June 23, 2011
The Fukushima Prefectural government on June 22 instructed its town and village authorities to continue livelihood protection benefit payments to needy people even if they receive monetary relief.
This decision came thanks in part to efforts jointly made by the Japanese Communist Party and local groups to safeguard people’s lives and health.
The prefecture requires municipalities to pay welfare benefits to eligible recipients and to not designate the 400,000 yen in relief-money given by the national and prefectural governments as income in those households receiving welfare protection benefits.
However, the prefecture gave the instruction to only towns and villages which are included in the prefecture’s livelihood protection scheme. For cities having their own welfare assistance programs, it is up to them whether to designate relief-money to livelihood protection recipients as income or not.
As of June 22, the Minamisoma City government has discontinued paying livelihood protection benefits to 168 households by designating relief-money or TEPCO’s temporary compensation as income. The city government said, “We won’t change our position. However, when and if additional relief-money is granted, we will discuss the matter again.”
Japanese Communist Party city assembly member Araki Chieko said, “We have to change the city government policy to one putting people first. We will work hard to achieve this.”
Tsuruyumi Takaharu, secretary general of the Fukushima Prefectural Association for Safeguarding People’s Lives and Health, said, “The prefecture’s decision is one step forward. However, we still have the issue in which temporary compensation from TEPCO is designated as income. We will urge local governments to properly address the issue.”
This decision came thanks in part to efforts jointly made by the Japanese Communist Party and local groups to safeguard people’s lives and health.
The prefecture requires municipalities to pay welfare benefits to eligible recipients and to not designate the 400,000 yen in relief-money given by the national and prefectural governments as income in those households receiving welfare protection benefits.
However, the prefecture gave the instruction to only towns and villages which are included in the prefecture’s livelihood protection scheme. For cities having their own welfare assistance programs, it is up to them whether to designate relief-money to livelihood protection recipients as income or not.
As of June 22, the Minamisoma City government has discontinued paying livelihood protection benefits to 168 households by designating relief-money or TEPCO’s temporary compensation as income. The city government said, “We won’t change our position. However, when and if additional relief-money is granted, we will discuss the matter again.”
Japanese Communist Party city assembly member Araki Chieko said, “We have to change the city government policy to one putting people first. We will work hard to achieve this.”
Tsuruyumi Takaharu, secretary general of the Fukushima Prefectural Association for Safeguarding People’s Lives and Health, said, “The prefecture’s decision is one step forward. However, we still have the issue in which temporary compensation from TEPCO is designated as income. We will urge local governments to properly address the issue.”
