2009年3月7日土曜日の「SOUND WAVES」は定額給付金について告知
「定額給付金=Teigaku-kyufu-kin=Supplementary IncomePayments」
Teigaku-kyufu-kin (Supplementary Income Payments) Announcement
FMYY Sound Waves – March 2009
by　Bernard Farrell

Teigaku-kyufu-kin (Supplementary Income Payments) Announcement

FMYY Sound Waves – March 2009
Bernard Farrell

The government has passed
the Teigaku-kyufu-kin (Supplementary Income Payments) Bill.
This means that every Japanese citizen
will receive a payment of 12,000 or 20,000.
This payment is for every individual, not household.
What is unusual about this bill is
that foreign people who are registered
as aliens (not visitors or tourists)
will also receive this payment.
Some local governments have already started paying
their citizens,
but these are mostly villages with a small population.
For large cities like Kobe, it might take a little longer.
Applications have to be made for payment.
The local government, that is the city,
town or village has basically to verify
that the applicant is a registered resident of the city, etc.
This takes a little time.
Application forms will be sent to everyone
registered living in the city
and they need to fill in the forms as well as
attach a document to prove their identity,
such as a copy of their alien registration card, passport,
etc.
I am not sure what documents
Japanese citizens can use.
Payment will be made by bank transfer
to the applicant’s bank account,
so details of your bank account,
such as account number
and bank name and branch will have to be written
on the application forms.
Payment is also available in cash, I think.
The individual will have to go to
the local government office,
in Kobe it will be the Ward Office of the ward one
lives in.
The basic amount to be paid is
12,000 to each person.
But people who were born before February 2nd 1944
and after February 2nd 1990 will receive 20,000 each.
Kobe City will make a special announcement
in a number of languages
about the payment of the Supplementary Income
Payments in a special issue of the city’s newsletter.
This newsletter is delivered to each household
in the city,
however, some households maybe overlooked.
Even if you do not receive a newsletter,
you will probably receive
the application forms when the city has them distributed
to all residents of the city, provided you are registered.
Foreign people illegally overstaying in
Japan are not eligible to receive this payment.
If you are a registered foreign resident in Japan
and do not receive notice or application forms
for the Supplementary Income Payments
within a couple of weeks,
go to the local government office
you are registered at and enquire about it.
If you do not speak Japanese well, bring someone
who does to help you.
The English name for this payment may vary depending
on the city, town, etc.
but the Japanese name is the same and is:
Teigaku-kyufu-kin.
If you are a registered alien in Japan,
you are entitled to it.