Record 1.28 mil Japanese families live on welfare

A Japanese government survey has found the number of households dependent on welfare benefits hit a record high in October last year.

The welfare ministry says over 1.28 million households received welfare benefits in October, up more than 14,000 from the previous month.

The increase was roughly broken down into about 3,000 elderly households, 1,200 single-mother households, and 1,000 families whose income earners have disabilities. But 5,600 other households, the largest group, included many whose providers had lost jobs.

The number of individual welfare recipients also surged to 1.77 million, up more than 20,000 from the month before.

During the year through last October, the number of households dependent on welfare benefits rose by more than 130,000 or 11.7 percent. The same period saw the number of individuals who received welfare benefits increase by more than 180,000 or 1.5 percent.

The ministry says it will take measures to address the worsening employment situation and stem the rise in the number of welfare recipients.