More than 2 million people received welfare benefits in June, up 10,000 from May, a welfare ministry survey shows.
More than 2 million people received welfare benefits in June, up 10,000 from May, a welfare ministry survey shows.
The monthly figure in June, 2,041,592, was the largest since January this year and close to the record monthly average of 2,046,646 logged in fiscal 1951.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare released its findings for June on Oct. 12.
It said a record 1,479,611 households, 8,354 more than in May, received welfare benefits in June.
By category, “elderly households” accounted for the largest number at 628,950, or 42 percent of the total.
The category that posted the sharpest increase was “Others,” which included people who were able to work.
A total of 249,017 households, up 2,667 from May, fell into this category.
These figures indicate that households increasingly are relying on welfare amid job losses due to the economic downturn, the graying of society and the March 11 disaster.
The ministry is concerned about the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake now that many people are leaving evacuation centers to live in provisional housing, where no food service is provided.
And while a growing number of people will see their unemployment benefits expire, there are still too few jobs available.
“The number of welfare recipients increased six months after the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck (in 1995),” an official said. “The number of recipients could grow further in disaster-stricken areas (of the Tohoku region).”