Politics & Government

Government to Expand Child Allowance Program in FY 2025

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Japan’s Children and Families Agency

Jiji Press

10:36 JST, August 28, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Children and Families Agency said Tuesday that its general-account budget request for fiscal 2025 totals ¥4,218.9 billion, up 1.8% from the previous year, to finance measures aimed at raising the country’s birthrate, including boosting child allowances.

Starting in October, the country will remove the income cap for child allowances. In addition, the eligibility for the benefits will expand to include people with children in high school.

The expansion of the child allowance program is part of the government’s plan, rolled out last year, to intensively implement child-rearing support measures for the three years starting in April this year.

The plan also includes introducing day care services available for all infants, regardless of their parents’ employment status. The agency seeks a budget outlay of some ¥23 billion for the measure for fiscal 2025.