Category: Welfare

Japan’s health ministry is planning to introduce a cap, possibly as early as next fiscal year, on the number of “retained workers” that can be counted when calculating additional payments for disability employment support, following allegations of large-scale overpayments in Osaka City. The move comes after three Type A continuous employment support facilities allegedly cycled users through repeated six-month employment periods and reported around 200 retained workers per year—despite each facility having a capacity of only 20 users—resulting in suspected excess subsidies of more than ¥2 billion.

Tae Owada (55) of Tateyama City, whose daughter has both intellectual and physical disabilities, is preparing to open a community “salon” where people with disabilities, their families, and other caregivers can gather, talk, and support one another. The space will be located in a former day-service building near Tajima Shrine and Tateyama Station, and is planned to offer weekday support for parents, after-school activities with children, and occasional weekend workshops. Owada hopes the salon will also welcome caregivers of the elderly, school-refusing children, and immigrant families. Her goal is to create a place of solidarity and mutual empowerment, and she is calling on the community for help in making it a reality.