The wave of price increases in the economy will significantly affect low-income families.
And precisely now, when prices are rising, the government is cutting welfare budgets.
Attorney Becky Cohen-Keshet from the Forum for the Fight against Poverty tells in a conversation with "Israel Hayom" about the consequences of the wave of price increases on the most vulnerable sections of the Israeli population - the people who live below the poverty line.
According to her, "People living in poverty will be forced to buy the cheapest products, which are not always healthy. This is a larger purchase of products such as white bread and white rice, and less in the purchase of fruits, vegetables and legumes, which have become more expensive. The first thing that will happen as a result is damage to health, which may manifest In the long term, morbidity rates will increase, and will also cause an increase in public spending on health, in addition to the severe mental anguish for the patient."
Shopping at the supermarket (for illustration), photo: Dodo Greenspan
"Also, as a result of the wave of price increases, people will simply buy less, which will lead to a situation where people living in poverty will be forced to give up meals. This is a phenomenon with an aspect of economic cost, which negatively affects daily functioning and the ability to learn and work, and with a value aspect, and in my view, also a Jew , of harming the possibility of living in dignity for people and a decent society," adds Cohen-Kesht.
To the question of what the state should do in the situation that has arisen, she replies: "The state must deal with the cost of living, and especially with the increase in food prices. This is not a phenomenon that came as a surprise, but a trend that existed even before the war. It is horrifying that during the war it worsens even more. The government ministries know The problem has been around for years, and the lack of a solution is already a policy. The government needs to take long-term actions to ensure food security for the entire population."
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