TB-PH-WEL-20 
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
PUBLIC HFALTH & WELFARE TECHNICAL BULLETIN 
PH&W GHQ ,SCAP APO 500 
MAY 194-9 
Foreword 
Members of .Military Government Teams and other interested persons have from 
time to time requested information concerning principles and policies used in 
guiding the formation of the public assistance program in Japan as well as for in- 
formation concerning future planning. The information in this Bulletin will serve 
to answer many of these questions and may be used as a guide for those supervising 
local programs, 
1, General 
The present Japanese public assistance program has been in the process of 
development since October of 194-5 when the Japanese Government was ordered to 
establish a plan to care for an anticipated 8,000,000 persons whom the government 
estimated would.be in need of assistance. The passage of the Daily Life Security 
Law in September of 194-6 was considered as a step toward the goal of a well- 
rounded Public Assistance Program, and a framework upon which such a program could 
be built. Since one of the fundamental reasons for the Occupation was (and still 
is) the democratization of Japan, the government was requested to provide a program 
which protected the rights of the individual and which provided assistance on a non- 
preferential basis to all persons in need. 
World developments since 194-5 have emphasized the need for a politically and 
economically sound Japanese nation, the economics and political ideology of which 
must be based on a modern concept of the rights and responsibilities of the indivi- 
dual, While it is true that democracies differ from each other in form the funda- 
mental principles upon which they are based do not differ, Japan cannot be compared 
to the United States in its democratization process since that of the United States 
is a development of a. century and a half of growth from the grass roots while that 
in Japan is, by and large, being developed from the top down in a matter of a few 
year. While it might be said that such action is in itself undemocratic and that 
education of officials at national level does not prepare the, citizenry at large 
to accept these principles, it has been demonstrated that democracy in action, as 
exemplified by a truly democratic public assistance program, will speed the process 
through demonstration of those basic principles by concrete example on a level which 
touches the lives and living of a large percentage of the people. It is true that reasons such'as differences of cultural background, lack of qualified personnel, 
or lack of experience in doing a job in a democratic way, may hinder fruition of 
democracy in Japan, but these reasons are not sufficient in themselves to warrant 
a compromise In the basic-principles* *• ■ - - -. -- - - 
The test of a democratic society is the scope of right and privilege possess- 
ed by its weakest' elementsi Here in Japan ultra-nationalists-and- war leaders ex- 
ploited welfare programs to gain support of the people. This must not recur. 
Persons dependent on public support are under the greatest pressure to surrender 
their independence; ■'''''History shows that the-search for security takes precedence 
over the search for freedom and independence. It is imperative that both be 
guaranteed by law and by administration. Security must be provided those who ner1 
it without the sacrifice of individual independence and under conditions that wit'1 
foster democratic thinking and, action, and in a manner that will return them to a 
state of independence, as quickly as possible , ./ 
2• Economy of Operation a Requisite 
There are two important methods which are used to effect economical operation 
of a public assistance program. The first concerns the purely administrative func- 
tions on all levels of government. The Japanese government is only beginning its 
study of this phase, of, the program and will need considerable assistance in effect-* 
ing the economies which,come from stabilizing and standardizing forms, procedures, 
filing methods and other necessary clerical, and administrative detail which must be 
employed in any public program* Several experiments are now in progress through- 
out the nation in the effective use of paid’.full-time personnel who are responsible 
for the-operation of the program. Some progress has been made, and much more is 
expected with relation to these administrative functions and processes'and personnel, 
The Japanese government, local as., well as central, has had no_ previous experience 
in a. public assistance.program of this type, and, in addition has been reluctant to 
break away from former administrative and personnel practices which appear to be 
wasteful, or at best, more expensive than need be, 
=The second area, of economical operation concerns the expenditure of assist- 
ance funds. It is this area in which controls must be such that the nation is 
aware at all -time that, only those persons who are eligible are receiving public 
assistance, and that those persons are receiving only the amount of funds far which 
their needs make them eligible, as determined by the proper use of the allowances 
tables and careful .consideration of their income and resources. Concurrently, the 
nation is responsible to its citizenry to determine that the local units which are 
responsible for administration of the program' are providing assistance to all eli- 
gible- persons up to the amount for which they are eligible, and that local govern- 
ments are expending their legal share of the total expenditures required. Both 
Japanese and Occupation Forces .reports have indicated 'that some local governmental 
units evade their responsibilities in this respect an# attempt to save local funds 
by. rejecting eligible persons for no.apparent legal reason, and by use of national 
and prefectural funds without providing the ten percent for which the city, town 
or village is responsible. 
