When workers extend their childcare leave, the period of childcare leave benefit payment under the employment insurance program is also extended if they satisfy certain conditions. From April 1, 2025, the application procedure for the extension of benefit payment will be tightened. This article look into details of the change.
[1] Background of the change
The Office of Decentralization Reform, during the fiscal 2023 opinion hearing, received requests from a number of municipal governments to revise the procedure for extending childcare leave benefits payment period. Among the cases cited by regional authorities were, “it takes an excessive amount of time to handle benefit extension application of residents who have no intention of using nursery schools,” or “officials often have to deal with complaints of residents whose children were admitted to nursery schools, although they made the application merely for the purpose of extending benefit payment.” In December 2023, the Cabinet Office approved the FY2023 policy on the response to proposals from municipal governments, which included the policy to enable the Hello Work Public Employment Security Offices to determine whether or not to approve benefit extension applications. Following this decision, the recent amendments to the Enforcement Regulation of the Employment Insurance Act included changes in the procedure of benefit extension.
[2] Procedure from April 2025
Workers who wish to extend benefit payment will be required to provide documents to prove that an admission request to a nursery school was made for the purpose of their smooth return to work from childcare leave, in addition to “a notice of pending admission” to nursery school issued by a municipal government. Specifically, applicants are required to submit the following documents.
- Declaration of reasons for the extension of childcare leave benefit payment
- Copy of admission request of nursery school, etc. to the municipal government
- Document from the municipal government notifying that the use of nursery school, etc. is unavailable (admission pending notice, admission decline notice, etc.)
A template of the declaration of reasons is available on the Labor Ministry’s website. Applicants are required to describe details of an admission request to a nursery school, etc. On the backside notes on completing the documents. Companies’ HR staff should be aware of the application form in case they receive questions from workers about how to fill in the document.
The procedure due to be changed is applicable to workers who wish to extend the benefit payment period for children reaching the age of one year or one year and six months on April 1, 2025, or later. For smooth application, companies should advise applicable employees to prepare necessary documents in advance. Please also make use of the Labor Ministry’s leaflets and provide necessary information to the employees.
[Reference]
The Ministry of Labour, “Procedure of extending childcare leave benefit payment period”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000160564_00040.html
“The procedure for extending childcare leave benefit payment period due to difficulty in having a child admitted to a nursery school, etc. to be changed from April 2025”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001269748.pdf
*The information is base on laws and regulations as of the date of this article.
