道しるべ

「最低保障」創設で額増を

2025/04/16
見送られた年金改革法案　

　　今国会の重要法案とされる「年金制度改革関連法案」は、政府が閣議決定できず、国会提出されていない。今年度の年金改定は物価上昇率に満たない額で、生活できる年金制度が求められる。

物価高を反映せず　

　　今年度の年金改定率は１・９ ％ である。24年の物価変動率が２・５％、名目賃金変動率が２・３％（比較して低い方に合わせることになっている）である。それからマクロ経済スライド調整率（マイナス０・４％）を引くので、１・９％の改定となった。　

　　24春闘での30年ぶりの「大幅賃上げ」も、物価高騰も反映されない。本来、年金額改定は物価スライドでなければならない。　

　　年金財政については、５年に１度財政検証が行われるが、24年はその年であった。厚生労働省は、昨年７月に「公的年金の将来見通し」を公表した。　

　　検証の過程では、「国民年金基礎年金の加入期間を40年（20歳～60歳）から45年（20歳から65歳） に延長」や、「第３号被保険者の廃止」が検討されたが、厚労省は25 年改正から除外した。　

　　改正の主な項目は　・厚生年金と基礎年金のマクロ経済スライドの調整期間を一致させること。制度導入時の04年財政再計算では、基礎年金と厚生年金の調整期間は、23年度に同時に終了する見込みだった。　

　　デフレが続いたため、現段階では厚生年金は26年度で終了するが、基礎年金は57年まで続く。そのため、厚生年金の積立金を基礎年金の給付に活用し、36年度にマクロ経済スライドを早期終了させる案だ。発動は次期財政検証（29年予定）後に判断するとしている。積立金のイスラエル国債や軍事企業への投資が明らかになっており、監視が必要だ。　

・被用者保険の適用拡大。短時間労働者への適用拡大、適用事業所の拡大、「年収の壁」への対応を行うとしている。　

・在職老齢年金制度の支給停止基準額を現行の50万円から62万円に引き上げることとし、施行日は26年４月を想定していた。

・標準報酬月額上限を、上限等級65万円から75万円に引き上げる――などだ。　

生活できる年金に　

　参院選をにらみ、保険料負担の増加を危惧する与党は、年金改革関連法の提出を見送ったが、いずれ提出される。物価高騰で年金生活者は苦しんでいる。わが党が掲げる全額税方式の「最低保障年金」の創設など、抜本的な制度改正に向けた議論が求められる。

英訳版↓

No. 1399 Pension Programs Reform Bill Postponed

A bill to reform pension programs and relevant services has not been presented for parliamentary debates, though it is one of the important agenda of this Diet session. The government says it could not let the Cabinet decide on the bill. A customary increase in pension amount of the current fiscal cannot meet the higher rate of prices of goods. Pensions are crucial to secure livelihood of the elderly.

INCREASED AMOUNT OF MINIMUM ASSURANCE PENSION PLAN IS VITAL FOR PENSIONERS

Pension sums do not reflect price hikes today

The current fiscal’s pension increase rate is calculated as 1.9%: the 2024 price fluctuation rate is represented as 2.5% and the wage fluctuation rate is valued as 2.3% (pension sums rely on the lower figure the two indicators). From the figure a ratio of the Macro-Economic Slide Formula, which is adopted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in the calculation of pension amounts, which is 0.4%, is deducted.

Pensions do not reflect the ‘historic high wage hikes’ won during the Spring Labor Offensive 2025, which ended in victory on the labor side after 30 years of unsuccessful results, nor today’s price surges. Principally, pension sums must be set to respond rightly to price fluctuations.

In every five years a financial review is made for the pension plans. The year 2024 fell actually to such a year. The MHLW issued last July a report, ‘Future Prospect on Public Pensions.’

Debates were made in the Ministry about ‘extension of the current premium payment period of 40 years (from 20 years of age to 60) up to 45 years (from 20 to 65) for the National Basic Pension Program, and ‘abolition of the Status 3 Category of Beneficiaries’, but it decided to remove these issues from the fiscal 2025 policy.  

Main points proposed by the government include;
 
  1. To coincide the adjustment periods of Macro-Economic Slide Formula between the Employees’ Pension Plan and that of the National Pension System. As of 2004 when the scheme was introduced and financial calculations were made, the adjustment periods of the two pension programs were to end in the fiscal 2023.

As of today, due to the continued deflation, the Employees’ Pension plan’s adjustment period will end in the fiscal 2026, and that of the National Pension plan will last till 2057. For this reason, the government will use the reserve fund of the Employees’ plan so as to pay benefits to recipients of the National plan and close the adjustment period earlier in the fiscal 2036. After the next financial review (scheduled in 2029), the government will set a time to launch the procedure. Surveillance is necessary, because the reserved money is proven to be spent on purchasing the Israeli government’s bonds and on investing in the military manufacturers.
 
  1. To extend application scope of the Employees’ Pension plan; to expand to part-time workers and to increase eligible business entities. The government says that it will respond to requests for the so-called ‘barrier of annual income.’
 
  1. To surge the current standard value of \500 thousand yen for suspension of pension payment to \620 thousand to pensioners who earn income. The government was to implement the plan from April, 2026.
 
  1. To surge the standard maximum monthly earning up to \750 thousand from the current \650 thousand ceiling.

Pension amount must be sufficient to lead a decent life

The ruling parties have postponed presentation of the bill to reform the pension plans and services, reluctant to increase premium payment as they face the July election for the House of Councilors. But the bill will certainly be raised for parliamentary debates.

Pensioners suffer from price hikes. The New Socialist Party has proposed creating a ‘minimum assurance’ pension plan fully supported by tax money. Lawmakers need to debate sincerely and comprehensively in order to boldly reform the pension programs.



April 16, 2025