Elderly citizens fight to have livelihood protection benefit reinstated

Japan Press Weekly

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Elderly citizens fight to have livelihood protection benefit reinstated

Calling on the government to reinstate the additional benefit for the elderly in the livelihood protection program, elderly people are carrying out lawsuit actions throughout Japan. They have carried out sit-ins in front of the Diet building and lobbied Dietmembers, claiming that the abolition of the benefit goes against the people’s constitutional right to live.

On May 20, Sakakibara Yoshiharu braved the rain to take part in the sit-in. “Since the abolition of the additional benefit, I can’t attend my friends’ funerals,” said the 76-year-old plaintiff. Trying to squeeze enough money to pay for health and nursing care insurance premiums out of his meager pension benefit, he does not have enough money left over to provide the customary condolence money for funerals.

Yagi Mei, 83, lives with her 59-year-old daughter. Her husband had been in and out of the hospital since he had a cardiac infarction in his 40s. Her daughter retired 15 years ago when she came down with Basedow’s disease. Yagi had a part-time cleaning job from when she was 68 to 73 years old. But her savings ran out due to her husband’s medical fees.

The additional benefit for the elderly was abolished four years ago, right before her husband’s death. When he died, Yagi only had 30,000 yen to her name.

The Livelihood Protection Law in Article 56 prohibits the government from taking away benefits from insured people without a just cause. Plaintiffs claim that elimination of the additional benefits for the elderly is against the law.

- Akahata, May 21, 2010