There are a number of local governments nationwide where the number of livelihood protection households in charge of caseworkers exceeds the standard set by law and the burden of work is increasing.
Experts point out that "as the effects of the new coronavirus continue to prolong, the necessary support may not reach as it is now."
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, according to the Social Welfare Act enforced in 1951, the number of households for livelihood protection that caseworkers are in charge of is 80 households set up by municipalities and prefectural governments set up in counties. The office had 65 households as the "legal constant".
After that, from 2000, this "legal constant" will replace the standard "standard number", and prefectures will set the number of caseworkers by ordinance.
According to a 2016 survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of caseworkers in charge of livelihood protection is 18,183 in local governments nationwide.
Comparing this with the "standard number", there is a total shortage of 1932.
Of the 67 welfare offices established by government-designated cities and core cities, 56 households were in charge of each caseworker and did not meet the "standard number", accounting for 84%. I will.
In addition, according to a survey conducted in Tokyo last year, of the 63 welfare offices in Tokyo, 50 or 79% of the 63 welfare offices were in charge of more than 80 households per caseworker and did not meet the "standard number". I will.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of caseworkers working as part-time employees was 655 in the 2009 survey, but in 2016 it was 1150, an increase of more than 70%.
Keita Sakurai, an associate professor at Ritsumeikan University who is familiar with livelihood protection administration, said, "If the shortage of caseworkers is normal and the effects of the new coronavirus are prolonged and the number of households receiving livelihood protection increases, it will be like a corona-stricken health center. There is a risk that the shortage of personnel will become more serious and the necessary support will not be delivered. Immediate measures will be taken to improve the problem of insufficient caseworkers in order to rebuild the lives of as many people as possible. Should be considered. "
Men in their 40s "If you can talk more"
A 40-year-old man living in Tokyo, who has been on welfare since October last year, has obtained multiple construction qualifications and has been dispatched or hired for more than 20 years, but he has lost his job due to the influence of the new coronavirus. , It is said that the savings are gone.
Men go to Hello Work every week to find new jobs, but there are many short-term jobs and they are often wondering what to do with reemployment activities.
I visited the welfare office many times to consult with some men, but the caseworker in charge had other responses, and even if I could consult, I could only do it for a short time.
The man said, "Even if you call the caseworker and tell him that you want to be independent quickly, you don't have to rush. Only the caseworker can talk to you. I hope I can talk more. I'm worried that I can rebuild my life. "
On-site staff "I'm worried if many households in charge will receive support"
A woman in her thirties who works as a caseworker at a welfare office in Tokyo is in charge of supporting about 100 households receiving welfare protection, and is worried that many households in charge are able to provide the necessary support. I feel it. "
The job of a caseworker who supports a household receiving livelihood protection is to check the living conditions because if the household income is less than the minimum living cost set by the national standard, the difference will be paid as a livelihood protection cost every month. In addition to performing calculations and procedures, we also receive consultations on welfare problems and reemployment, and when nursing care or hospitalization is required, we coordinate with the national and local governments to proceed with the necessary procedures.
We asked a woman in her thirties, who has been working as a caseworker for seven years at a welfare office in Tokyo, to tell us about the average daily work and how long it takes.
The original work time is from 8:30 am to 5:15 pm, with a break of 1 hour and a total of 7 hours and 45 minutes.
However, in reality, it takes about 1 hour to respond to the welfare recipient who visited the window of the welfare office, and about 2 hours to respond by telephone such as consultation, and in cases where urgent response is necessary, outside the welfare office. It takes about 3 hours for work, about 30 minutes for work guidance to juniors, and about 5 hours for clerical work such as document preparation.
In order to do this much work, we can't handle it without working overtime, but even so, we can't make it in time, so we go to work on holidays and do office work.
On the 12th of this month, I lent a part of the protection fee paid by a man in his 50s to a friend, but he was not repaid and was asked what to do.
In order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, it becomes difficult to visit the home, and if the welfare office where women work is judged to be non-urgent, the living conditions are confirmed by telephone.
By the end of March, she said she would have a woman show her plans for this year, and that she would make a total of about 300 visits to about 100 households in charge.
However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, we have been able to visit a total of about 50 households so far.
Women find it difficult to grasp the situation, such as whether they are mentally depressed due to the reduced opportunities to visit due to the effects of the new coronavirus.
The woman said, "I want to do as much as I can to rebuild my life, but I'm worried that many households are in charge of providing the necessary support. Even though mental connection is important, time I think that I can only deal with clerical work because I am concerned about it. Sometimes I am too busy and the support is delayed and I feel guilty. "
Some local governments are moving to improve
There is also a movement to improve the current situation where there is a shortage of "caseworkers" and the burden of work is increasing.
Every year, Edogawa Ward in Tokyo adjusts the number of staff so that the number of households per caseworker, including counselors, does not exceed the 80 households stipulated by the Social Welfare Act at the beginning of the year.
As of April last year, about 15,500 households were on welfare, and 198 people including counselors were in charge, making 78 households per person.
However, due to the effects of the new coronavirus, the number of households receiving welfare protection has begun to increase, and some employees are absent due to illness, etc., so the average number of households in charge of caseworkers excluding counselors is 93. It means that it has increased to the household.
To reduce the burden on "caseworkers," Edogawa Ward began full-scale operation of a system that allows employees to share the status of office work and home visits this year.
In the system, if the number of visits to a household receiving welfare protection is less than planned, the household will be displayed in red or yellow, and each caseworker will be able to see how many more visits to make. It has become.
By sharing the progress of individual work in the workplace, it became possible for the staff to smoothly adjust the clerical work that was a heavy burden, and the staff gave advice to young people with little experience. It means that communication between each other has increased.
In Edogawa Ward, the introduction of this system has made it possible to take as much time as possible to consult and support people who are on welfare, and to show more support measures.
Keisuke Wife Tori, Chief of the Edogawa Ward Life Support Division 1, said, "The results of our efforts have been achieved, such as an increase in the number of people receiving livelihood protection who are participating in support programs for reemployment."
In addition, of the students who graduated from a welfare vocational school in Edogawa Ward, about 5 people are hired as part-time staff every year to take on the duties of caseworkers for 3 years.
Kenji Yasuda, Chief of the Edogawa Ward Life Support Division 1, said, "We are in a state where we have managed to cover the shortage of caseworkers. Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the number of people applying for livelihood protection is increasing, and the current system is in place. I feel that it is difficult to continue. "
The country also strengthens support
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is strengthening support for local governments, saying that the worsening employment situation due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection may significantly increase the work of caseworkers.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the third supplementary budget, which was established last month, will include 14 billion yen as a safety net strengthening grant, part of which will be used to support welfare offices.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is calling on local governments nationwide to utilize the grants to increase the number of non-regular employees who support the employment support of people receiving welfare protection.