Government welfare agencies last year assisted some 16 percent of all Israelis, or 1.2 million people, the Welfare Ministry reported Sunday.

In terms of raw numbers, this represents an increase of 3 percent over 2005, but after adjusting for population growth, the rise is only 1 percent. The ministry attributed the relative stability in the level of aid to the improved economic situation and the falling unemployment rate, but also to the welfare agencies' heavy case load, which means that they do not have enough social workers to help everyone who applies.

The number of people aged 65 and older who received assistance from the agencies grew 10 percent last year, but the number of children and teenagers fell 4 percent, to 416,000 people.

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A plurality of those receiving assistance were between the ages of 19 and 64; at 575,000 people, this constitutes a 5.4 percent increase over 2005.

"Many members of the public expect the state to grant them services that will remove them from severe distress," said Welfare Ministry director general Moshe Sion. "We manage to do this for some of those who apply, but we are unable to save others."

Miriam Bar-Giora, who is in charge of services for the elderly, said that the rise in the number of senior citizens assisted by the welfare agencies stems from the development of assisted-living communities. These communities enable the elderly to stay at home rather than entering an institution per se, but many such people then need supplementary assistance from the welfare agencies. A rise in the number of people eligible for home nursing care was also a factor, she added.

There was a 6.3 percent drop in the number of people treated for drug or alcohol addition; among people under 18, the decrease was 14 percent. Surprisingly, however, the number of people aged 65 and over who were treated for addiction shot up 41 percent - though elderly addicts still number only 450, according to ministry figures.

Similarly, while the number of people assisted by the agencies due to domestic violence rose 5.5 percent, among people aged 65 and over, the number surged 36 percent, to 1,500.