Japan Press Weekly

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2014 February 19 - 25 [WELFARE]

Maizuru city trampled on resident’s right to receive public assistance: Welfare ministry

The Welfare Ministry recently issued a ruling that Kyoto’s Maizuru City trampled on a resident’s right to receive public welfare assistance.

A 55-year-old man living in Maizuru City suffers from compensated cirrohosis type C. Due to his illness, he cannot work, causing financial hardhips. On April 9, 2012, he visited the city’s welfare office and made a request for welfare benefits assistance. Instead of handing him an application form for the assistance, a city official said that he should find a job.

The man repeatedly visited the office with a medical certificate, asking for the application, but the welfare office always rejected his request.

On June 21, about two and a half months later, he finally received the application.

The man filed with Kyoto Prefecture a complaint, claiming that Maizuru City’s refusal to give him an application form for welfare assistance violated his right to gain access to the assistance system.

The prefecture, however, dismissed his complaint in January 2013. He appealed to the Welfare Ministry against the prefecture’s decision.

The man said to Akahata, “I hope that my case will contribute to changing local authorities’ negative attitudes toward citizens’ requests for welfare assistance.”