生活保護見直し 自立を促し不正許さぬ制度に

The Yomiuri Shimbun (May. 12, 2012)
Reform welfare system to help those helping themselves
生活保護見直し　自立を促し不正許さぬ制度に（5月11日付・読売社説）

As the economic situation continues to deteriorate, the number of people receiving welfare benefits has risen to almost 2.1 million. Reforming the welfare system to help people willing to work become self-reliant is an urgent task.
　経済情勢の悪化を背景に、生活保護の受給者が増え続け、２１０万人に迫っている。働く意欲のある人の自立を助ける制度改革が急務である。

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has presented to the Social Security Council a basic draft for discussions on reforming the welfare system. The ministry plans to flesh out welfare reform as a "livelihood support strategy" by autumn.
　厚生労働省は、生活保護制度を改革するため、社会保障審議会に議論のたたき台を示した。秋までに「生活支援戦略」として具体化する。

One prominent feature of the plan is the proposed establishment of a "working income accumulation system." Under this system, a certain proportion of the income received by a welfare recipient would be accumulated and given in a lump sum when they get off welfare.
　注目されるのは、新設を検討する「就労収入積立制度」だ。働いて得た収入の一定割合を積み立て、生活保護から脱した時にまとめて受け取る仕組みである。

One reason for ballooning welfare expenses has been the increase in welfare recipients in the prime of their working life. In recent years, many nonregular employees who are not enrolled in unemployment insurance immediately ended up relying on welfare benefits after losing their job.
　生活保護の膨張の一因は、働き盛り世代の受給者の増加にある。近年は雇用保険に未加入の非正規労働者が、失業によって一気に生活保護に陥るケースが目立つ。

Although people want to get off welfare, it is difficult for many to find a job that pays well. The reality is that a worker's income gradually rises as their career progresses.
　生活保護から抜け出したくても収入のよい仕事に就くのは容易ではない。徐々に収入を増やしていく、というのが現実だ。

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Stamp out fraud

Under the current system, however, if welfare recipients work and earn income, the benefits they receive will in principle be cut by the amount they earned. Observers have pointed out that this system drains a recipient's will to get off welfare because they end up with the same amount of money regardless of whether they work or not.
　ところが現行制度は原則として働いて収入を得ると、その分、生活保護の給付額がカットされる。働いても働かなくても同じでは、生活保護から脱却しようという意欲をそぐ、と指摘されていた。

Therefore, the working income accumulation system can be expected to have a positive effect in this regard. The money a worker accumulates will not result in a cut in their welfare benefits. Welfare recipients thus will be able to better prepare financially for the future and their will to work and become self-reliant will grow. Their income will increase and the government's welfare expenditures will fall.
　それだけに、積立制度には効果が期待される。積み立て分は給付減額の対象とはならない。将来に備えることができ、就労、自立への意欲は高まろう。収入全体が増え、給付される公費も減る。

We suggest the government quickly settle the details of the envisaged system, including the percentage of income that will be accumulated, and promptly introduce it even on a trial basis.
　どの程度の割合で積み立てるかなど細部の設計を急ぎ、試験的にでも速やかに実行してはどうか。

At the same time, it may be necessary to create more job opportunities for welfare recipients, including positions at public facilities.
併せて、公共施設の業務など就労機会を作ることも必要だろう。

Welfare benefits are expected to exceed 3.7 trillion yen this fiscal year. In the past five years, the amount has increased by as much as 1 trillion yen.
　生活保護の給付総額は今年度、３兆７０００億円を超える見通しだ。この５年間で、１兆円も膨らんでいる。

Welfare fraud must be thoroughly prevented to stop this figure from rising further. This is especially true for medical care benefits, which account for about half of total welfare benefit expenses.
これを抑制するためにも不正の防止は徹底すべきだ。特に、生活保護費の約半分を占める医療給付である。

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LDP must lend a hand

Currently, people on welfare are exempted from paying medical expenses, and in many cases they receive more medical examinations than necessary. Also, there are unscrupulous medical institutions that earn medical treatment fees by examining mostly welfare recipients.
　生活保護受給者は医療費の自己負担がなく、必要以上の診療を受けていることが少なくない。受給者ばかりを集め、診療報酬を稼ぐ悪質な医療機関も存在する。

The ministry is discussing strengthening measures to prevent fraud, including establishing a system in which another doctor will be asked to decide whether medical examinations are being conducted appropriately. Such steps will be essential for making welfare benefit expenses more transparent.
　厚労省は、診療内容が適正かどうか別の医師にも判断を求める制度など、不正防止の強化策を検討中だ。生活保護費の透明性を高めるために不可欠である。

The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, which is discussing a counterproposal for integrated reform of the social security and tax systems, also heavily favors boosting welfare recipients' self-reliance. The LDP has presented a policy of curbing benefits by placing greater emphasis on assistance for welfare recipients trying to stand on their own feet.
　社会保障と税の一体改革で対案を検討中の自民党も、「自助」を重視する立場から、自立支援策に力点を置いて生活保護給付を抑制する方針を打ち出している。

A review of welfare benefit payments also is an important pillar of the integrated reform. The ruling and opposition parties should work together to advance welfare system reform from various angles.
　生活保護の見直しも、一体改革の重要な柱である。与野党で力を合わせ、多角的に制度改革を進めるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 11, 2012)
（2012年5月11日01時28分 読売新聞）