The Reality of Welfare for Low Income Households

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare issued the statement that is about the numbers of low income households that their incomes are lower than the average without savings and/or property.

The ministry estimated that almost 70% of low income households are not receiving the welfare, and the ministry continues the survey.

In 2007, the survey of basic living standard revealed that there are roughly 3.37 million low income households that includes households that receiving the welfare, and 68% that 2.29 million low income households are not receiving the welfare, even though they are applicable. In addition, when we look at the total numbers of household in Japan that include all status of households, the 5% of them are low income household without receiving the welfare.

However, the survey that had been done by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, called National Investigation of Actual Consumption (2004), the survey indicates that there are 1.42 million low income households, and 32% of this number are not receiving the welfare; that is 0.45 million households.

However, there are another survey that indicates the suicide rate differences between average/higher income household and low income households. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 25.3 persons committed suicide within average/higher income households per 100,000, but 54.8 persons committed suicide within low income households per 100,000 (2008). This is the first time that survey indicated the number of suicide within low income households that receive welfare, and roughly 70% of them were suffered from depression. The Ministry is going to set up the plans to mentally help low income people.

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