As Denial of Disability Pensions in Japan Double, Health Ministry Will “investigate the actual situation and make it public”

Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Takamaro Fukuoka announced that he will investigate the actual situation and make the results public in one month. The incident began with a Kyodo News report dated April 28th. The report stated that the number of people who were denied disability pensions in fiscal 2024 is more than double the number in fiscal 2023, reaching about 30,000. It has also been mentioned that the requirements have become stricter since the director of the Japan Pension Service Disability Pension Center was replaced in October 2023, and that centre staff may be inducing doctors to deny pensions. Episode Notes: ‘Doubts over doubling of disability pension denials: Minister Fukuoka will “investigate the actual situation and make it public” ’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/05/22/doubts-over-doubling-of-disability-pension-denials-minister-fukuoka-will-investigate-the-actual-situation-and-make-it-public/