Japan Press Weekly

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2023 July 26 - August 1 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Over 16K people call for additional welfare benefits during price surge and an increase in welfare benefit levels

Accompanied by Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Kurabayashi Akiko, the All Japan Federation of Organizations for the Protection of Life and Health (Zenseiren) on July 25 submitted to Vice Welfare Minister Hanyuda Takashi 16,288 signatures calling for additional benefits to be paid to welfare recipients to cope with the ongoing price surge and for the amount of welfare payments to be raised.

Following the signature submission, Zenseiren negotiated with the Welfare Ministry on this matter.

In the negotiation, JCP Kurabayashi noted that welfare recipients who applied for the public assistance program before April 2018 are not eligible to receive assistance benefits that cover the purchase of an air conditioner. She said, “As measures to prevent heatstroke amid this summer’s heat wave, the government encourages the general public to use cooling appliances. However, many welfare households are excluded from the provision of A/C purchase assistance benefits.”

Zenseiren head Yoshida Matsuo said, “Amid the rising energy prices, many welfare recipients are using air conditioners sparingly even in scorching summer weather. This may result in deaths.” He demanded the introduction of a system to provide additional benefits during summer to cover cooling costs.

In addition, Zenseiren demanded the improvement of the public assistance program through such means as allowing welfare users to have their own car without any conditions and abolishing the existing rule that forces children in welfare recipient households to give up on going on to higher education.