Indifferent to the Poors

Here comes a policy harsh for the poor again. Making the difference from the welfare policy of former DPJ government, Abe administration decided to cut public assistance for low-income family starting in August. Although it is mainly aimed at avoiding national debt increase, main reason should be the high priority on public infrastructure. This shift in distribution of public wealth is dubbed as “from human to concrete,” just the reverse expression of DPJ’s phrase.

The government of Japan holds an aid system for low-income family to support daily life, school and medical care. The decision was to reduce the benefits for daily life by 7.3%, which amounts to ¥74 billion. Meanwhile, it will save ¥45 billion in medical care by counting on cheaper generic medicines. Although a new budget will be set for who are active for finding jobs, 96% of recipients are going to suffer from this budget cut. In the model of a family with parents in 40s and two kids in elementary and mid school, their income will down from ¥282 to ¥262 thousand per year.

There have actually been problems of false recipient who are not willing to find jobs and staying home doing nothing. Most part of reduction of daily life support is the adjustment along with decline of commodity price. Since the distinction between false recipient and who deadly need is difficult, the budget cut will affect most low-income families.

Different from American citizens standing up for protests, the typical action a desperate Japanese is taking is committing suicide. There had been over thirty thousands suicide records every year. Public assistance is not only a matter of national budget, but humanity. Under DPJ administration, the government was serious about addressing poverty. The number of suicide in 2012 was reduced to the level of less than thirty thousands, the first time in these fifteen years. During DPJ administration, also declined the number of students who left their school with financial reason.

In LDP administration, the gravity is shifting from the poor to the rich. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasizes that he will make a society in which diligent people are rewarded. People in the party argue that the budget cut is aimed to incorrect receiving of governmental money. But it is hard for applying the policy only to the targeted people.

The discussion is close to the long dispute between the Democrats and Republicans in US. In Japan, the rift between the rich and the poor were taken to the limit in 2009, when LDP administration collapsed. The resumed administration of LDP now needs to be sensitive to new type of compassionate conservatism.