Japan Press Weekly

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2018 May 30 - June 5 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Gov’t plans to stop paying basic disability pension benefits to more than 1,000 recipients

The Japan Pension Service, which operates the nation’s public pension system, has sent 1,010 recipients of basic disability pension benefits a letter notifying them of the termination of their benefit payments.

The reason for sending the letter, according to the public pension system service, is that the degree of disabilities of the 1,010 people is mild and so they failed to meet the current eligibility requirements for disability pension which were introduced in April 2017.

Many welfare program experts voiced their opposition.

Rikkyo University Professor Hirano Masaaki said, “Even among people with less serious disabilities, many of them need public support as their income is low. The government should take into account disabled persons’ living conditions regardless of the degree of disabilities before deciding to end benefit payments. Furthermore, the current requirements should be revised.”

Basic disability pension benefits are paid to those who become physically and mentally impaired due to illnesses and injuries. The amount of benefit payments is determined according to the degree of disabilities: 970,000 yen per year or 780,000 yen per year.

The Welfare Ministry in April this year released its survey on the disabled showing that half of disabled persons aged 18-64 years live on 90,000 yen a month. The termination of eligibility for the disability pension program will exacerbate disabled people’s financial vulnerabilities.

Past related articles:
> One out of two working-age disabled people live on less than 90,000 yen a month [May 13, 2018]
> More and more disabled persons rely on welfare assistance [April 8, 2018]
> Termination of subsidy for welfare facility meals will impose heavier burdens on disabled people [December 7, 2017]