2 With reference to those Articles of the Daily Life Security Law and to the 
regulations and ordinances which deal with eligibility factors and which were 
written in 194-6 it must be noted thai central government philosophy has changed 
to a considerable degree since that timei This change in the Character of the 
program must be evident to those who have dlosely followed the orders which have 
been issued in the intervening period or who have followed th£ development of the 
program as reflected in Public Health and Welfare Technical Bulletins and the Public 
Health and Welfare Weekly Bulletins and inclosures therewith* This development has 
progressed from a point where the Japanese government was reluctant to provide for 
any national public assistance program to the point where government has recognized 
the need for and has established a system to allow complainants an opportunity for 
review of their complaints by higher than local authority. Noteworthy also is the 
fact that the Ministry of Welfare, of its own volition, has continuously attempted 
to meet needs by increasing assistance allowances as prices have increased, and, 
in addition, has recognized the need for broadening the basic requirements for a 
minimum living standard* 
3• National Assistance Programs Provide Mass Treatment Only and are Evolutional 
National assistance programs can attempt only to measure needs and to set 
standards of procedure for the care of large masses of people* The assistance 
and services, however, which are provided by the loccl administrative units must 
cf necessity be based on the needs of individuals and of families, as it is upon 
this basis that assistance and services are provided in a democratic assistance 
program. It is axiomatic that no national law can hope to provide a formula by 
which all of the individual and family problems and needs mey be met. The nation, 
by enactment of a lav; end by issuance of regulations attempts- to set up standards 
by which to gauge the needs of a large majority of its needy citizens. Local 
units of government, in the application of the national program, will find that 
while the national program effectively provides an answer to the vast majority of 
those needs, it can only serve as a guide in providing for the needs of an appre- 
ciable segment of the population. The process by which local units fill unmet 
needs of this segment, based on their study of the individual case, will lead to 
eventual changes in the national program. This evolutional process can result 
only if- the local unit has ability and imagination sufficient to recognize that 
the scope- of the program is of insufficient, width to provide for all who are in 
need-, and in whose behalf it is a wise policy to invest public funds. One of the 
most difficult decisions that government must make in the consideration of its 
public assistance program is the extent to which it can provide assistance to those 
persons who, for various reasons, are unable to provide a minimum living for 
themselves. Half measures are uneconomical in view of subsequent costs in disease, 
unrest, and costs of governmental processes which are required to correct resulting 
social ills. Providing assistance in insufficient amounts to families in need, or 
providing assistance only to a portion of the needy population is akin to providing 
medicine and medical care in insufficient quantities to cure the sick or to main- 
tain the health of those who are apt to succumb to illness. 4, Responsibilities of a Public Assistance Agency and of the Recipient 
If a public assistance program is to be effective it must perform its function 
in such a way that it carries out the principles as prescribed by law and by 
ordinances and regulations. It must undertake to set down the criteria by which 
it operates and the responsibilities of those.who $eek assistance from it. The 
following list of agency and recipient responsibilities are considered basic for 
a national public assistance program (originally published in Public Health and 
Welfare Weekly Bulletin #86, dated 16 - 22 August 1948)• 
a, Agency Responsibilities: 
(1) To accept applications for public assistance or for services and 
to act on the applications with a minimum of delay. 
(2) To inform the applicant of his eligibility or non-eligibility# 
(3) To provide a system for appeals to higher authority in the event 
of dissatisfaction with a decision rendered by an agency employee 
- or an agency official* 
(4) To provide family or individual counselling services for persons 
who desire such services. 
