In a court case filed by a beneficiary from Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture, against the city, the Nara District Court ruled to cancel the city's decision to reduce the amount of welfare payments, arguing that the gradual reduction in welfare expenses from Heisei 25 was unreasonable and illegal.
The government lowered the standard amount of living expenses such as food and utilities by up to 25% from Heisei 27 to 10, reflecting the decline in prices.
Regarding this, two beneficiaries in Yamatokoriyama City demanded the cancellation of the reduction in the amount of welfare benefits decided by the city, stating that "the decision to change the welfare allowance made based on the revised standards is unreasonable and violates the Public Assistance Law."
In a ruling on the 2th, Judge Yoshiko Teramoto of the Nara District Court reversed the city's decision to reduce the amount of the subsidy on the grounds that "the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare has deviated or abused its discretion and should be illegal in violation of the provisions of the Public Assistance Act."
According to the plaintiffs' lawyers, similar lawsuits have been filed in 11 locations nationwide, and out of 29 judgments, this is the ninth case in which the Saitama District Court has approved the cancellation of the reduction, following the Saitama District Court last month.
Plaintiffs' Lawyers: "Winning Judgment Based on Harsh Living Conditions"
The plaintiffs' lawyers held a press conference after the verdict and stated, "In the judgment, we took seriously the harsh living conditions of the plaintiffs and took issue with the government's reduction in the standard of public welfare.
Yamatokoriyama City "Carefully examine the contents of the judgment and consider a response"
Regarding this ruling, Yamatokoriyama City commented, "We will carefully examine the contents of the judgment and consider a response."