Utsunomiya City reports nursing care insurance calculation error

Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture announced on August 6 that a system error led to the incorrect calculation of nursing care insurance premiums for 121 residents for the 2026 fiscal year. The error occurred because a contractor's system failed to properly import tax information due to a discrepancy in the number of digits in individual identification numbers.

As a result, the issued premiums were lower than they should have been. The total difference between the incorrect and correct amounts is 6,206,400 yen. The city has sent corrected notices and payment slips to the affected individuals and apologized for the error. The system glitch also prevented the automatic deduction of nursing care insurance, municipal/prefectural taxes, and medical insurance for late-stage elderly citizens for several scheduled periods.

In a separate context regarding Japanese pension systems, recent updates highlight changes to the 2026 fiscal year. National Pension amounts are expected to increase by 1.9%, while Employees' Pension (Kosei Nenkin) will see a 2.0% increase. Additionally, starting April 2026, the threshold for the ‘working elderly pension’ (Zaishoku Rourei Nenkin) will be relaxed, allowing individuals to earn more before seeing a reduction in their pension benefits.