Apply for Pension Benefits
Public pensions include benefits for old-age, disability, and death (survivors.) Each type of benefits is paid on different conditions and by different calculation formulas.
If you live in Japan and wish to apply for pension benefits of the country with which Japan has Social Security Agreement (agreement country,) you can file the application to JPS. JPS serves as a mailbox for foreign institution. For details, refer to “Special Provisions for Pension Payments of the Agreement Countries” and “Application for Pension Benefits of the Agreement Countries.”
Likewise, if you live in agreement country and wish to apply for Japanese pension benefits, you can file the application to the social security institution in your country. Refer to “Special provisions for the Japanese Pension Payments” and “Application for Japanese Pension Benefits.”
Old-age Pension
You can receive Old-age Basic Pension from age 65 if you have been covered under National Pension and Employees' Pension Insurance (EPI) systems. Your total coverage periods* need to be 10 years or more.
* Your total coverage periods include your contribution-paid periods as a Category Ⅰ, Category Ⅱ or Category Ⅲ insured person, as well as your contribution-exempted periods.
You can receive Old-age Employees’ Pension on top of your Old-age Basic Pension, if you were insured under EPI for one month or more, AND if you satisfy contribution requirements to qualify for the Old-age Basic Pension under the National Pension system.
Disability Pension
You can receive Disability Basic Pension when you have a certain level of disability (Grade 1 or Grade 2) which is specified by law. To qualify, the date of first medical or dental examination must be during the period as follows:
- You were covered by National Pension.
- You were younger than age 20 (not covered by public pension system.)
- You were between age 60 and 64 (not covered by public pension system) and resided in Japan.
Disability Employees' Pension / Disability Allowance
You can receive Disability Employees’ Pension in addition to the Disability Basic Pension when you have a disability specified as Grade 1 or Grade 2 for Disability Basic Pension, and you had the first medical examination of the sickness or injury which caused the disability while you were covered by EPI.
If your disability is lighter than Grade 2 level, you can receive the Disability Employees’ Pension for the Grade 3 disability.
Also, the Disability Allowance (lump-sum benefits) is paid if you recover from a sickness or injury within five years from the first medical examination and still have the disability which is lighter than Grade 3.
Survivors’ Pension
If an insured person dies while covered by National Pension, Survivors’ Basic Pension is payable to the deceased person's dependent child(ren,) or the spouse of the deceased person who takes care of the deceased person’s dependent child(ren.)
For the following cases, Survivors’ Employees’ Pension is paid to the deceased person's survivors, i.e. persons who are financially dependent on a deceased person at the time of his/her death:
- An insured worker of EPI dies. Or, the person dies within 5 years because of an illness or injury for which he/she had the first medical consultation while he/she was covered by EPI. The deceased person needs to satisfy same contribution requirements as that for the Survivors' Basic Pension.
- A person eligible for Old-age Employees’ Pension with 25 years or more coverage periods*
- The deceased person is eligible for the Disability Employees' Pension (Grade 1 or 2.)
* contribution-paid periods and contribution-exempted periods including various complementary periods.
Other Payments and Benefits Applications
If you are non-Japanese and you have short coverage periods under National Pension system or EPI system at the time of departure from Japan, you can apply for the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments.
Make sure you are no longer covered by these pension systems, and you file the application for the Payments within two years since you leave Japan.
When a pensioner dies, the pension benefits are payable up to the month of death. His/Her survivor can claim unpaid pension for the deceased person, by submitting "Claim for the Unpaid Pension / Insurance Benefits" together with "Report on Pensioner’s Death."
If your husband dies after contributing for at least 10 years as Category Ⅰ insured person and if he has received neither Old-age Basic Pension nor Disability Basic Pension as of the previous day of his death, you can receive the Widow's Pension while you are between age 60 and 64.
When Category Ⅰ insured person dies without receiving any pension benefits, his/her family member who shared the livelihood with him/her can receive the Lump-sum Death Benefits.