Japan’s Welfare Applications Reach Decade-High

Xinhua/APP

Tokyo: Welfare applications across Japan surged to 21,832 in September, marking a 0.9 percent increase compared to the same month last year and the highest figure for September in the past decade, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

This represents an increase of 188 cases year-on-year, continuing a three-month streak of rising welfare applications.

The ministry attributed the uptick to rising living costs, noting the economic strain on households and emphasizing the need for vigilant monitoring.

Despite the increase in applications, the number of households newly receiving welfare benefits in September decreased by 321 to 18,482 compared to the previous year. The total number of households receiving welfare benefits fell slightly to 1,650,802, a decrease of 385 households year-on-year.

“Welfare applications reaching a 10-year high for September underscores the economic challenges many households face amid increasing costs of living,” the ministry said.