Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living (as of August 1, 2024)

Amount to be provided and eligible households

For the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living (hereafter known as "benefit"), the City will provide eligible households* with 100,000 yen each. 

*Eligible households: households with a residence record in Hiroshima City in which all members are exempt from the 2024 residents tax or only are taxed the per capita residents tax as of the reference date (June 3, 2024).

Please note that the following are not eligible for this benefit:

• Households that have already received the Benefit to Help With the Rising Costs of Electricity, Gas, and Food, etc. (70,000 yen or 100,000 yen)
• Households that include the former head of household of another household that already received the benefit (i.e., if the head of a household that received the benefit leaves the household via divorce, etc., and becomes the head of a new household that qualifies for the benefit, this household would not be entitled to receive the benefit)
• Even if a household has not received ​the benefit, if it was sent paperwork form the City of Hiroshima (such as a confirmation letter, etc.), then the household will not be eligible.

If all members of the household are dependent relatives (or similar) of someone who is not exempt from per capita residents tax, then the household is ineligible for the benefit.

Examples of ineligible households:

• Households where the wife and children (exempt from residents tax) are dependents of the husband (resident tax payer) who has been transferred to a new city for work without his family (tanshin-funin)
• Single households of students (exempt from residents tax) who are dependents of their parents (residents tax payers)
• Households where both parents (exempt from residents tax) are dependents of their children (residents tax payers)

How to apply

(a) Households that qualified for and received the previous Cash Benefit to Help With the Rising Costs of Electricity, Gas, and Food, etc. (30,000 yen)​

• The City of Hiroshima will mail a notice to you with information such as the bank account the money will be deposited into and the date of deposit. Please be sure to read it carefully. If there are no issues with the information, then you do not need to submit any paperwork for this benefit.
• Notices have been sent as of July 9, 2024.

(b) Households known to the City of Hiroshima that are newly exempt from residents tax or that only have to pay per capita residents tax (other than (a) above)

• The City of Hiroshima will mail an application to you. Please apply online or fill out the paperwork and return them via the return envelope included in the packet. 
• Applications have been sent as of July 9, 2024.

For reference, you can find a list of documents you will need to include in your application here (Japanese)

(c) Households that are newly exempt from residents tax or only taxed per capita residents tax and unknown to the City of Hiroshima 

Examples of these households include: 

• Those without tax information in Hiroshima City (for reasons such as moving to Hiroshima City on or after January 2, 2024) 
• Those who have become exempt from residents tax or only taxed per capita residents tax due to an amended tax return
• Households that cannot be confirmed by the City of Hiroshima to have received the 2023 Benefit to Help With the Rising Costs of Electricity, Gas, and Food, etc. (households that moved into Hiroshima City on or after December 2, 2023)

In order to receive the benefit, you must submit an application.

Please print the application form (located below), fill in the necessary information, and send them along with additional necessary documents to the City of Hiroshima Office for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living.

Additional funds for households with children

If the eligible households listed above have children who meet the following criteria, they will be provided with an additional 50,000 yen per child.

Criteria for children

• (1) Member of the household and 18 years or younger at the time of the reference date (June 3, 2024)

Note: refers to children born on or after April 2, 2006 

• (2) Child (newborn) born between the reference date (on/after June 4, 2024) and the application deadline (October 31, 2024)
  Note: only applies to those who submitted the necessary paperwork by the deadline
• (3) Child is in a different household but is a dependent

How to apply

• Children who fall under (1): In general, no application necessary (will be deposited into the same bank account as the 100,000 yen benefit).
• Children who fall under (2) or (3): You will need to submit an application to receive the benefit. Please print the application form (located below), fill in the necessary information, and send it along with additional necessary documents to the City of Hiroshima Office for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living.

Where to send applications

City of Hiroshima Office for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Costs of Living
Health and Welfare Planning Division, Health and Welfare Bureau, City of Hiroshima
Hiroshima Central Post Office PO Box 100
730-8712

Application deadline

• Thursday, October 31, 2024 (must be postmarked by this date)​

FAQ

Q: Will I be taxed for this benefit?

A: No, you will not be taxed for this benefit.

(Protected under the Law of Seizure Prohibition for Benefits for Low-Income Households Using Reserve Funds March 2023 (Law no. 64 of 2023) and Law of Seizure Prohibition for Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Costs of Living (Law no. 81 of 2023))

Q: Is the benefit be subject to seizure?

A: No, it is not subject to seizure.

(Protected under the Law of Seizure Prohibition for Benefits for Low-Income Households Using Reserve Funds March 2023 (Law no. 64 of 2023) and Law of Seizure Prohibition for Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Costs of Living (Law no. 81 of 2023)) 

Q: I have removed someone as my dependent, so why is it they are still deemed my dependent under taxation law and why can this disqualify them for the benefit?

A: It may be that you removed them as health insurance dependents. As health insurance dependents and tax dependents differ, you will need to confirm your current situation.

Q: If I am exempt from residents tax on per capita basis due to a tax convention, am I eligible for the benefit?

A: You are not eligible if you are exempt from resident’s tax on per capita basis due to a tax convention. 

Q: I used to be a dependent of a former spouse who is not tax exempt. Will I be eligible for the benefit if I am a widower, divorced, or similar? Or, what happens if I am undergoing divorce proceedings?

A: If you are widowed, divorced, or similar by the reference date, you may be eligible. In addition, if you are undergoing divorce proceedings at the time of the reference date, or, if you have children and divorce on or after the reference date, you may still be eligible for the benefit. Please inquire at the City of Hiroshima Office for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Costs of Living. 

Inquiries​

City of Hiroshima Office for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living

• Tel: 082-569-4504
• Reception hours: 9:00 am-5:15 pm (excluding weekends, national holidays, and New Year holidays from December 29-January 3)

Application forms (Japanese)

• For households exempt from FY 2024 residents tax: Application form for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living 
• For households only taxed FY 2024 per capita residents tax: Application form for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Cost of Living
• List of necessary documents when applying

Example of how to fill out the application form

• Example application form for households exempt from FY 2024 residents tax (Japanese)
• Example application form fFor households only taxed FY 2024 per capita residents tax (Japanese)
• Example application form for the Cash Benefit to Help with the Rising Costs of Living (English)

Return address envelope and address label (Japanese)

• Return address envelope 
• Address label