Gunma Prefecture imposes administrative sanctions on two “Megumi” group home facilities

From NHK

June 28 2024

GUNMA – Gunma Prefecture has announced that it has imposed administrative sanctions on two facilities in Shibukawa City and Isesaki City, prohibiting new users from accepting new users for six months from last month, in response to the issue of excessive food fees being collected from users at facilities operated by “Megumi,” a management company that operates group homes for people with disabilities throughout the country, including Gunma.

Regarding group homes for people with disabilities operated by “Megumi,” whose headquarters are in Tokyo, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare notified the company on the 26th that it will apply the so-called “casual liability system” to group homes and other facilities nationwide, including five facilities in Gunma Prefecture, and will not allow the renewal of designations in the future, citing the company’s systematic collection of excessive food fees from users.

Gunma Prefecture announced on the 28th that it has imposed administrative sanctions on two facilities in Shibukawa City and Isesaki City, prohibiting the acceptance of new users for six months from last month.

According to the prefecture, up until December of last year, the business in Shibukawa city had overcharged approximately 4.2 million yen, and the business in Isesaki city had overcharged approximately 670,000 yen, and the prefecture has stated that “economic abuse was taking place.”

Meanwhile, in the case of the business in Takasaki city under the jurisdiction of Takasaki city, the amount of overcharge was only approximately 28,000 yen, so no administrative action was taken and only guidance was given.

Similarly, in the case of the business in Maebashi city, Maebashi city only gave guidance and no administrative action was taken, citing a “comprehensive judgment.”