Japan Press Weekly

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2012 May 30 - June 5 [WELFARE]

Two major parties try to slash livelihood protection benefits

Japan’s two major parties are accelerating their move to dramatically slash livelihood protection standards using the media’s negative campaign focusing on “illegal” recipients of the welfare benefits as a golden opportunity.

“To curb livelihood protection payments is a national task,” said Seko Hiroshige, House of Councilors member of the Liberal Democratic Party.

In April, the former ruling party proposed a major adverse revision of the national livelihood protection system, including a 10% reduction in benefit levels and cuts in medical care support for benefit recipients. At a Lower House special committee meeting on social programs and taxes, LDP lawmaker Motegi Toshimitsu urged Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko to accept the proposal.

Noda said in response, “I’d like to thank you for this very constructive proposal. We basically have the same idea regarding this issue.”

Welfare Minister Komiyama Yoko also responded to the LDP proposal by saying, “We will use this as a reference in tackling the issue.”

On May 30, members of anti-poverty NPOs held an urgent press conference and warned of the political move to downgrade the welfare programs.

Representing Moyai, a non-profit organization supporting homeless people, Inaba Tsuyoshi stressed that acceleration of this move will keep more people away from applying for welfare benefits and put their very lives at risk.