Unmarried single parents to become eligible for state support

@Andrew

People like you would have every poor person out on the streets surving without any welfare payments. My mum raised me all on her own in London. She was on welfare for the first four years of my life. We needed that money. Then she became a teacher and paid over 35 years back in tax. I was on welfare for five years, and then I got a job at the BBC in 2002 and have easily paid back in tax. There's nothing wrong with welfare and there's nothing wrong with single parent mothers. If I lose my job tomorrow, I'll happily claim welfare. Why? Because it's my own money. It's money I've paid into the system so I'm entitled to it. Not every unemployed person is scamming the system. I'm glad there's a system that doesn't throw people out on to the streets and let them starve like you seem to want.

@Andy Chip: Utter nonsense. Military budgets, for one, dwarf welfare budgets.

Welcome to the 21st century!

Seriously, though. Good news. As if single parents don't have enough on their plate; this is long overdo.

there are now generations being raised on Single Parent benefits as they have become addicted to the Welfare State - the Welfare State is becoming the biggest expenditure in Western Budgets.

Myths and demonisations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/single-mothers-benefits-myth-two-thirds-in-work-ons-figures-social-mobility-commission-a7903631.html

http://www.opfs.org.uk/single-parents-exploding-myths/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100975718

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/03/10-poverty-myths-busted/

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/single-mothers-vanquish-myth-of-the-scrounger-c7hcm7vzq

A step in the good direction.

In 2009, three women filed a petition for help with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations

But so slow...

@Andrew Crisp

Did you even read past the headline? In fact, the first sentence of the article clearly states this support is in the form of a tax deduction for child care. No payments at all from the state. Furthermore, who pays taxes? People with jobs! There's absolutely nothing about welfare payments.

I'm glad something is being done for single parents. Considering the number of children living in poverty in single parent homes every bit helps!

gogogo - What about unmarried parents? Seems like you have to be only single to get the benefit?

Read the article again. Previously, the welfare support was only available to divorced single parents. This new law will allow those who have never been married to receive support for their children.

They're encouraging couples to not get married.

No; they are easing the burden that being a single parent often entails.

The ministry will also consider whether to allow similar reductions for their use of facilities for physically handicapped children or for medical services for children with intractable diseases.

Do you think this move is also encouraging anything?

@Andrew Crisp, spot on. The number of down votes gives you some idea why western society is in such a mess.

Or it's a healthy indicator that society is a bit more compassionate than online pundits would have us believe.

Do you buy into Andrew's debunked 70s style demonisations of single parents?

Fair enough.

The ministry estimates around 2,700 such single parents will become newly eligible for lower service fees through the envisioned law change.

A drop in the ocean.

@fxgai, like you am not a fan of the word 'entitled'. I don't think san Miguel meant it literally tbh (more like 'if need be').

It's well for those who live within a Country that does have a Welfare state. Why Criticize such a system ? Indeed, in future we may all find ourselves out of a Job due to advances in AI and Robotics and therefore need some sort of support ... lest we simply just elect to commit suicide.

It's good to know that now single parents (or indeed unmarried parents - since one partner is single), will receive support.

Widowed, I understand, but as for divorce? Both should support the child until he/she reaches 20 years of age. I don't mind my taxes going to help our a family whose spouse died but I do want my taxes going to someone else's failed marriage. In addition, Japanese needs a better visitation rights system.

What about unmarried parents? Seems like you have to be only single to get the benefit?

If I lose my job tomorrow, I'll happily claim welfare. Why? Because it's my own money. It's money I've paid into the system so I'm entitled to it. 

Being entitled to money under a welfare system is not the same as the money you paid into that welfare system being yours. It's everyone's taxes.

Personally I feel it's an important distinction.

Better late than never

Single Parent benefits as they have become addicted to the Welfare State - the Welfare State is becoming the biggest expenditure in Western Budgets.

Interesting that you see fit to lump all Western economies and countries into one pile.

While your figures may be true in the UK, it is certainly not that way in other western countries

2 examples:

In my home country Canada, Old Age Security payments are the single largest government expenditure – about $30.6 billion, or 13.3 per cent of all federal expenses.

At a Provincial Level, Health Care is the number one expenditure. There are many more above what you call "welfare state" including education and others.

USA? Military is 57% of federal budget

21st century, welcome

Bububu3,

the article does mention lower fees, not just a tax deduction.

personally I think it's crazy how government taxes me then provides me with insufficient child care services.

how about the government not tax parents with young kids, boosting their take home pay, and then get out of the business of providing child care which they are failing abysmally at?

Why tax money from me only to not give me service back in return for it? Crazy inefficient.

people can spend their own money better. Only tax a bit for the purpose of helping the needy.

Knowing a couple of single mothers and hearing the stories of their abusive husbands, I'm a little glad more women are feeling strong enough to leave.

@chisineko - It's hard to get into Japan in the first place. And the right to vote extends to only Native Japanese - not even Permanent residents.

In France, the majority of babies are born to unwed mothers. It's been this way for nearly ten years. The birth rate has been increasing there and is far higher than countries like Germany and Japan.

In Japan, a tiny number of babies are born out of wedlock. It's about time that parents in that situation were given support. Benefits to parents are intended to ensure the child has a minimum standard of living. This should not depend on the marital status of the parents.

Japan, welcome to the upcoming "Single Mother" explosion the US has enjoyed for decades and all of the bills it comes with. And do not forget that the "Single Mother" is always a victim and hero; Thus she can not make bad decisions nor is she responsible, in any way for her actions. The tax payer should be proud to support and care for the love they bring in the world. We should feel the joy of working for those that reproduce.

There will be plenty of couples who won't get married on paper simply to take advantage of this kind of assistance.

No, I think the whole point is to remove the difference in treatment between married and unmarried couples, and the assistance is only for those with kids.

Either way now, if you want to be married or not, it won't result in any difference in assistance.

Of course, the government dominated child care system fails to deliver adequate care services as it is (so personally I think this is "fiddling around the edges" so-to-speak, although I am in favour of there being no discrimination based on marriage status. Single parents, I suspect, get preferential entry to day care services as it is).

I don't mind my taxes going to help our a family whose spouse died but I do want my taxes going to someone else's failed marriage.

I don't mind my taxes going to help someone who is, for whatever reason, truly needy. (Someone with a failed marriage is by no means guaranteed to be needy.)

This is a sensible move. Reducing the cost of childcare will allow more single parents to go out to work, easing the labour shortage. The only problem is there aren't enough childcare places available as dishonest Abe has broken his promise to provide them.

If they extended this to unmarried parents, this could actually be a game changer in the fight against depopulation here. How many pregnancies were put off knowing they had a grim financial future ahead of them if they went through with it?

More Free Stuff - the best way to gain election. Soon mass protests demanding greater entitlements. Foreign illegal aliens becoming aware of the endless bounty and smuggle themselves into the country demanding a fair share and their population rises. Standard of living declines - cost of living goes up in response to a general societal decay. Something to look forward to indeed.

There will be plenty of couples who won't get married on paper simply to take advantage of this kind of assistance.

@Andrew Crisp, spot on. The number of down votes gives you some idea why western society is in such a mess.

They're encouraging couples to not get married.

Learn from the mistakes of the West Japan - Single Parent Payments were introduced in 70' and 80's to support struggling parents and that's turned out to be a big mistake, there are now generations being raised on Single Parent benefits as they have become addicted to the Welfare State - the Welfare State is becoming the biggest expenditure in Western Budgets.