Social Support for People at Risk of Poverty

Transcription

1 Social Support for People at Risk of Poverty Social Support for People at Risk of Poverty Atsuo SHIBUYA Executive Director Japan National Council of Social Welfare Japanese National Committee, ICSW

2 Annual Changing of the Number of Households/Recipients and Cover Ratio of the Public Assistance The number of recipients of the Public Assistance is approx million. It has been increasing since2011 when it recorded the highest in the past. (10.000) ,046,646 1,929,408 Iwato Economic Boom ,627, ,598, ,344,306 1,349, (fixed) 2,161,612 persons 1.70 % 1,591,846 s ,426,984 1,469, Heisei Economic Boom 6 1 ~ 3 1,431,117 October 2015(preliminary) 2,166,019 persons 1,014, % 1,632,321 s Recipients 1,763, ,166,019 2,161, ,632,321 1,274, ,591,846 Cover Ratio Jinmu Olympic Izanagi 898, The First The Games Economic Economic Economic Oil Shock Second 882, Boom Boom Boom Oil Shock Households 80 29~32 33~35 37~ ~ ~ , , , , ,602 World Financial ,514 Crisis , , , , , , 昭 平 Oct The Number 和 of Households/, 成年 26 Data: from Recipients Survey by the Public Assistance Division of the Social Welfare & War The Cover Ratio(%) (Persons)receiving public 2 Victims Relief Bureau of Ministry of Health, Labour 10 and Welfare. (Data before March 2012 is from welfare administration reported cases.) assistance 資料 : 被保護者調査より厚生労働省社会 援護局保護課にて作成 ( 平成 24 年 3 月以前の数値は福祉行政報告例 ) 月

3 Changing of the Ratio of Recipient of the Public Assistance per Household Type 2007 Total of Recipient Senior Citizens Fatherless Sickness/ injury/ Disability Other Number of 1,102, ,665 92, , ,282 Ratio(%) 100.0% 45.1% 8.4% 36.4% 10.1% Data: Welfare administration reported cases (s under suspension are not included.) April 2015(approximate) Total of Recipient Senior Citizens Fatherless Sickness/ injury/ Disability Other Number of 1,613, , , , ,944 Ratio(%) 100.0% 49.1% 6.5% 27.4% 17.0% Data: Survey on beneficiaries (s under suspension are not included.) (Reference) Among Others, the configuration ratio of members by age is as follows; age 20-29: 5.4%, age 50 or older: 54%. (2013) 3

4 Review of the Public Assistance System and the Overall Picture of the New Measures for the Needy To tackle the review of the public assistance system and measures for the needy as well as to review the public assistance criteria Comprehensive effort to review the public assistance system and measures for the needy 4

5 Outline of Independence Support System for the Needy (Service Menu) 5

6 Management Body of the Consultation Support Service for Self Reliance (1)Management Method Direct/Entrusted Management 直営 + 委託 11% Direct Management 直営 40% Entrusting Management 委託 49% n=901 n=901 (2)Entrusted Organizations(Multiple answers) Social Welfare Foundations (except 社会福祉法人 Councils of Social ( 社協以外 Welfare) ) Councils 社会福祉協議会 of Social Welfare Medical Corporations 医療法人 Incorporated associations/foundations 社団法人 財団法人 Private Companies, 株式会社等 etc. NPO 法人 NPO その他 Others 0.0% 50.0% 100.0% 8.0% 0.0% 6.7% 6.3% 12.6% 3.0% 76.0% n=538 6

7 Purposes of the Support System to Promote Self Reliance for the Needy There are two (2) purposes as follows: 1) To ensure the independence and dignity of the needy In this system, important are the will and ambition of persons in need, and supporters are to work closely with them. Supported are various independence such as economic independence, daily living independence, social life independence, etc. based on the self-selection and self-decision of persons in need according to their situation. To ensure the dignity of persons in need is especially important as many of them lost their self-affirmation or self-esteem. 2) To develop a community through support for the needy To develop a network for the early detection and watching of the needy people, and to expand the place to work or to increase opportunities to participate in the community as well as to prepare a holistic measures for them. (Existing social resources are to be utilized; if they are not enough, create/develop the new one.) To develop a community where people support each other. Unless the needy people can feel the connection or bonds with the society, it will be difficult to expect their proactive participation. 7

8 As such, to support the needy people, the feature of the program is to place importance on not only to tackle economic distress but also the necessity of a community which has good human relationship and supportive functions. That idea is manifested in a report of the Special Subcommittee of the Social Security Council. Special Subcommittee on the Life Support for the Needy of the Social Security Council (2013) (Status Quo and Challenges of Poverty) Not a few people become isolated losing their connection with family, etc. as the poverty expands. Also increased are people who can make neither family nor saving for their old age because of their low income, and consequently become older without family and money. The expansion of social isolation will discourage people to be independent, make support difficult, and weaken the foundation of a community (Fundamental View of Life Support System) It would be difficult to make the needy people participate proactively as long as they are isolated and find no value within themselves. An indispensable condition for the needy people to step forward is to feel that they are not lonely and recognized by others in this society. The new life support system aims at managing both people (community residents, etc.) and resource, integrating isolated people into the community with dignity, and creating/reproducing various connection among people. It is the connection among people to make their proactive participation possible as a foundation. Poverty Social Isolation Poverty Social Isolation 8

9 Challenges of the Support System for the Needy for Self-Reliance Some local governments that are expected to implement this system hesitate in promoting consultation services as the active promotion of this system may increase the number of recipient of public assistance. Not a few local governments hesitate in implementing optional services. Resources for the employment or transitional employment (such as support services to provide vocational training, etc. for those who cannot be in labor market without any preparation) are not enough and/or the know-how to reach them is not penetrated enough. It is important that the consultation/support function of both social welfare section and labor section to compliment each other to make a comprehensive consultation/support system work; however, the exchange of know-how among them is not enough at organization/agency level. Sometimes it is necessary to grope a universal approach veiling that the real target of services is the needy to avoid unfavorable phenomena; for example, in an effort for children such as meal service or learning support, if it is revealed that the real target is children in needy families, such children do not dare to come. It is considered that the grasp of needs is still not enough as the ratio of consultation is about 70% of that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimates. 9