Basic Disability Pension procedures
How to receive the Basic Disability Pension and file a claim when an illness, an injury or a disability you have had since childhood interferes with daily life.
Last verified October 23, 2026
This page was compiled by AIRI from official national government pages and covers the procedures that are the same nationwide. It is not operated by the national government or by any municipality. For the actual procedure, follow the guidance of the municipality where you live.
1.Who can receive the Basic Disability Pension
The Basic Disability Pension (shogai kiso nenkin) is a pension you can receive when an illness or injury leaves you in a state of disability defined by law (disability grade 1 or 2). You must meet all of the following conditions.
- The day you first saw a doctor for the illness or injury that caused the disability (the first consultation date, shoshinbi) falls while you were enrolled in the National Pension (kokumin nenkin), before age 20 (a period when you were not enrolled in any pension system), or while you were living in Japan between age 60 and 64
- Your disability corresponds to grade 1 or 2 of the disability grade table
- As of the day before the first consultation date, you had paid premiums (including exempted periods) for at least two-thirds of your enrollment period, or you had no unpaid premiums in the one year up to the month two months before the month of the first consultation date (if you were under 65 on the first consultation date)
If your first consultation date is before age 20
There is no premium-payment requirement (see "If you have had a disability since childhood" below).
2.If you have had a disability since childhood
If you have a disability from a congenital illness or from an illness or injury in childhood, you can receive the Basic Disability Pension (shogai kiso nenkin) from age 20 as long as your disability corresponds to grade 1 or 2. If the disability was confirmed before age 20, for example at a newborn or infant health checkup, or if you have been issued a Ryoiku Techo (certificate for people with intellectual disabilities), you are treated as having a first consultation date (shoshinbi) before age 20.
File the claim after you turn 20, at the National Pension counter of the municipality (city, ward, town or village) where you live.
| Previous year's income | Pension |
|---|---|
| 3,858,000 yen or less | Paid in full |
| More than 3,858,000 yen and up to 4,918,000 yen | Half of the pension is suspended |
| More than 4,918,000 yen | The full pension is suspended |
If you support dependents, 380,000 yen per dependent (480,000 yen for an elderly dependent relative and similar cases; 630,000 yen for a specified dependent relative or a dependent relative under 19) is added to the amounts above. Your previous year's income determines the payments from October of that year through September of the following year.
Payments may also stop in other cases
The full pension is suspended while you live outside Japan or while you are in prison or a similar facility (once a conviction has become final). If you receive an Onkyu (former public-service pension) or a pension from workers' accident compensation insurance, your pension is adjusted according to that amount.
Ryoiku Techo (certificate for people with intellectual disabilities) procedures
3.Pension amounts
| Disability grade | Born on or after April 2, 1956 | Born on or before April 1, 1956 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 1,059,125 yen | 1,056,125 yen |
| Grade 2 | 847,300 yen | 844,900 yen |
| Number of children | Additional amount |
|---|---|
| First and second child | 243,800 yen per child |
| Third child onward | 81,300 yen per child |
Pension amounts are reviewed every fiscal year.
4.When you can file a claim
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Claim based on the disability recognition date | For when your condition meets the disability criteria on the disability recognition date (shogai ninteibi; for example, the day 1 year and 6 months after the first consultation date). Payments start from the month after the disability recognition date (if you turned 20 after that date, from the month after your 20th birthday). You can file the claim at any time after the disability recognition date, but back payments cover at most 5 years. |
| Claim based on later worsening (jigo jusho) | For when your condition did not meet the criteria on the disability recognition date but later worsened and now does. Payments start from the month after you file, so a late claim means payments start later. You must file by the day two days before your 65th birthday. |
5.Where to file and what to bring
File the claim form at the National Pension counter of the municipality (city, ward, town or village) where you live. If your first consultation date falls in a period when you were a Category 3 insured person of the National Pension (a spouse supported by a company employee or public servant), file it at a pension office (nenkin jimusho) or a Machikado Pension Consultation Center.
| Document | Details |
|---|---|
| Pension claim form (National Pension Basic Disability Pension; nenkin seikyusho) | Available at municipal counters and pension offices. |
| Doctor's medical certificate (shindansho) | On the prescribed form, describing your condition within 3 months after the disability recognition date. If more than 1 year has passed between the disability recognition date and the date you file, you also need a certificate describing your recent condition. |
| Certificate of medical consultation history (jushin jokyo-to shomeisho) | Needed when the medical institution you first visited is different from the one that wrote the medical certificate. |
| Statement of medical history and work status (byoreki, shuro jokyo-to moshitatesho) | A supplementary document used to confirm your disability. |
| A document showing your date of birth (full copy of the family register (koseki), certificate of residence (juminhyo), etc.) | As a rule, not needed if you write your My Number on the form. |
| Passbook or similar for the account that will receive the pension (in your own name) | Not needed if, for example, you use a registered public-benefit account (kokin uketori koza). |
Depending on your situation, for example if you claim the additional amount for children, other documents are needed. For details, ask the National Pension counter of your municipality or your nearest pension office.
What differs by municipality
The following items differ from one municipality to another, so they are not covered on this page. Check the official website or counter of the municipality where you live.
- Location and hours of the National Pension counter
- Whether you need an appointment to discuss a claim
- The municipality's own allowances and subsidies for people who hold a disability certificate
You can look up the main phone number and office hours of your municipality in the Municipal Office Phone Directory.
Sources
- 1. Who can receive the Basic Disability Pension
Japan Pension Service, "Disability Pension"- Japan Pension Service, "I have had a disability since before age 20 due to a congenital illness. Can I receive the Basic Disability Pension?"
- 2. If you have had a disability since childhood
- Japan Pension Service, "I have had a disability since before age 20 due to a congenital illness. Can I receive the Basic Disability Pension?"
- Japan Pension Service, "I have had a disability since childhood. Can I receive the Basic Disability Pension when I turn 20?"
- Japan Pension Service, "Payment restrictions on the Basic Disability Pension for disabilities from before age 20"
- 3. Pension amounts
- Japan Pension Service, "Basic Disability Pension: eligibility, when to claim and amounts"
- 4. When you can file a claim
- Japan Pension Service, "Basic Disability Pension: eligibility, when to claim and amounts"
Change history
| First edition. |
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Related pages
This guide is a general explanation of nationwide systems, compiled by AIRI (operated by LIVERUSH Co., Ltd.) from official pages of the national government and related bodies. It is not operated by the national government or by any municipality. For your individual procedure, the guidance of the municipality where you live takes precedence. The content reflects the situation as of the last-verified date shown at the top of the page.
If you notice an error or outdated content, please let us know through the correction request form. We check it against the sources, correct it, and record the change in the change history.
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