Corona counseling center for people in need of living in corona

The impact of the new coronavirus is prolonged, and the burden of counseling offices in local governments to deal with people who are in need of life is becoming serious.



In a survey conducted by the Osaka Bar Association, 75% of the counselors at the counter said that they may think that their body and feelings are exhausted. It's starting to become a situation."

The local counseling service, which supports the poor in daily life, is flooded with applications such as the "Household Benefits" to pay rent to people who have lost their jobs.



Against this backdrop, the Osaka Bar Association conducted a questionnaire survey from June to last month, targeting counselors working at the counseling counters of local governments in the prefecture, and received 100 responses.



As a result, there were a series of voices calling for a serious labor shortage and improvement of the working environment due to the rapid increase in the number of consultations.


▽75% of the respondents answered that "I may feel exhausted both physically

and

mentally." ,


▽ 43% of the respondents answered, "I have quit my job."



In addition, 47% of the whole said that the procedure for housing security is complicated, saying, “The number of consultations has increased without changing the structure, and the system changes every day. It is said that "the confusion and exhaustion are spreading in the field," and "the original support for the poor is not available at all."



Tetsuro Kokubo, Executive Director of the poverty and life reconstruction problem countermeasures headquarters of the Osaka Bar Association, who conducted the survey said, ``Counselors are at the forefront of helping people who are in need of life, but at the same workplace there are three counselors at one time. In some cases, we have quit, and we are beginning to be in a critical situation where we cannot accept the counseling of citizens, which can be called “consultation collapse.” The benefit application procedure can be simplified to reduce the burden on counselors and significantly increase It is necessary to take measures to do so."

The number of applications for "Housing Security Benefits" is 270 times higher than last year

In Osaka City, the number of applications for “Housing Security Benefits” has fallen to over 6000 in the four months leading up to July, about 270 times the same period last year. The application is flooding into the consultation desk.



My work is extremely busy, but I have to deal with about the same three counselors as before, and this means that in July, one of the counselors was mentally hunted down and retired.



Not only is there a shortage of manpower, but the problem with the counselor is the complexity of the payment procedure.



The "Housing Security Benefits" can be applied when the income and deposits and savings of households are below a certain standard amount due to a decrease in income due to leaving work, closure of business, or absence from work.



For this reason, it is necessary to have about 10 types of documents submitted in total, such as proof of employee turnover or loss of income and confirmation of income or assets.



However, because it is often the case that defects are found in the documents, the counselor in an urgent situation must repeatedly request re-submission, which is a mental burden.



The counselor's man said, "There are many people who cannot collect documents because they have too many applications, and most of them get angry when they have to redo twice or three times. Since the people who come to consult only people who have trouble in life. , I often scream with a strong tone, and when I cannot afford to pay, I may be forced to say, “I'm dying.” The face and words of the consultant remain in my head and I can't sleep even when I go home. I'm worried about how many of them have it mentally."



And "Because the counselors are coming one after another, the usual support such as employment support and consultation withdrawal has been neglected. I have to do it, but I'm really sorry that I'm in a "judgment" situation."

"Body and mind limit myself"

A male counselor who replied to the Osaka Bar Association survey saying "I will quit soon" said in response to an interview with NHK, "I could only see a future where my physical and mental limits reached and I could fall."



After the infection spread, the number of applications for “ensurement of housing”, which had been only a few times a year, came to more than 100 applications per month at the counseling counter of the municipality where men worked.



Regarding the situation at that time, the man said, “In the daytime, the call from the consultant did not ring and people were rushing in between consultations. People who are panicked because of the new virus I was constantly stressed by the response of an angry person, and I was always worried that I might make a big mistake someday."



The monthly salary was about 200,000 yen, but he said that he continued to work every day from early morning to late night, and he sometimes overwhelmed the station because he was conscious of the train on his way back.



The man said, "I wanted to continue this work for supporting people in need for a long time, but I could only see the future where my physical and physical limits reached and I would collapse. I have no choice but to quit."

Nationwide municipal survey Points to ask the country to improve, etc.

The burden of local counseling services is serious not only in Osaka but throughout Japan.



NHK conducted a questionnaire survey of 36 wards and cities, including Tokyo's 23 wards, which have a large population, and ordinance-designated cities, among the top 10 prefectures with the highest number of infected people.



As a result,


▽34 municipalities (94% of the total) answered that "the number of staff is insufficient due to the rapid increase in the application for housing benefits" and


29 local governments (81%)

answered

"Consultation". There are some people who are overwhelming or emotional and have a hard time responding.”



In addition,


▽ 67 municipalities, which account for 67% of the total, answered that "it is difficult for people who are in distress due to the complicated application procedure", and


▽ 10 local governments said "There are employees who leave or take leave due to their busy schedule." I answered.



In the questionnaire, we also obtained free answers about what we wanted the country to improve.



Many local governments replied, "As a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, I would like you to establish a new rent subsidy system that is different from the housing security benefits," or "I want you to change it so that it is simple because the application procedure is complicated." It was.



``In the past, we have provided sufficient consultation while considering the situation of each person in need and provided support according to individual issues, but the number of applications was 100 times more than the previous year, We are unable to provide support for the above.”