(Update) Japan Top Court Finds Welfare Benefit Cuts Unlawful

   Tokyo, June 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Supreme Court ruled Friday that the government's cuts to welfare benefits in 2013-2015 were unlawful, marking a significant victory for welfare recipients about a decade after lawsuits were filed over the matter.
   Ruling on appeals against decisions by Osaka and Nagoya high courts, the top court's Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Katsuya Uga, revoked the welfare cuts but dismissed plaintiffs' damages claims.
   Lawsuits on the welfare benefit reductions have been filed with 31 district courts in 29 prefectures around Japan, and the latest Supreme Court decision is expected to influence similar cases nationwide, likely resulting in rulings in favor of plaintiffs.
   Over two million people were on welfare at the time of the cuts, lowering benefits by a total of 67 billion yen per year from fiscal 2015. The cumulative amount of cuts is believed to reach about 300 billion yen over some five years through 2018.
   It remains to be seen whether the government will pay the reduced benefit amount also to recipients who did not take part in lawsuits as plaintiffs.

(2025/06/27-17:21)