Meal Subsidies to Be Revised for the First Time in 42 Years in April 2026. Over 80% Perceive It as 'Effective Income,' 74.3% Prioritize It When Choosing a Company – Welfare Benefits Become a Key Indicator in Recruitment Competition.

KOMPEITO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shun Watanabe), which operates the in-office healthy meal service "Office de Yasai®," conducted a survey targeting working individuals nationwide (YASAI PAY registrants) regarding "Lunch Habits and Meal Subsidies" in anticipation of the planned increase in the tax-exempt limit for meal subsidies (※1) (from 3,500 yen to 7,500 yen) scheduled for April 2026.

The survey results revealed that meal subsidies are not merely a form of welfare but are perceived as "effective income." 84.7% of respondents answered that an increase in meal subsidy amounts "feels like support for their effective income," and furthermore, 74.3% stated that the presence or absence of meal subsidies is "important" when choosing a job or changing jobs. This suggests that welfare benefits are a crucial factor in a company's recruitment competitiveness.

Additionally, while 88.1% of respondents indicated that they are increasingly conscious of saving money on lunch due to rising prices, 89.5% found the current tax-exempt limit (3,500 yen per month) to be "insufficient." This suggests that the system, which has remained unchanged for many years, is no longer in line with current living conditions.

With the system revision in April 2026, the tax-exempt limit for meal subsidies is set to approximately double to 7,500 yen per month. This revision is expected to provide companies with a new option to support their employees' effective take-home pay and to become increasingly important as a differentiating factor in the recruitment market.

Against this backdrop of social change, KOMPEITO aims to contribute to the health and food environment of working people, as well as to strengthen companies' recruitment and organizational capabilities through "Office de Yasai."

(※1) National Tax Agency HP "Regarding the Increase of the Tax-Exempt Limit for Meal Allowances"
https://www.nta.go.jp/users/gensen/2026shokuji/index.htm

1. "Lunch Saving Consciousness" Reaches Its Limit: 88.1% are more conscious of saving due to rising prices.

2. Dissatisfaction with a System Unchanged for 42 Years: "3,500 Yen is Insufficient": 89.5% responded that the "current tax-exempt limit is insufficient."

3. Meal Subsidies as "Effective Income Support": 84.7% perceive meal subsidies as "effective income support."

4. Impact on the Recruitment Market: 74.3% feel that "meal subsidies" are important when choosing a job.

■ Survey Details

1. Accelerating "Lunch Savings," 56% Urgently Respond "Significantly Increased"
When asked about the impact of recent price increases, 56.2% answered "significantly increased." Combined with "somewhat increased" (31.9%), 88.1% responded that opportunities to be conscious of saving have increased, highlighting the serious situation regarding the lunch habits of working people.