Japan revises the survivors' compensation pension (遺族補償年金) under workers' accident compensation insurance (労災保険) — flat 175 days of the basic daily benefit amount (給付基礎日額) when there is 1 surviving family member, and the eligibility requirement on husbands (夫) abolished (effective April 1, 2027)
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
From April 1, 2027, the survivors' compensation pension (遺族補償年金) under Japan's workers' accident compensation insurance (労災保険) will be paid at a flat 175 days of the basic daily benefit amount (給付基礎日額) where there is one surviving family member, and the age and 障害 requirements imposed only on a husband (夫) are deleted, so a spouse becomes an eligible survivor whether a 妻 or a 夫. In addition, the limitation period for claims to medical treatment and temporary absence from work compensation benefits and the like caused by specific diseases designated by Cabinet Order is extended from 2 years to 5 years.
Key facts
| Effective date | April 1, 2027 (令和9年4月1日). However, the provisions concerning the abolition of provisional voluntary coverage in 農林水産業 take effect on a day to be specified by Cabinet Order, within a period not exceeding 5 years counted from the date of promulgation (2026年7月17日 / July 17, 2026). |
|---|---|
| Pension amount where there is 1 surviving family member | 153 days of the basic daily benefit amount (給付基礎日額) — 175 days where the sole survivor is a 妻 aged 55 or over or in a state of 障害 specified by 厚生労働省令 — becomes a flat 175 days (別表第1). The amounts for 2 survivors (201 days) and 3 survivors (223 days) are unchanged. |
| Abolition of the eligibility requirement on husbands (夫) | The payment requirement imposed only on a 夫 (being aged 55 or over at the time of the 妻's death, or in a specified state of 障害) is abolished — in the text of the Act, the requirement that "a 夫 be aged 60 or over or in a state of 障害 specified by 厚生労働省令" is deleted (Article 16-2, paragraph 1). In the "aged 55 or over and under 60" bracket, only 父母, 祖父母 and 兄弟姉妹 remain. |
| Statute of limitations on claims | Medical treatment compensation benefits (療養補償給付), temporary absence from work compensation benefits (休業補償給付), funeral expenses (葬祭料), nursing care compensation benefits (介護補償給付) and the like: 2 years → 5 years where the cause is a disease specified by Cabinet Order as one that is not easy to assess by its nature (proviso to Article 42, paragraph 1). The 厚生労働省 outline envisages brain and heart disease, mental disorders, and asbestos-related diseases. 障害補償給付, 遺族補償給付 and the like remain at 5 years as before. Claims for accident compensation under the 労働基準法 also go from 2 years to 5 years to the same effect. |
| Transitional measures | For a survivors' compensation pension and the like where the grounds for payment arose before the effective date, the provisions on the scope and order of survivors, extinction of the right to receive benefits and suspension of payment, the pension amount for periods before the effective date, and the limitation period for claims arising from a disease that occurred before the effective date all remain governed by the previous rules (Articles 2 and 5 of the supplementary provisions of the amending Act). |
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Japan passed the Act Partially Amending the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act and Related Acts (労働者災害補償保険法等の一部を改正する法律, Act No. 60 of Reiwa 8) on July 10, 2026 and promulgated it on July 17, with effect from April 1, 2027. For the survivors' compensation pension (遺族補償年金) and equivalent benefits, the amount payable where there is one surviving family member changes from 153 days of the basic daily benefit amount (給付基礎日額) — 175 days where the sole survivor is a wife (妻) aged 55 or over or in a state of disability (障害) specified by 厚生労働省令 — to a flat 175 days. The payment requirement imposed only on a husband (夫) (being aged 55 or over at the time of the 妻's death, or in a specified state of 障害) is also abolished, so the category of eligible survivors is reorganized from "a 妻, or a 夫 aged 60 or over or with a specified 障害" to "a 妻 or a 夫". Alongside this, a special rule is newly established for the statute of limitations on claims to 労災保険給付: where the cause is a disease specified by Cabinet Order as one for which it is not easy, by its nature, to determine whether the grounds for accident compensation are met, the limitation period for medical treatment compensation benefits (療養補償給付), temporary absence from work compensation benefits (休業補償給付), funeral expenses (葬祭料), nursing care compensation benefits (介護補償給付) and the like becomes 5 years instead of 2 years. The amendment also puts the requirements for special enrollment associations into statute (承認団体), changes the window for filing appeals against decisions on 社会復帰促進等事業, and abolishes the provisional voluntary coverage of small-scale individually managed businesses in 農林水産業; the 船員保険法, 石綿健康被害救済法 and 労働基準法 are amended to the same effect.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
Summaries reflect national-level programs. Municipal (city/ward/town) programs may differ — confirm with the official desk before applying.
FAQ
Will a survivors' compensation pension already being received before April 1, 2027 also rise to 175 days?
For a survivors' compensation pension and the like where the grounds for payment arose before the effective date, the provisions on the scope and order of survivors, extinction of the right to receive benefits and suspension of payment, together with the pension amount for periods before the effective date, remain governed by the previous rules (Article 2 of the supplementary provisions of the amending Act). Please confirm how this applies to your own case with the competent Prefectural Labour Bureau (都道府県労働局).
Will a husband (夫) now receive the survivors' compensation pension straight away if his wife dies from a work-related cause?
Under the amendment, the requirement imposed only on a 夫 (being aged 55 or over at the time of the 妻's death, or in a specified state of 障害) is abolished, so the category of eligible survivors changes from "a 妻, or a 夫 aged 60 or over or with a specified 障害" to "a 妻 or a 夫" (厚生労働省 outline). That said, the survivors who can receive the survivors' compensation pension are the spouse and others who were dependent on the worker's income at the time of death, and they do not each receive a pension — only the person highest in the order of priority (the holder of the right to receive benefits) does.
Which diseases will have a 5-year limitation period for industrial accident claims?
Diseases specified by Cabinet Order as those for which it is not easy, by their nature, to determine whether the grounds for accident compensation are met. The 厚生労働省 outline states specifically that brain and heart disease, mental disorders, and asbestos-related diseases are envisaged. 厚生労働省 has stated that it will examine the Cabinet Orders and ministerial ordinances needed to implement the amending Act while hearing the views of labour, management and other stakeholders (基発0717第2号).