Overview
- Japan’s Health Ministry convened its expert committee on November 17 and compiled a report on compensating recipients affected by the unlawful welfare reductions.
- The report deems paying back only part of the cut amounts reasonable yet also records full repayment to plaintiffs as a viable path to resolve disputes.
- The committee also presented technical options on recalculating benefit levels, including a scenario reflecting at least a 2.49% difference compared with pre-revision standards.
- Officials are preparing to include related costs in the FY2025 supplementary budget and are considering contingency funds to enable earlier payments.
- Plaintiffs continue to demand full restitution, and the government is expected to decide on payment levels within the month after consultations with ruling and opposition parties.