Japan: Gov't balks at setting standards for recognizing 3.11 'disaster-related deaths'
The government has decided to forgo setting standards for certifying deaths in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake as disaster-related.
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At present, whether to confirm a death as disaster-related and grant condolence money to the surviving family is left up to local governments in the areas of northeastern Japan hit by the March 2011 quake and tsunami. According to a recent Mainichi Shimbun survey, more than 70 percent of local governments that have paid such compensation in 10 or more cases want a unified definition of "disaster-related death."
However, "if we create these standards, they could clash with the certifications being issued by local governments, which could invite confusion," the government stated. It will instead confirm the conclusions of local bodies. The government also intends to define cases where local bodies have paid condolence money as "disaster-related deaths."
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A total of 28 of the 37 local bodies surveyed stated that central government "guidelines or standardized certification criteria for disaster-related deaths are desirable." The two reasons that together made up the majority of responses were that "without unified standards, certification differences will emerge among municipal governments," and, "Condolence money is based on national law, and so there should be a national standard for paying this compensation."
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