Japan opposition leader calls for new disability benefit amid COVID-19 crisis

Written with extracts translated from TV Asahi

July 12 2020

Representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yukio Edano, has appealed for the creation of a benefit to support persons with disabilities whose income has been reduced due to the new coronavirus.

Representative Edano visited the facility for disabled people in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture. Persons with disabilities who work at employment support facilities produce goods and receive rewards from the sales, but the income of the persons with disabilities is also reduced because the work contracted by the facility has decreased due to the influence of the new coronavirus.

Social Welfare Corporation Kyuyokai, Makiko Sato, General Manager: “I can’t cover my disability pension after all. (Because of the impact of corona) If there is no place to go to work, wages will be cut, so each disabled person’s life will be reduced. I think it’s a problem.”

The government provides a certain amount of sustainable benefits to businesses with reduced income, but it does not cover work facilities for persons with disabilities.

Representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yukio Edano: “(Institutions for working with persons with disabilities) are in an economic situation like this, so it is quite difficult right now, so we are pushing forward with being able to provide solid support.”

The four opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party, are calling for a “working allowance for persons with disabilities” that utilizes a reserve of 10 trillion yen as compensation for reducing the income of persons with disabilities should be created, and plans to apply to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in the near future.