(5) ToVprovide knowledge concerning all parallel programs and services 
and a referral system. 
(6) To provide assistance adequate to maintain health and family unity 
on a basis*compatible with dacency standards of the area served, 
- (7) To protect the individual recipient by recognizing the confiden- 
tiality of information provided by the recipient, 
(8) To conduct- its business in such a way that its expenditures are 
properly accounted for and .that it has recorded proof pf eligibility 
fdr each person receiving public assistance from the agency, 
*' ■- .(9) The Agency should recognize that policies and rules ate built around 
■ -the'-majority of casns — the average situation. It is unwise to 
. lose -sight of the goals of the program by preoccupation with* the 
unusual case,or the minority situation. In those few cases, ' ~ 
policies should'-be. used as. far as they apply, supplemented jby good 
... . 'judgment and common • Sense. , ■ > ‘. (10) When need has been established, the applicant for public assist- 
ance should continue to receive his grant in an unchanged amount 
until needs change or ineligibility has been definitely established. 
Withholding a grant until presumptive ineligibility has been cleared 
is not good agency policy and often creates undue hardship for the 
recipient. 
b. Responsibility of the Recipient: 
(1) While the recipient chooses whether he wants the agency’s service, 
if he receives it he is obligated to also accept the legal limita- 
tions surrounding it, within which both the recipient, and the agency 
must function. "However, the agency must exercise care that 'opera r.-- 
ing procedures expedite agency function rather than introduce 
unnecessary or arbitrary complications, 
(2) The recipient must realize that the public agency concerned must 
have a record of the recipient’s status which'reflects the ,true 
condition of his family’s situation at all times if the agency is 
to justify the expenditure of public funds for the support of the 
recipient. 
(3) The recipient should recognize that it is his duty to do everything 
in his power, within the limits of his physical and mental ability, 
to relieve .the public of responsibility for his.support, even for 
short periods of employment. 
(A) The recipient should be aware of the penalties for fraudulently 
receiving public funds for his support. 
(5) The able-bodied employable members of the family should be register- 
ed at employment offices* - Those claiming illness should have a 
statement concerning condition from a physician. Nothing in the 
above two points is meant to imply that mothers with growing 
children or that those who are needed in the home for other reasons 
should be forced into employment. 
(6) The applicant must realize that, there is only one basic requirement 
for public assistance and that that basis is need, There are no 
provisions in the Daily Life Security Law for payments to special 
groups of persons who suffered losses as a result of war or for 
any other discriminatory reason. Public assistance funds, in the 
last analysis, are provided 'through tax payments by one’s friends 
and neighbors. It is the desire of the nation through the wise use 
of these funds and with the pattern as set up by the Daily Life 
Security Law, to provide for its more unfortunate citizens the mini-* 
mum amount of assistance which will provide a healthful, decent 
living for those persons. 5• Modification of. Existing' Programs and Policies Desirable 
In view of the. above statements modern public assistance program 
in a democratic society, All of which are believed to apply to the present situa- 
tion in Japan, it is desireable that'interpretation of the present program be based, 
where applicable, on the following material. It is believed that the Daily Life 
Security Lav/ must be amended to conform, but that amendment should await further 
study on the basic decision as to whether the entire program should be altered to 
conform to a true grant-in-aid program with its attendant features, such as pre- 
fect urally autonomous programs based on fundamental national principles, or whether 
it should continue as. a nationally, controlled and locally operated program, 
6, Statistical Reporting and Fiscal Controls Require Adjustment 
Present statistical reporting leaves much to be desired. The Ministry of 
Welfare does not receive .information concerning the makeup of the national case 
load by categories which reflect the kinds of persons receiving assistance nor the 
numbers.of applications, rejections and acceptances in order to determine case 
load turnover. Proper, accounting procedures and fiscal controls;over expended 
funds are also lacking. Present fiscal reporting procedures stem from previous 
Japanese systems which required little accounting once funds were allocated. It is 
imperative that the Ministry of Welfare be fully prepared to justify expenditures 
through a proper fiscal control system and through preparation of reports which 
show .the kinds of people who receive assistance in the event that the Diet ever 
challenges the use of funds allotted to the Ministry for public assistance purposes, 
At present the Social Affairs Bureau is studying statistical requirements and will 
improvise new statistical procedures at an early date. The material required will 
provide for knowledge of the numbers.of persons receiving’assistance, the kinds cf 
persons - employable or unemployable, tbe turnover in case load and other pertinent 
factors,. 
