This is a translation of the Japanese original. The Japanese version is authoritative; figures follow Japanese tax law.
People who receive the Old-Age Basic Pension and have low income get an extra 5,620 yen per month (the fiscal 2026 standard amount) on top of their pension, called the Pension Recipient Support Benefit (nenkin seikatsusha shien kyufukin). That is 67,440 yen a year. However, you get nothing unless you file a claim, and in principle the months you miss by claiming late are not paid retroactively. Those who qualify receive a claim form (a postcard) from the Japan Pension Service starting in September, but there are cases where it never arrives. This article organizes the eligibility conditions, how the amount is calculated, what to do with the postcard, and how to claim when it does not come, based on materials from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Japan Pension Service.
Bottom line: meet three conditions and you qualify. Always send the postcard back
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Age and pension | Aged 65 or over and receiving the Old-Age Basic Pension |
| 2. Household resident tax | Every member of the same household is exempt from resident tax |
| 3. Previous year's income | The previous year's public pension income plus other income totals 826,500 yen or less (for those born on or after April 2, 1956; for those born earlier the figure differs slightly) |
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Pension Recipient Support Benefit System: Frequently Asked Questions" [MHLW]
For people who exceed condition 3 only slightly (over 826,500 yen up to 926,500 yen), there is a reduced "supplementary Old-Age Pension Recipient Support Benefit", which softens the cliff where crossing the line would otherwise drop the benefit to zero. People receiving the Disability Basic Pension or the Survivors' Basic Pension have a separate benefit (5,620 yen per month; 7,025 yen for grade 1), and for that one only the recipient's own previous-year income has to be below the threshold, with no requirement that the household be exempt from resident tax.
How much you get: the 5,620 yen standard amount prorated by months of contributions
The old-age benefit is the sum of an "amount based on the period of paid contributions" and an "amount based on the period of exempted contributions." The former is 5,620 yen x months of paid contributions / 480 months, and the latter is calculated from the number of exempted months against one sixth of the full Old-Age Basic Pension (one twelfth for partial exemptions)[MHLW].
Someone who paid in full for 40 years (480 months)
5,620 yen x 480 / 480 = 5,620 yen per month (67,440 yen a year)
Someone with 30 years of contributions and 10 years of full exemption
Contribution portion: 5,620 yen x 360 / 480 = 4,215 yen
Exemption portion: full Old-Age Basic Pension (about 69,000 yen per month) x 1/6 x 120 / 480 = about 2,900 yen
Total about 7,100 yen per month (by design, having exempted periods can produce a larger benefit)
The standard amount is revised every April in line with prices, and for fiscal 2026 it was raised 3.2% from the previous year's 5,450 yen to 5,620 yen[Japan Pension Service]. It is paid in the same even-numbered months as the pension, but as a separate transfer.
The income line: 826,500 yen for pension-only income, with the tax exemption judged separately
The 826,500 yen in condition 3 looks at the pension income amount itself plus income other than the pension. If the face amount of your pension exceeds this line, you fall outside the standard benefit. Condition 2, exemption from resident tax, is judged by your municipality's exemption threshold, so people with income besides a pension and people living with family need to check both conditions 2 and 3.
You can check the rough exemption thresholds in the resident tax exemption line for people living alone. If a family member in the household is being taxed, you are excluded even when your own pension is small, so people living with a working child may fail condition 2.
When the claim form (postcard) arrives: write your name and the date, and send it back
People who newly become eligible receive a "Pension Recipient Support Benefit claim form" from the Japan Pension Service, sent out in batches from around September each year[MHLW]. It is a simple postcard-style claim form, and all you write is your name, the submission date, and a phone number. Once you send it back, your claim is reviewed and payment begins; people already receiving the benefit do not need to claim again in later years (eligibility is judged automatically from municipal income data).
The benefit is paid from the month after you file the claim. When your entitlement arises at age 65, claiming within three months makes the payment retroactive, but otherwise you cannot recover the months you missed. The MHLW states explicitly that payment covers "the month following the month in which you complete the procedure." Send the postcard back within the same week it arrives.
Three cases where the postcard does not arrive, and where to claim
| Case | What is happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You have not filed a resident tax return | The municipality has no income data, so it cannot judge whether you are exempt and no claim form is sent | File a resident tax return with your municipality (even with zero income). Then claim at your pension office |
| Your household composition or income changed during the year | You came to meet the conditions partway through, for example by splitting the household registration, a family member retiring, or an amended return | Nothing is sent automatically. File a claim for certification at the pension office yourself |
| You were found ineligible in the previous year | Last year your income was above the line so you did not qualify, but this year you do | As a rule the Japan Pension Service sends a fresh claim form. If nothing has come by October, contact your pension office |
The MHLW states that "if you come to meet the payment requirements because of a change in household composition or a correction of your tax assessment, you must file the claim for certification yourself"[MHLW]. You can pick up a claim form at a pension office counter, or download one from the Japan Pension Service website. If you have skipped your resident tax return, see resident tax returns for people who do not file an income tax return.
Three things worth knowing
- The benefit is tax-free and is subject to neither income tax nor resident tax. It also does not affect the following year's benefit assessment or your National Health Insurance premiums.
- You cannot receive it while you are deferring your pension. Because receiving the Old-Age Basic Pension is a condition, there is no benefit while you wait during deferral. When weighing whether deferral pays off, factor in the benefit you give up.
- Each year's assessment is automatic, based on the previous year's income. Even once you start receiving it, in a year when your income crosses the line or someone in your household becomes taxable, you become ineligible for the following fiscal year and a notice arrives. If you qualify again, you have to file a fresh claim.
Other benefits and reductions available to households exempt from resident tax are collected in the list of benefits and reductions for tax-exempt households.
What to do today
- Check your annual pension amount on your pension payment notice. At 826,500 yen or less you may qualify for the standard benefit; at 926,500 yen or less, for the supplementary benefit.
- Check whether anyone you live with pays resident tax. If so, you are not eligible. Ask your municipality whether splitting the household registration is realistic.
- If the postcard arrives in September or October, send it back that week. If it does not arrive but you seem to meet the conditions, call your pension office.
Summary
- Eligibility covers those aged 65 or over receiving the old-age basic pension, whose entire household is exempt from resident tax, and whose previous year's pension income plus other income is 826,500 yen or below.
- The FY2026 standard amount is 5,620 yen a month (67,440 yen a year), prorated by the number of months contributions were paid, and paid separately from the pension on even-numbered months.
- Eligible people receive a postcard application form starting around September. Payments begin from the month after you apply — delayed applications are not backdated.
- If you have not filed a resident tax return, or your household or income changed partway through the year, no postcard will arrive — you must apply directly at the Pension Office.
- If income is over 826,500 yen but up to 926,500 yen, a reduced supplementary benefit (the Supplementary Old-Age Pensioners' Support Payment) is available.
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References (sources)
This article is based on the following materials. The standard amount and the income lines are revised each fiscal year, so please check the latest guidance.
Note: this article is general information. The figures are approximate and change with the breakdown of exempted periods and your date of birth. For individual cases, please confirm with your pension office or municipality.