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2026-04-01
Social Insurance Coverage Expanded!
From April 2026, part-timers working 20+ hours/week at companies with 51+ employees must join social insurance (health insurance + pension).
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2026-04-01Work
🏥 Dependent Status Criteria Changed
Past income → projected income basis
Projected
Income basis
Earlier
Determination
Part-time
Most affected
¥1.3M
Wall (annual)
❓ What's changing?
From April 2026, social insurance dependent status determination changes from "past actual income" to "projected future income." This means temporary income spikes won't automatically disqualify you from dependent status if projected annual income stays below the threshold.
🔄 How the judgment changes
[Old] Based on past 12 months' actual income
[New] Based on projected next 12 months' income
[Old] Temporary income spike = lose dependent status
[New] Employment contract & conditions used to project income
[Old] Exceeding ¥108,333/month continuously = immediate removal
[New] Temporary exceedances handled flexibly
🧱 Impact on the ¥1.3M wall
The ¥1.3M annual income wall (¥108,333/month) remains, but with "projected income" basis, working extra during busy periods won't disqualify you if annual projection stays under ¥1.3M.
👥 Who's most affected
- ●Part-time working spouses
- ●Those who increase shifts during busy seasons
- ●People with multiple jobs
- ●Part-timers returning from parental leave
⏱️ Earlier determination timing
Dependent status will be determined promptly when employment contracts or work conditions change. Shifting from "post-verification" to "pre-emptive/ongoing assessment."
💡 Key points to know
1Projected income basis allows flexible dependent status
2Temporary income spikes won't immediately disqualify you
3The ¥1.3M wall itself doesn't change
4Part-time workers should review their employment contracts
🔗 Related Issues
🔧→
2026-04-01
3 New Fields Added to Specified Skills
From April 2026, linen supply, logistics warehousing, and resource recycling added to Specified Skills. Total 19 fields, 5-year cap expanded to 1.23M.
👴→
2026-04-01
In-Service Old-Age Pension Cap Raised ¥500K→¥620K
From April 2026, the earnings threshold for pension reduction while working rises from ¥500K to ¥620K/month. Elderly foreign residents working and receiving pension may see higher payouts.