The Osaka High Court ruled on the 13th that the reduction of welfare benefits in Kyoto City was illegal, overturning the first-instance decision that had previously dismissed the plaintiffs' claims.
The lawsuit, filed by welfare recipients in Kyoto, argued that the government's reduction of welfare standards violated constitutional rights guaranteeing the right to minimum living standards.
The court found that the government’s reduction policy was unlawful and should be overturned.
However, the plaintiffs’ request for individual compensation of 10,000 yen per person was dismissed.
This lawsuit is part of a nationwide wave of similar legal actions across 29 prefectures, with lower and high courts issuing varying rulings on the matter.
The ruling raises renewed debate over whether financial constraints can justify welfare reductions or if legal protections ensuring a minimum standard of living should take precedence.