7, Minsei-iin and Functional Reorganization ’ 
*. It has .been recommended that the Ministry review, the position of the volunteer 
in the public assistance program,; The extent to which Minsei-iin are being used in 
the program is contrary to good 'public assistance program practices. According to 
the. Daily Life Security Law it is .the head of the city, town or village who is 
legally responsible for propep operation of the local program. The practice of 
allowing Minsei-iin full authority for accepting or rejecting, without official 
record-, the a ppli cable ns for assistance places .these officials in a precarious 
position. It is believed that functional reorganization of necessary procedures 
and ..personnel will,, allow for use'yf paid' responsible -public, officials who can carry 
on the present duties .of the volunteer* It is further pointed out that a strong 
national organization of 120,000.persons who in effect control *the livelihood of a 
fairly large segment of the population;' is 'challengeable• Various experiments now 
under way will-be augmented by greater assistance’from the Ministry of Welfare and 
from Occupation Forces personnel, A final decision concerning this problem is 
planned during 194-9* ' 8, "Less-than-necessary Assistance11 Policy of Questionable Value ' . -»*■ 
The Japanese public assistance program is predicated on the basis that less 
than the amount actually required for a minimum living should be granted the-.family- 
in the belief -that such a system acts as a spur in keeping the family "on it toes". 
This devipe may be of questionable value if misused, and may, in fact,, cause harm- 
ful results to a high proportion of the present case load which now consists over- 
whelmingly of widows with children,, families in which the breadwinner is ill, and 
old people, (Note* In some ten cities, towns and villages visited during the past 
month there were no employable unemployed persons receiving assistance. Persons 
listed as "Unemployed" on statistical reports were widows with small children, or 
old persons beyond the normal working age, but still desirous of working. Best 
estimate possible at present in Tokyo-to is that of the 101,000 persons receiving 
assistance 1,500 are considered unemployed employables, Many of these are recent 
repatriates). 
It is to be noted that the allowance figures for "daily living" takes this 
less-than-enough factor into consideration in that the amount provided is actually 
less than the family or individual needs. Military Government reports indicate 
that some localities further reduce these allowances by showing higher income than 
is actually received by the family. Since most of the prices from which the allow- 
ance is determined are official this practice provides a double reduction from the 
amount which is actually required to effect a minimum living standard. Paradoxi- 
cally other localities, or other Minsei-iin in the same locality, show the family 
as receiving less income than the actual in an attempt to gain,more assistance for 
the,family, A more realistic program of'statistical reporting will assist the 
Ministry of Welfare in determining the makeup of the national case load and may in- 
dicate that the policy of "less than necessary assistance" may result in higher 
future costs for medical care, juvenile delinquency, and other results of continued 
subsistence on a sub-standard budget. 
The Ministry of Welfare now is considering a tenth revision to its basic 
public assistance allowances tables. The revision will reflect increases in prices 
as well as to broaden the basis upon which the total allowance is formulated. 
Additionally, consideration is being given to differentiation between long time 
and short time cases, with an allowance to employable unemployed cases of a per- 
centage of the total budget,' 
9, Workability as a Factor in Determining Eligibility 
There is some evidence that local welfare officials (as well as some.on 
higher levels) are interpreting Article 2, Item (l) of the Daily Life Security Law 
to mean that workable people are not eligible for assistance. The ambiguity of 
this Article is believed to be one of the basic causes for' misunderstanding the 
aims of the program. Article 2, Item (l) reads:* "persons who fall under any of the 
following categories shall not receive protection under this lawi (1) Persons who,*. in,.spite of their being capable of doing so, have no will 
to work, or persons who neglect work or persons who" make no efforts to maintain 
their living11 • ■ , 
Consideration should be given by Mijnsei-iin and local officials to the follow- 
ing factors: It cannot-be assumed that because a man or woman has a healthy mind 
and body he has, per se, income sufficient'ifor a minimum. living*-. Welfare officials, 
discharge their responsibility to the employable person by making certain that the 
individual concerned is registered for employment; by referring the individual to 
known work opportunities; by nurturing and fostering the individuals desire to 
work; and by giving sufficient daily living aid "a nd‘-medical care to assure that the 
individual is in condition at all times to.accept employment. 
