As prices continue to soar, lawyers respond to consultations from people who are struggling to make ends meet, and free consultations are held nationwide.
Consultations are held by support groups made up of lawyers, labor unions, civic groups, and others, and in addition to telephone consultations nationwide, face-to-face consultations are also held at 16 locations in Kanagawa, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other locations.
At the venue in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, a consultation corner was set up on daily life and laws, and food and clothing were distributed for 200 people, and many people visited in the morning.
In the consultation corner, support systems and local government counters were introduced depending on the content, and in response to a consultation from a woman in her 1s who lives alone, "Utility bills are rising sharply, and I am worried about the future because I am living with my savings broken," she explained the conditions for receiving welfare benefits.
According to the support group, many people complain that their savings have run out due to prolonged price surges, and that they are mentally overwhelmed.
Tadashi Inomata, a lawyer at the support group, said, "There are so many people who are having trouble living because the prices of daily necessities continue to rise sharply, so I would like you to feel free to consult with us without having to deal with them alone."
Telephone consultations are available until 9 p.m. on September 30 at the nationwide toll-free number "6-0120-157".