Transformation of elderly people's legal status in social security

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03554
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social law
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: IWAMURA MASAHIKO 東京大学, 大学院法学政治学研究科(法学部), 教授 (60125995)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 太田 匡彦 東京大学, 大学院法学政治学研究科(法学部), 教授 (80251437)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 社会保障法 / 医療保険 / 公的年金 / 介護保険

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Until recent years, Japanese social protection scheme and policy have been based on the conception that the elderly are to be protected because of their weakness and their low income. But from several years, social protection policy seeks to change this conception. Our research project focused on the influences and legal problems resulted form this change of conception about the elderly in the field of social protection policy, and analyzed them from legal point of view as well as with comparative approach. Our project successfully clarified the legal meanings and characteristics of such social protection policy change, and also clarified problems to discuss about legal questions and reform planning of schemes. Our project also gave several suggestions about future social protection schemes in considering sustainability of social protection scheme confronting to aging society.

Free Research Field

社会保障法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの社会保障法学においては、高齢者について、とくにその所得の低さ等に着目して、社会保障制度において一律に保護すべきものと考える傾向が強かった。しかし、本研究によって、所得・資産の面で、今日の高齢者は多様化しており、また健康状態等も多様化していることから、一定年齢以上にあることを指標として社会保障制度上一律に同等の保護を与えるべき者とは必ずしもいえず、むしろ負担能力に応じて給付と負担のあり方を整理し直す方が、2040年度という高齢社会の節目の年までの社会保障の各制度の持続可能性を考える上では合理的である可能性が示唆された。