2. Major Laws Enacted in FY2011

Title: Act on Partial Revision of the Act on Special Benefits for Wives of the Wounded and Sick Retired Soldiers, etc.
Promulgation Date: April 27, 2011	Effective Date: October 1, 2011
Act No.: 25	Responsible Division: Relief Division, Social Welfare and War Victims' Relief Bureau
1. Purpose“Special Benefits for Wives of the Wounded and Sick Retired Soldiers, etc.” shall be provided to the wives of wounded/sick retired soldiers, etc. of the World Wars by the government as a special form of compensation for their mental suffering.
2. Outline○ Subjects[1] Those who newly became wives of wounded/sick retired soldiers, etc. between April 2, 2003 and April 1, 2011[2] Those who have already been receiving Special Benefits and their husbands, who were wounded/sick retired soldiers, etc., died between April 2, 2003 and April 1, 2011 for reasons other than sickness/injury from public duties during the war (ordinary death from sickness)○ Benefit amount[1] ¥150,000 (¥75,000 for cases where the disability level of the wounded/sick retired soldiers, etc. was mild)[2] ¥50,000* Signature government bonds of 5 years repayment shall be issued in each case

Title: Act on Partial Revision of the Employment Insurance Act and the Act on the Collection, etc. of Insurance Premiums for Labour Insurance
Promulgation Date: May 20, 2011
Effective Date: August 1, 2011(However, (2) in the Outline below shall come into effect on April 1, 2012 and (3) on the promulgation date)
Act No.: 46	Responsible Division: Employment Insurance Division, Employment Security Bureau
1. PurposeThe revision shall take place to improve unemployment benefits, etc. but lowering their insurance premiums, etc. in thereby stabilizing the daily lives of workers and facilitating reemployment in consideration of the recent employment/unemployment situation.
2. Outline(1) Improved unemployment benefits, etc.[1] Raising the daily amount of wagesRaising the statutory minimum amount, etc. of the “daily amount of wages” that is the basis used to calculate the “basic allowance” for unemployed based on the most recent wage distribution, etc.(Example) The minimum amount of the daily amount of wages: Raised from “¥2,000” to “¥2,320”;The daily amount of basic allowance: From “¥1,600” to “¥1,856”[2] Strengthening of stable reemployment incentivesi. Further raising the benefit rate of the “reemployment allowance” that will be paid with early reemployment• Case of being employed with 1/3 or more of the duration of the benefits remainingBenefit rate: 30% → 40% (provisional measure before the revision) → 50% (permanently (after revision))• Case of being employed with 2/3 or more of the duration of the benefit remainingBenefit rate: 30% → 50% (provisional measure before the revision) → 60% (permanently (after revision))ii. Permanently establishing the provisionally raised benefit rate (30%→40%) of the “regular employment support allowance” that will be paid when persons facing difficulty gaining employment (persons with disabilities, etc.) obtain stable employment
(2) Revision of the insurance premium rate (Act on the Collection, etc. of Insurance Premiums for Labour Insurance)Lowering the statutory insurance premium rate for unemployment benefits, etc. from “1.6%” to “1.4%” (the insurance premium rate on and after FY2012 can also be the minimum rate of “1.0%” via use of the flexibility clause)
(3) Review of the abolition date of the provisional measures concerning the state subsidyDiscussion of the state subsidy for the employment insurance system shall continue to take place and the provisional measures concerning the state subsidy abolished as soon as possible after securing stable financial resources.