Japan Press Weekly

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2011 June 15 - 21 TOP3 [WELFARE]

Lawyers group protests against suspension of welfare payments in disaster-hit area

Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) President Utsunomiya Kenji issued a statement on June 15 expressing concerns over local governments that have stopped payments of welfare benefits to victims of the March 11 disaster who received emergency donations.

Minamisoma and Iwaki cities in Fukushima Prefecture stopped paying welfare benefits to 150 households, counting disaster-related donations and compensation payments for nuclear damages they received as income.

The Welfare Ministry sent a notice to local governments on May 2 urging them to “take into full account disaster victims’ dire conditions” and avoid a systematic classification of donations as income.

The JFBA statement demands that the government redress municipalities’ actions that do not meet its instruction.

The National Association for Safeguarding People's Life and Health (Zenseiren) on May 20 made representations to the national government, urging it to order municipalities to not recognize donations as income. Local Zenseiren branches in disaster-affected areas have made similar representations to their local governments.