"Can't repay debt" Corona consultations one after another Concerns about rapid increase in multiple debtors April 22 5:37

People who have lost a lot of income due to the new coronavirus have been inquiring one after another that they cannot return their debts or loans. Experts are worried that the number of multiple debtors may increase rapidly in the future.

The Council of Social Welfare in Tokyo, etc., offers consultations to people with debts at dedicated windows and introduces loans.

Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the number of people visiting for consultation increased from February, and the number of consultations in March was 123, the highest number in one month since the window was opened in 2008.

In addition to temporary employees, many of them are taxi drivers, event company employees, and restaurant employees. “I stopped working and lost my income. I was able to repay the debt that was paid back monthly. It means that there are a lot of consultations such as "it disappears".

Up until now, we had to make monthly repayments from our salary, but many people suddenly became unable to make payments due to lack of income, and some borrowed from multiple consumer loans.

Kimiko Kiyohara, who is in consultation, said, “This is the first time that so many people have visited for consultation, and there is a risk that the number of multiple debtors will increase in the future. I have no room to live and receive life-threatening consultations. I think the situation is tougher than at the time of the Lehman shock or the Great East Japan Earthquake. "

Suddenly dismissed man "even living as it is"

We talked to a 37-year-old man who was fired at his restaurant because of the new coronavirus.

The man used to be unemployed, and has a debt of about 2 million yen that he borrowed for living at that time. However, the treatment at the restaurant, where I worked as a full-time employee until last month, was good, and even if I paid back 100,000 yen monthly, I was able to live my life.

However, the situation changed completely as the effects of the new coronavirus hit the workplace directly.

The sales of the restaurant I was working for in March decreased by 90% of the usual amount, and this month I was suddenly notified of dismissal.

Men live with their wives, children, and parents, but their next job is undecided.

I go to Hello Work every day, but there are many companies that say, "I'm not going to hire for the time being because of the new coronavirus." He says he has no prospect of being able to repay the existing debt himself because he has little savings.

The man said, "I feel like I'm being struck by something every day. I'm also applying for an emergency loan to a public institution, but it takes time to get the benefits, and I can't even live as it is." It was