主婦年金問題 与野党協力して決着を急げ

簡単です。
保険料を納めなくても年金が支給される「第３号被保険者」制度が元凶。
専業主婦は国民年金でカバーされるべき。
年金を受給するというのならその前に保険料を支払うべきです。
（スラチャイ記）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (May. 19, 2011)
Make efforts to untangle housewives' pensions
主婦年金問題　与野党協力して決着を急げ（5月18日付・読売社説）

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's Social Security Council decided Tuesday on measures to deal with the inadvertent failure by full-time housewives to switch to the national pension program.
　専業主婦の年金資格の切り替え忘れ問題で、社会保障審議会が１７日、対応策を決定した。

The government plans to include the measures in a bill to revise the National Pension Law and submit it to the current Diet session.
　政府は国民年金法改正案としてまとめ、今国会に提出する方針だ。

The ruling and opposition parties should work together to provide an early solution to the issue and prevent public distrust in the pension system from deepening.
　年金制度への不信感をこれ以上深めぬように、与野党で協力し、決着を急いでもらいたい。

Nonworking spouses of company employees and public servants are classified as Category III insured, and are not required to pay pension premiums.
　会社員や公務員の妻は「第３号被保険者」と呼ばれる。自らは保険料を払う必要がない。

They are automatically covered by payments made by all subscribers to welfare and mutual pension plans.
厚生年金や共済年金の加入者全体で、保険料に相当する額を負担する仕組みになっている。

However, if a housewife's annual income is 1.3 million yen or more, or her husband becomes self-employed, the woman must join the national pension plan and pay premiums.
　ただし、夫が脱サラしたり、妻のパート収入が年１３０万円以上になったりした場合は、国民年金に切り替えて、主婦も自分の保険料を払わなくてはならない。

An eye-popping 420,000 housewives of working age have failed to switch to the national pension plan and have not paid premiums for an extensive period.
　ところが、切り替えをせずに保険料が長期未納になっている現役世代の主婦が、４２万人もいることが判明した。

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Lack of publicity

One factor behind this is the failure of the former Social Insurance Agency to publicize the need to switch to the national pension plan. As a result, there is a strong possibility these housewives will receive a pittance or nothing at all.
　旧社会保険庁による周知の努力不足も一因だ。この人たちは低年金や無年金になる恐れが強い。

The agency considered the period in which no pension premiums were paid as covered by the Category III pension plan. About 53,000 elderly people received excessive pension payments as a result.
　一方で、未納期間を社保庁が３号扱いしたため、受給年齢を迎えた後、本来の受給額以上の年金を受け取っている高齢者も５万３０００人いる。

As a so-called relief measure for the 420,000 housewives, the welfare ministry in December decided the unpaid premium period should be covered by the Category III plan.
　厚生労働省は昨年末、４２万人について、未納期間を３号と見なすことで“救済”を図った。

However, the measure came under a barrage of criticism because it was considered unfair for them to receive the same pension as those who had paid premiums after switching to the national pension plan. Naturally, the measure was withdrawn.
　しかし、これでは、きちんと年金資格を切り替えて保険料を納め続けた人と同じ年金を受け取ることになるため、不公平との批判が噴出した。白紙撤回されたのは当然だろう。

The ministry then came up with a new plan in which the periods the 420,000 housewives did not pay premiums would qualify for pensions, but payments would be reduced.
　新たに打ち出した対応策は、次のようなものだ。
　４２万人の未納期間を保険加入期間に算入するものの、その間の保険料は払っていないため、年金額は減らす。

If the women wanted to receive full pensions, they would be permitted to pay premiums covering the previous 10 years retroactively.
減額されたくない場合は、１０年前まで遡って保険料の追納を認める。

Elderly pensioners who had been paid an amount exceeding what was due would be asked to return the difference paid over the previous five years.
　本来より多い年金を受け取った高齢者には、過去５年分について差額の返還を求める。

However, those whose income was below a certain level would be exempted from this requirement.
ただし一定の所得以下の人は除外する。

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Balance relief, fairness

We assume the ministry took extra care in working out these measures to ensure a balance between relief and fairness.
　これを見ると、救済と公平性のバランスにかなり苦心したことがうかがえる。

However, asking people to return a portion of their pensions seems rather harsh.
　ただ、支給済みの年金の一部を機械的に返還させるのは酷ではないか。

The ministry says it will exempt nearly 90 percent of elderly pension recipients affected from having to make reimbursements.
厚労省は、９割近くが返還請求の対象から除外されるようにするという。

The ministry must give due consideration to the livelihood of senior citizens when it carries out the measures.
高齢者の生活に十分配慮した対応が求められる。

The welfare ministry plans to expedite a review of the current pension system as an integral part of social security and tax system reforms.
　厚労省は、社会保障と税の一体改革の中で、現行の年金制度の手直しを急ぐ方針だ。

It should also study measures to improve the complex pension system for full-time housewives.
分かりにくい専業主婦の年金の在り方についても、改善を検討すべきだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 18, 2011)
（2011年5月18日01時09分 読売新聞）