"No will to work" / "neglect of work" or "lack of effort to maintain . . 
a living" may be the result of a variety of causes. Seme of these are mental-.. 
Illness, low intelligence quotient or general health conditions. Welfare officials 
must be certain that apparent lack of desire, to work does not stem from,a source 
such as those noted. If persons‘with:such limitations are to be referred to 
employers, care "should be exerted to fit the type of. work to the physical.or mental 
capacity of the individual. C 
The group at which this particular Article, of•the law was. aimed are'those , 
persons, who though able physically, not mentally ill in the accepted sense of,the 
terra or not of low intelligence quotient, have lost the-desire to work to.support 
themselves and families. Social workers will recognize . this personas the type who 
does nothing, who believes himself illand not able, to work, or who spends his time, 
in pursuits such as drinking) gambling, etc. It is recognized that techniques in, 
case work treatment for these persons are not fully developed; however,.an attempt 
should be made to understand the* personal problems involved and an effort. should . 
be made to rehabilitate these persons. Beyond puch consideration for the concerned 
individual the welfare official must consider the needs of the individual’s family 
Who should not be'made to suffer as the-.result of a decision made concerning the 
head of the family, • a .' . •» . . . .. • • 
The Ministry of Welfare-is- now'developing regulations concerning these pro** 
blems for early release ,; ; .. . - . ’ ■’, t 
10, Consideration for Special Problems of the Individual 
Japanese philosophy concerning the welfare program”is'based" oh the premise 
that all who are able shall work (note , emphasis on day nurseries, mothers and 
children’s homes'with nursery and workshop, attached, workshops■which are "protective 
institutions" for use by women, physically'handicapped, and people too old to find 
normal employment') • In'actual practice some officials go beyond acceptable standards 
in applying' this principle The Ministry;of; Welfare, is now-studying, the advisability 
of clarifying this unofficial ruling. The families --in-which they are particularly 
8 interested are those without a normal head of the household or in which the head 
of the household is incapacitated and in which there are preschool children, 
particularly infants. The Ministry of Welfare will also encourage Minsei-iin, 
Jido-iin, and local officials- to give particular attention to the problem of widows 
with children, since it is this group which presents today and will continue for 
years to present the greatest single social problem in Japan, There have been 
evidences of collusion between officials and business men in referrals for work 
opportunities. Generally, little attention is given to the individual or family . 
problems of the person concerned, 
11, The Workshop as a Welfare Institution 
There is serious question as to the advisability of continuing the practice 
of supporting certain workshops, public and private, as welfare institutions. Such 
shops apparently receive support in several ways. As "protection" institutions 
they operate on a tax free basis; they receive administrative costs per person for 
public assistance cases; they may receive subsidies in bulk amount from prefectures 
or cities, towns and villages; they may receive support from the Community Chest; 
they receive active support from public officials in securing materials, contracts, 
etc; and they receive "referrals" of public assistance recipients or applicants 
from public welfare officials. 
The Ministry of Welfare classes such shops as welfare institutions because 
their reason for -existing is to provide part or full time shop or home employment 
to individuals or families of low income, the aged, physically handicapped, or 
public assistance recipients. Most Japanese officials and ordinary citizens favor 
these shops because of their professed purpose in assisting in the support of low 
income groups and because they engender and foster work training and good work 
habits. It is also claimed that savings in public assistance funds because of the 
deduction of income from the tables of allowances for the public assistance family. 
