, and so far some 570,000 accounts have not been verified. In recent days, text messages have been sent to citizens whose bank account is not up to date, and if their cell phone is not verified, the text message is sent to their parents so that they can be updated. Citizens are asked to verify their account on the Social Security website or by phone (Asterisk 8321) and not by return message. According to Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Itzik Shmuli, "Hundreds of millions of shekels are in the right hands: for the disabled, the elderly and those receiving income support, needy Holocaust survivors, immigrants and other disadvantaged publics." Meir Spiegler, CEO of the National Insurance Institute: "It is important to remember, eligibility is for an entire year, and there will be no citizen who does not receive his grant.