Japan Press Weekly

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2012 June 13 - 19 [WELFARE]

Disabled persons protest against ‘comprehensive support’ bill

Nearly 200 disabled people and their supporters on June 18 converged on the Diet building and raised opposition to a comprehensive support bill for the disabled.

The bill takes over the current “self-support” law but maintains the “beneficiary-pays” system, the core principle of the current law. It is expected to be enacted at a House of Councilors welfare committee meeting on June 19.

From Saitama Prefecture, a 24-year-old man working at a workshop for the disabled said, “A new law must genuinely ensure our self-support.” He lives on his monthly wage of 30,000 yen supplemented by livelihood protection benefits.

Japanese Epilepsy Association representative Fukui Noriko said, “Our movement has paved the way for the abolition of the beneficiary-pays system.”

“The disabled are also involved in the current effort to block the government’s integrated reform of a consumption tax hike and social security cuts. Say ‘No’ to the political attempt to prioritize money over our lives!,” she stressed.