Japan Mulling Child Benefits of 10,000 Yen Up to Age 18

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan is considering expanding its child benefit program in order to newly give 10,000 yen per month per head to high school age children up to 18 years old, sources said Wednesday.

As part of its efforts to combat the country's falling birthrate, the government is also preparing to double the benefits to 30,000 yen per head for a third and later child between the age of 3 and junior high school age.

The expansion is a key policy of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, aiming to implement "measures on a different level" to stop the birthrate from declining further. It is also part of a package of measures to be implemented intensively over the three years from April 2024.

The government will decide details of the planned expansion of the program, including whether to scrap the income limit, at the Children's Future Strategy Council, chaired by Kishida. The decision wiill be reflected in the government's annual basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines to be released in June.

At present, monthly benefits stand at 15,000 yen per child under 3 for families with annual income less than certain levels.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]