Welfare office - fukushijimusho

The welfare offices are the frontline agencies of social welfare administration established under the Social Welfare Law (Law No. 45 of 1951, formerly known as the Social Welfare Services Law). Welfare offices established by cities (including special wards) and towns/villages are responsible for affairs related to the measures for support, upbringing, and rehabilitation stipulated in the six welfare laws (Livelihood Protection Law, Child Welfare Law, Elderly Welfare Law, Physically Disabled Persons Welfare Law, Intellectually Disabled Persons Welfare Law, and Mothers, Children, and Widows Welfare Law), while welfare offices established by prefectures are responsible for affairs related to the measures for support and upbringing stipulated in the three welfare laws (Livelihood Protection Law, Child Welfare Law, and Mothers, Children, and Widows Welfare Law). Prefectures and cities (including special wards) are required by ordinance to establish welfare offices, but towns/villages are free to do so (Article 14 of the Social Welfare Law). As of April 2011, there were a total of 1,244 welfare offices.

Based on Article 15 of the Social Welfare Law, welfare offices are staffed with a director, supervisory staff, field staff who visit, interview, investigate, and provide lifestyle guidance, and clerical staff. In addition, some welfare offices have social welfare officers, welfare officers for the physically disabled, and welfare officers for the intellectually disabled who are engaged in elderly welfare work. Article 16 of the Social Welfare Law stipulates that the standard number of field staff should be one for every 65 protected households in welfare offices established by prefectures, and one for every 80 protected households in welfare offices established by cities (including special wards), towns, and villages. As of fiscal year 2009, the number of field staff was 13,881, but this number does not match the actual situation due to the increase in the scope of work handled by welfare offices and regional changes including city and town mergers, and an increase in staff is required to protect the rights of residents to public assistance and social welfare services.

[Masaaki Ogawa and Rie Yajima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

社会福祉法（昭和26年法律第45号。旧法名は社会福祉事業法）に基づいて設置されている社会福祉行政の第一線機関。市（特別区を含む）町村設置の福祉事務所はいわゆる福祉六法（生活保護法、児童福祉法、老人福祉法、身体障害者福祉法、知的障害者福祉法、母子及び寡婦福祉法）に定める援護、育成または更生の措置に関する事務を、都道府県設置の福祉事務所はいわゆる福祉三法（生活保護法、児童福祉法、母子及び寡婦福祉法）に定める援護または育成の措置に関する事務をつかさどっている。都道府県、市（特別区を含む）は、条例で福祉事務所をかならず設置しなければならないが、町村は任意設置とされている（社会福祉法14条）。2011年4月時点での福祉事務所の総数は1244か所である。

　福祉事務所には、社会福祉法15条にもとづき、所長のほか、指導監督を行う所員、訪問・面接・調査・生活指導などを行う現業員、事務を行う所員が配置され、このほかに、老人福祉の業務に従事する社会福祉主事、身体障害者福祉司、知的障害者福祉司が配置されている福祉事務所がある。このうち現業員については、都道府県設置の福祉事務所では、被保護世帯65世帯に対して1人、市（特別区を含む）町村設置の福祉事務所では同80世帯に対して1人を標準として配置することが社会福祉法16条で定められている。2009年度時点で現業員数は1万3881人であるが、福祉事務所の所掌事務の増加、市町村合併を含む地域変動などから実状にあわず、住民の公的扶助、社会福祉サービスの権利を守るためにも、その増員が求められている。

［小川政亮・矢嶋里絵］

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