One Year After Supreme Court Ruling on Welfare Benefit Cuts: 264 Recipients 'Unaware' of Additional Payments. The Challenge of 'Information Gap'

About one year has passed since the Supreme Court ruling in June 2025 that declared the reduction of welfare benefits 'illegal.' While 'additional payments' were established as a corrective measure, the reality that information has not sufficiently reached the recipients has come to light. According to a survey conducted by Aralink Inc. among welfare recipients (378 respondents), 208 people (about 55%) did not accurately grasp the content of the illegal ruling, and 264 people (about 70%) answered that they 'did not know' about the existence of the additional payments themselves. The fundamental issue is not that they 'could not receive' it, but that they 'did not know' about it in the first place. Most Japanese welfare systems are based on the principle that the individual must apply for them. However, a system that assumes impoverished people—who often lack the means or ability to access information—will obtain information and apply on their own risks alienating them from the necessary support. There is a need for a system that breaks the vicious cycle of poverty caused by the information gap and ensures that everyone can receive the necessary support.