While these contentions may be true, there are certain definitely questionable 
features involved in' addition to those inherent in the points listed above. They 
are: ... 
' * 
'a. There appears to be little legal control over wages, working hours, or 
standards of employment; 
b. The cost to the public as- support to such enterprises makes extremely 
questionable any overall saving to the public as a consequence of reductions in 
public assistance allowances, . ‘ 
c. Opportunity for collusion between operators, contractors and officials, 
are apparent, and there have been reports of such collusion, • ' . d, Vocational training or work habit engendering might properly be left to 
those shops under the Ministry of Labor which are legally authorized for such 
purposes, ' ’ : e" 
e. Economic value to the nation is questionable. It is believed that if 
such shops compete on the open market, as they do, there must be a tendency to de- 
press working standards and wages of all private enterprises in competition with 
them. It is believed that if the production involved is of economic value to the 
nation, private enterprise can and should assume such production which would result 
in an equal number of job opportunities, - 
Welfare Organization and RehabilitationJBranch, Welfare Division, Public 
Health and T/elfare, is at present working with the Ministry of Welfare and with 
Military Government, Eighth Army, to attempt final determination as to the future 
of Such shops’as welfare institutions, - ■ 
12, Education Laws Require Support 
A high incidence of non-attendance of compulsory school age children indi- 
cates a lack of interest on the part of local officials in enforcing school 
attendance laws. Reports indicate and personal observation verifies that a high 
percentage of non-attendance is directly or indirectly for economic causes. 
Families find it imperative that the child work or that the older child stays at 
home to care for younger family members while the parent or parents work. The 
latter case is often true in families without a normal breadwinner. Since one of 
the tenets of'democracy is equality of opportunity for education and because in 
Japan there are compulsory education laws and it is the duty of all local officials 
to cooperate in enforcing these,laws there should be no compromise of this prin- 
ciple, ‘ The need for participation of this segment of the population in productive 
enterprise has not been demonstrated, 
13, Labor Laws Require Support 
The Child Welfare Law and the child labor laws and regulations prohibit cer- 
tain types of employment and restrict the hours of employment or employment hours 
plus school hours. These laws are based on the fundamental principle that all 
children shall have equal opportunity for education and shall.not be 
exploited by the government or by individuals. Welfare officials, as government 
employees, cannot be guilty of compromise in the rational attitude as expressed 
by these laws, since people in general will adapt their thinking to that exhibited 
by the public officials or to the actions or lack of action taken by those officials 
A cheap and easily controlled labor pool is the fundamental reason for the desire 
for child labor. Again, there is no demonstrated need for participation of 
children in the Japanese economy. This principle should net in any way bo inter- 
preted as to prohibit normal home duties in the home itself or in the home business 
insofar as is consistent with the health and well being of the child r nd with child 
welfare and child labor laws. 1A-, Morality as a Factor in Determining Eligibility 
Article 2 Item 2 of the Daily Life Security Law reads as follows; "Rersons 
who fall under any one of the following categories shall not receive protection 
under this law. 
