As Preparations for Next Fiscal Year are Made, Disability Welfare Organization in Japan Warns of “unprecedentedly severe” Staff Shortage

From The Asahi Shimbun

December 8 2023

TOKYO – In preparation for the next fiscal year’s revision of compensation for welfare services for persons with disabilities, Kyosaren, a Tokyo-based national organization that supports persons with disabilities, submitted a petition signed by 1,411 organizations to Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Keizo Takemi on December 8th, requesting a positive revision of basic compensation in light of the severe operating environment at service centers, including a serious labor shortage.

The fees paid to the operators of welfare services for persons with disabilities are fixed at official prices, which will be revised every three years in the next fiscal year.

The contents of the request include: a significant positive revision of basic and additional fees to solve the critical shortage of staff, to cope with the minimum wage hike, and to realize stable management; a revision of fees to prevent an increase in the burden on users and service centers due to soaring prices; and an increase in the burden on users and service centers due to a sharp rise in food and utilities costs. The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has also included the continuation, expansion, and permanent establishment of an additional fee for the meal provision system, in light of the current situation where the burden on users and facilities is increasing due to the sharp rise in food and utility costs.

In response to the Ministry officials who received the signatures, Nanoko Saito, President of Kyosaren, said, “The staff shortage is unprecedentedly severe. If the situation continues as is, some will withdraw from the business and the foundation for support will disappear. We hope that the ministry will show the way for a drastic revision of remuneration.”