The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted a review once every five years and decided a new standard amount for "livelihood assistance", which is allocated to food expenses and utility expenses among public assistance.
Considering the impact of high prices, we will make sure that there are no households whose standard amount will be lower than now for the next two years.
The standard amount of "livelihood assistance" is determined according to the region, age, number of households, etc., and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has reviewed it once every five years and decided a new standard amount.
In making the decision, we first compared the current level of livelihood assistance with the cost of living of ordinary low-income households, and calculated for each household type so that they would not be too far apart.
In addition, as a special measure in consideration of the impact of high prices, we will uniformly add 1,000 yen per person, and if the amount is reduced even after applying this procedure, the standard amount will remain at the current level for two years from the next fiscal year. Did.
As a result, for example, for a couple in their 40s who live in rural areas and have children in junior high school and elementary school, the income will increase by 16,000 yen, or 11.1%, to 157,000 yen.
For a single parent household in their 40s with a junior high school student and elementary school child living in a local city, the income will increase by 6.6%, or 9,000 yen, to 147,000 yen.
The standard amount remains unchanged for households of elderly couples and single-person households in their 50s in central Tokyo.
Payment based on the new standard amount will start in October next year.
The national financial burden is expected to increase by about 6 billion yen in the next fiscal year and about 13 billion yen in the year after next.
We will reconsider the standard amount for fiscal 2025 and beyond, taking into consideration the economic situation.