Item 2, Persons of bad behaviour,” 
If we accept the principle expounded in Article 1 of the same law, namely, 
that "The ob ject of this law is to promote social welfare through the state .taking 
over the responsibilities in furnishing protection to persons whose living condi- 
tions require assistance, equally without discrimination or priority”, then Article 
2, Item 2, quoted above, appears inconsistent, . In practical application the 
Article cannot be supported by democratic principles nor by accepted social work 
principles because it- eliminates consideration of groups of persons for whom public 
assistance is a part of the treatment of the social ills of those persons, and, in 
addition, often involves other members of the family who are innocent of bad 
behavior. Specifically, misinterpretation of the Article may prohibit public 
assistance to former pros.titut.es who are referred to welfare officials by other 
agencies which are interested in reformation, or to ex-convicts or probationers, 
all of whom may, as a result, continue their bad behaviour, particularly when • 
wives or children are included in the individual's family and dependent upon him 
for support. The wide interpretation possible, particularly by untrained officials 
and volunteers, leads to inequality of action and places a responsibility on these 
persons which they are unqualified to accept. The Ministry of Welfcre is at pre- 
sent formulating policy concerning this problem for early release, 
15,. Responsibility of Relatives as a Factor in Determining Eligibility 
■ Article 3 of the Daily Life Security Lap/ states: ”Any person who has a res- 
ponsible supporter capable of fulfilling his obligations tov/ard him shall not re- 
ceive the protection under this law except under urgent circumstances,” "Respon- 
sible supporters” are defined in the Civil Code (Articles 877-8-9) as (1) lineal • 
relatives by blood and brothers and sisters (2) those of the third degree (cousins, 
uncles, etc,) only by order of the Court of Domestic Relations, and, as interpreted 
by the court, only to the extent.that the relative of the third degree is able while 
maintaining his present degree of living standard. Generally, lineal relatives 
and brothers and sisters are responsible ”to the last crust of bread.” Obviously 
when carried to the extreme, such a policy can defeat the purposes of a public 
assistance program in that,all families in relation through the second degree may 
be impoverished in attempt to maintain the needy relatives and may, in the end, 
cost the public an even greater amount in public assistance. Family unity, as ex- 
pressed by this lap/ and as demonstrated in everyday Japanese life is an admirable 
and desirable feature in the culture of the nation; ho?/ever, as should be, it is 
?/ithin the scope of the Daily Life Security Law to temper justice with mercy, and, 
more to the point, with common sense when the need is indicated. Thoughtful consideratioh should be given the following'factors when decisions 
must be made concerning this problem, particularly in those cases in which the re- 
lative is not resident- in the--immediate household and the assistance applicant 
appears to be a long terra-case j-,, :v ■ ‘ • 
a. If a protracted drain upon the resources and income of the relative is 
contemplated, the amount which he is to contribute should not be larger than that 
which he can afford to contribute and still, maintain a minimum standard for his 
family. i1 •*- :*v; 
. (*•-; . . .M ' ...f •■'••• . 
b. Consideration should also be given to hisovm future family plans, 
c. A signed statement concerning-his'contribution should be. a part of the 
applicant’s public assistance record,’ " 
d. Relative living in other places should be.contacted through the welfare- 
office of the relative’s residence.,. ’ . • 
„ . i * * • • * . * 
e. Welfare officials.must be certain that the applicant actually receives 
such contributions continuously before-deductions are made. If the relative fails 
in the applicant is not responsible fof such failure and the 
welfare official should take the proper administrative or legal action. The 
Ministry of Welfare is formulating policy for early release, 
16. Family-Resources as a Factor in Determining Eligibility 
Repeated reports by both Japanese and Occupation Forces personnel indicate ... 
that families who apply for public assistance are -forced- to sell'most of +heir 
household furnishings, clothing, and personal belongings, and,- in some instances-, ■ 
the home in which the family resides.rand exhaust these resources before becoming 
eligible for assistance. All resources' must and should be considered. Any article 
which might be, considered an investment rather'than an article of normal household 
use would certainly be a saleable resource. Additional clothing which the family 
might have beyond a reasonable limit might possibly be called,a resource; however* 
in view of the fact that Japan-will not be in a position .to be self sufficient in 
cloth production for some *time, the forced sale of such items, may not be. wise if 
the family apjpears to be long term case,- Similarly,, enforced .sale, of the home, in 
which the family is living may be shortsighted’ unless the home’is larger than is 
required for the family use or is of* such a" nature that it actually serves- as'an 
investment to the family. Consideration for the needs of the.children and the 
future of the family should enter into the final-decision. The Ministry of Welfare 
is formulating policy for early release, ■ 17. Conclusion 
It is evident that in the formulation of policy and the issuance of regula- 
tions the Ministry of Welfare will discharge only a portion of its responsibility* 
Immediate results cannot bo expected since acceptance of the principles involved 
can only come through intensive in-service training and education of Minsei-iin and 
public officials. The Ministry of Welfare, through the schools of social work and 
its training programs, will give proper emphasis to intelligent evaluation of 
these problems* 
13