Kitakyushu City appeals judicial order to restore livelihood protection

Japan Press Weekly

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Kitakyushu City appeals judicial order to restore livelihood protection

The City of Kitakyushu on June 25 appealed a high court ruling declaring the municipal decision to abolish the additional benefit for the elderly in the livelihood protection program as illegal.

The lawsuit was filed by residents of Kitakyushu City calling for the benefit program for people aged 70 and over to be restored.

On June 14, the Fukuoka High Court reversed a lower court decision and ruled that it was illegal for the city to take away the protection from its insured residents without just cause. It was the first judicial decision in favor of plaintiffs among similar lawsuits filed in Tokyo and other parts of the country.

At a press conference in the Welfare Ministry, plaintiffs of the nationwide lawsuits and their supporters strongly criticized Minister Nagatsuma Akira for having Kitakyushu City appeal to a higher court at a time when the government needs to raise the minimum standards of living in order to prevent poverty and social gaps from further increasing.

- Akahata, June 30, 2010