年金給付水準 非正規や将来世代の改善図れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Pension benefit reform must consider non-regular workers, future generations
年金給付水準　非正規や将来世代の改善図れ

Reform must be expedited to minimize declines in pension benefit levels expected in the future, with the aim of enhancing the sustainability of the nation’s social security system.
　制度の持続可能性を高め、将来の年金水準の低下を緩和するため、改革を急がねばならない。

An advisory council of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has worked out a report explaining specifics concerning the government-envisaged pension system reform.
　厚生労働省の審議会が年金制度改革の具体的内容を示した報告書をまとめた。

The report centers on steps to adjust benefit levels, the future effects of which were confirmed in pension finance studies the government announced in June last year, including measures to beef up arrangements to rein in pension benefit payments.
　給付抑制を図る仕組みの強化など、昨年６月に公表された年金財政検証で将来の給付水準改善の効果が確認されたものが中心だ。

To ensure the stability of the finances of the government-run pension system, what is referred to as “automatic adjustment of benefits based on macroeconomic indexation” has been introduced to the current social security system for the purpose of lowering benefit levels automatically in accordance with the rates of declines in the birthrate and increases in the number of the elderly. This is aimed at curbing benefit payments by making increases in pension benefits fall below rises in such yardsticks as per-capita wage growth and price rises.
　現行制度は、年金財政の安定化のため、少子高齢化の進み具合に応じて自動的に給付水準を引き下げる「マクロ経済スライド」を導入している。賃金や物価の上昇分より年金の増額を小幅にとどめ、給付を抑制する仕組みだ。

The problem is that the implementation of this mechanism has been limited at a time of deflation, in which prices and wages decline, and when their growth rates are significantly low. The limitations were aimed at protecting the living conditions of the elderly, but they have resulted in delays in curbing benefit payments.
　問題は、物価や賃金が下がるデフレや上昇率が低い際の実施が制限されている点だ。高齢者の生活に配慮したものだが、結果として、給付抑制の遅れを招いた。

If the current high average pension benefits for the elderly are left unchanged, funds for financing pension payments for the future generations are bound to shrink, a situation that would make it inevitable to slash benefit levels. The current benefit payment system should be reviewed for thorough implementation of the indexation formula.
　今の高齢者への給付が高止まりしたままでは、将来世代の年金財源が減り、給付水準が低下する。経済動向にかかわらず、完全実施するよう見直すべきである。

The latest report rightly pointed out the need for “best possible efforts to prevent the indexation formula from being postponed” in order to curb benefit payments. This will likely bring adverse reactions from the elderly, while some in the ruling camp are wary of cutting back on the benefits, but the task of reviewing the benefit payment system cannot be left unaddressed if pension funds for future generations are to be secured.
　報告書が、給付抑制について「極力先送りされない工夫」を求めたのは、もっともだ。高齢者の反発が予想され、与党内に慎重論もあるが、将来世代の年金を守るためには、避けて通れない。

Bigger burden, fatter benefits

The report has also noted the need to encourage non-regular employees to seek coverage by the kosei nenkin company workers’ pension plan.
　報告書は非正規労働者の厚生年金加入を進める方針も示した。

The current kosei nenkin plan has been focusing on regular employees. Part-timers and other non-regular employees have mostly been excluded from corporate pension plan coverage. Non-regular employees qualify to receive only a basic pension in their old age, which is around a maximum of ¥60,000 per month. With non-regular workers continuing to increase, there are fears the number of low-benefit people will swell in the future.
　現行の厚生年金は、正社員が中心だ。パートなどの多くが除外され、老後は満額でも月６万円程度の基礎年金しかもらえない。非正規労働者の増加に伴い、将来、低年金者が続出する恐れがある。

Effective from October 2016, coverage by kosei nenkin is to be expanded to include “employees working 20 hours or more a week” from the current “30 hours or more.” Because of opposition from the distribution industry sector, in which many non-regular workers are employed, the number of people to be covered under the new requirements is estimated at no more than 250,000, as a number of conditions such as non-regular workers’ monthly income and the scale of the company they work for have been included in eligibility.
　２０１６年１０月から、対象拡大のため、加入基準が「労働時間が週３０時間以上」から「週２０時間以上」に緩和される。だが、パートの多い流通業界などの反対で、月収や企業規模に条件がつき、新たな加入者は２５万人に過ぎない。

Boosting pension benefits for non-regular workers is urgently needed, and expansion of coverage for the kosei nenkin plan is indispensable. This task must be carried forward steadily while paying due attention to business conditions of small and medium-size businesses.
　非正規労働者の年金の充実は急務である。さらなる対象拡大が欠かせない。中小企業の経営に配慮しつつ、着実に進めるべきだ。

Regarding the duration of basic pension premium payments, the report said the idea of extending the current payment period of 40 years to 45 years for full pension qualification should be considered “a matter of course” in light of rises in life expectancy. The higher the burden of premium payments, the larger the pension benefits.
　基礎年金の保険料納付期間については、寿命の延びに対応し、今の４０年間から４５年間に延長することが「自然の流れ」とした。負担が増える分、年金額も増える。

In a hyper-aging society, it is imperative that an increasing number of people work as long as possible to prop up society, the national economy and the social security system. Doing so, they will be able to help improve pension benefits for future generations.
　超高齢社会では、より多くの人が、できるだけ長く働き、社会・経済や社会保障制度の支え手となることが重要だ。将来世代の給付水準の改善にも役立つ。

The problem, however, is how to secure funding sources: Half of basic pension benefits are funded by tax revenues. Discussions should therefore be conducted about not only the need to implement the hike in the consumption tax rate to 10 percent without fail, but also the need to increase the burden further even after the consumption tax hike.
　問題は財源である。基礎年金の半分は税金で賄われる。消費税率１０％への引き上げの確実な実施にとどまらず、その先の負担増も見据えた議論が求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 25, 2015)