Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2016 June 8 - 14 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Abe’s welfare policies drive the needy to death

As the Abe government implements economic policies serving the interests of big businesses and wealthy people, the number of families on welfare has reached an all-time high of 1.63 million. Even though the Abe Cabinet approved “The Japan’s Plan for Dynamic Engagement of All Citizens” in early June, the plan does not put forward any measures to resolve the increasing poverty problem.

In 2013, the Abe administration reduced livelihood assistance allowances for households on welfare by up to 10%. In the same year, the Livelihood Protection Act was adversely revised to place on the general public a heavier responsibility for supporting families. In 2015, the government went on to cut down housing assistance allowances and winter season supplements for welfare recipients.

In line with the central government policy of curbing welfare costs, local governments are carrying out so-called “shoreline operations” nationwide to keep the public from applying for welfare benefits.

More than half of welfare recipients in the country are elderly people. At the end of last year, a 74-year-old man living in Chiba Prefecture died less than a month after he was admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with large bowel cancer and the cancer cells had already spread to other parts of his body.

The man had worked for an electrical contractor. As he could not meet the qualifications for receiving pension benefits by the age of retirement, he continued working part-time jobs. One day, however, he was seriously injured in a traffic accident and became incapable of working. Then, local authorities confiscated his National Health Insurance card because he was delinquent in paying his insurance premiums. He was also evicted from the apartment due to rent arrears and moved in with his half-brother.

The man’s daughter, 44, living in Saitama Prefecture, had sent some money to her father every two months. In January 2015, the man visited the city hall in Chiba to apply for welfare benefits. He said to a city official, “I don’t want to be a burden on my family any more.”

The official interrupted him and said, “You are living in your own house and your relatives have incomes. So, you are ineligible to receive welfare benefits.” The official kicked him out without handing him an application form.

The house the old man moved into is owned by his half-brother. The municipality’s response to the man was totally irrational.

After that, the man became unable to move at all because of ascites. The daughter, supposing that her father would die if left unattended, applied for welfare benefits in his behalf. The city authorities finally approved the application, but by that time, the man’s body was ravaged by cancer.

The chair of the Chiba prefectural federation of organizations for the protection of life and health, Seno Nanae, said, “The public assistance system forms the foundation of people’s lives. People have the right to use the system if they are in hard straits. And the government has a duty to guarantee people’s right to maintain a minimum standard of living. The ‘shoreline operations’ conducted by authorities are in flagrant violation of the Constitution and the Livelihood Protection Law.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Tatsumi Kotaro has repeatedly demanded that the national and local governments stop cutting welfare benefits and imposing excessive means tests for welfare recipients and applicants.

It is estimated that only about 20% of all needy people in Japan are on welfare. This figure is much lower than that of other developed nations.

Past related article:
> People on welfare protest planned slashes in welfare benefits [January 9, 2015]