Q&A Regarding the Supplementary Income Payments

Supplementary Income Payments are issued by local governments via direct transfers or by other methods, as emergency assistance measures to support family budgets as well as to stimulate local economies.

In the case of foreigners, a person who is registered as an alien as of February 1st, 2009 (the "Reference Date") is eligible to receive the Supplementary Income Payments ("Eligible Person"); however, persons whose visa statuses are for short-term residence and illegal residents are excluded. Also, Eligible Persons must continue to meet the relevant criteria from the Reference Date until issuance of the payments is determined by their local government.

The amount of the Supplementary Income Payments to be issued is 12,000 Yen per person registered in the Alien Registration Records. However, if said person is at or under the age of 18, or at or over the age of 65 as of the Reference Date, the Supplementary Income Payments amount is 20,000 Yen per person.

• At or under the age of 18 = 20,000 Yen
• Ages 19 to 64 = 12,000 Yen
• At or over the age of 65 = 20,000 Yen

 At or under the age of 18: Persons born on or after February 2nd, 1990
 At or over the age of 65: Persons born on or before February 2nd, 1944

In case of foreigners, the Eligible Person (the "Applicant/Recipient") can receive the Supplementary Income Payments.

In order to receive the Supplementary Income Payments, you must submit an application to the local government office where you were registered as an alien as of the Reference Date, and said local government must determine the issuance of the payments.

Application forms will be sent to the Eligible Person (Applicant/Recipient)*. 。* Local governments may provide notification by other methods.

The Applicant/Recipient must write down the proper information in the application form, attach a copy of his/her Alien Registration Card (both sides) that affirms his/her qualification as a Recipient as well as a copy of his/her passbook or bank card that identifies the bank account number, and submit the application to his/her local government office.

For details regarding applying for and receiving the Supplementary Income Payments, contact the local government office where you are/were registered as of the Reference Date.

In determining the Reference Date, the time between the Reference Date and the date of issuance must be the shortest possible period in order to minimize the moving of residents after the Reference Date. The time to correct the records in the Alien Registration Records and the need to start the issuance within the fiscal year were also considered. Taking these points into consideration, the latest possible date, February 1st 2009, was determined the Reference Date.

In the Supplementary Income Payments Issuance Program, local governments will issue payments to over 50 million applications nationwide.

1. To streamline the structure (to reduce the burden of local governments) and
2. to prevent double issuances,

issuances were based on the information recorded in the Alien Registration Records, a public ledger that clarifies residency and is the basis for various public administration services.

• Alien Registration Act (No. 125, April 28, 1952)
  Article 1 (Purpose)

  The purpose of this Act is to establish fair control over aliens residing in Japan by clarifying matters pertaining to their residence and status and through the enforcement of the registration of such aliens.

The time period required by the local governments to prepare for issuance differ due to population size and other factors, and each local government starts issuance as soon as they are ready, so that people can receive the payments as soon as possible.

Children born after the Reference Date are not eligible to receive the payments.

In general, application forms are sent to the address recorded in the Alien Registration Records as of the Reference Date. However, if your current residence differs from the address recorded in the Alien Registration Records because you moved or are hospitalized for an extended period, you can apply for the payments by obtaining a separate application form. For details, contact the local government office where you registered in the Alien Registration Records as of the Reference Date.

If an Applicant/Recipient dies before issuance of the payments is determined by the respective local government, a person who had lived or shared the same household income with the deceased will become the Applicant/Recipient, regardless of whether such a person is Japanese or a foreigner.

If the issuance of the payments has already been determined, the payments will be considered a property and will be inherited by the heir through the proper inheritance procedure.

In case of foreigners, the Eligible Person himself/herself is the Applicant/Recipient. The Applicant/Recipient is qualified to apply for and receive the payments, but that qualification is not heritable.

If an Applicant/Recipient is unable to apply for and receive the payments himself/herself, he/she can have a surrogate apply/receive for him/her. For details concerning the eligibility for surrogacy, please contact the local government office where you registered in the Alien Registration Records as of the Reference Date.

If a Public Assistance Recipient receives the Supplementary Income Payments, it will not be considered as an income, so it will not affect the issuance of the Public Assistance Benefits.

Supplementary Income Payments are tax-exempt and are not taxable.

To make sure that the Supplementary Income Payments are correctly issued to the Applicant/Recipient, we ask all Applicants to submit personal identification and documents that affirms the qualification for issuance. Your cooperation for the prompt and accurate issuance of the payments is appreciated.

In case the Supplementary Income Payments are issued via direct deposits, we ask all Applicants to provide the bank account number to which the payments will be deposited, and documents that identifies the relevant bank account number is required. If your passbook or bank card contains information other than the name of the financial institution, branch number, account number and account holder name to which the payments will be deposited (such as seal impression or credit card number, i.e., bank cards with a credit card function), you can black out such information from the copy. Your cooperation for the prompt and accurate deposit of the payments is appreciated.

Personal information provided for the issuance of the Supplementary Income Payments will be used within the scope required by the issuance program, and will be managed and disposed of according to the Municipal Ordinance on personal information protection established by the local governments.