I'm quitting my job here (Japan) and returning to the U.K. for an indefinite period of time. The reasons why are private, so I'd rather not go into that.
Anyway, would anyone on this forum know if I'd have to continue with my pension and health insurance payments, or can I opt out for the period I'm away? If/when I do return and opt back into the pension and health insurance systems, would I just carry on paying my contributions from where I left off? Will I have to pay the "missing" contributions for period I was away?

Thanks.

Hana

Hana_Mizu wrote:...
Anyway, would anyone on this forum know if I'd have to continue with my pension and health insurance payments, or can I opt out for the period I'm away? ...

If you have Perm. Residency or Japanese Citizenship, I've heard that this is a BIG problem. Most younger J-people don't pay and upon returning they're screwed by owing for back-payment of pension contributions but not health insurance.

For an FG returning, my question is WHY? ' As the dog returns to his vomit.... --Proverbs 26/11

I assume JPN pension and health insurance payments aren't needed if you are paying them in your home country IF that country has a "Swap Contributions" treaty for pensions..

Somebody else have more thoughts about this problem since I'm not sure?

On the assumption that quitting your job and returning to the UK suffices for the purpose of breaking your residency in Japan, you should owe no more pension payments in Japan. There is no "opting out" for foreigners who leave the country; as I understand it, you are simply under no more obligation to pay and the Japanese authorities have no mechanism to reach you anyway.

How long will you be away? To be safe, there should be enough evidence that you did not plan to return to Japan at the time you left--such as giving up your gaijin card, expiration of your visa, significant time lapse between leaving and returning, etc.

If this is a major concern for you, check with your ku-yakusho (if you live in Tokyo) or other local governmental body in charge of pension/social insurance payments.

kamome wrote: To be safe, there should be enough evidence that you did not plan to return to Japan at the time you left--such as giving up your gaijin card, expiration of your visa, significant time lapse between leaving and returning, etc..

RIGHT Birdboy kamome! Thanks.
England has a "Swap Contributions" treaty for pensions and "giving up your gaijin card" is a formal declaration of leaving Japan.

Taro Toporific wrote:If you have Perm. Residency or Japanese Citizenship, I've heard that this is a BIG problem. Most younger J-people don't pay and upon returning they're screwed by owing for back-payment of pension contributions but not health insurance.

For an FG returning, my question is WHY?

I assume JPN pension and health insurance payments aren't needed if you are paying them in your home country IF that country has a "Swap Contributions" treaty for pensions..

I don't have Perm. Residency or Japanese Citizenship, but I have a feeling I'm still pretty screwed.

I will HAVE to return sometime (don't know when) because my wife (Japanese) and kid are here.

I'm 99% sure the U.K. are one of the few countries to have this pension treaty with Crapan.

kamome wrote:How long will you be away? To be safe, there should be enough evidence that you did not plan to return to Japan at the time you left--such as giving up your gaijin card, expiration of your visa, significant time lapse between leaving and returning, etc.

I've no idea when I'll return, could be within a few months, a year or even longer, I don't know at this moment.

You're leaving your wife and kid here for up to a year? You should probably talk with American Oyaji...

cstaylor wrote:You're leaving your wife and kid here for up to a year? You should probably talk with American Oyaji...

Before anyone else thinks I'm a selfish arsehole... my dad has cancer, that's why I'm going back.

No, I wasn't saying that, but I read "personal reasons" as "problems at home".

Hope your father pulls through.

cstaylor wrote:No, I wasn't saying that, but I read "personal reasons" as "problems at home".
Hope your father pulls through.

No problem, I'm just a little touchy about the subject at the moment.

Hey, thanks for the advice from those who replied.

Hana_Mizu wrote:

cstaylor wrote:No, I wasn't saying that, but I read "personal reasons" as "problems at home".
Hope your father pulls through.

No problem, I'm just a little touchy about the subject at the moment.

Hey, thanks for the advice from those who replied.

That's very sad news, and I hope he feels better. Suddenly, the whole pension payment thing sounds much less serious.

Anyway, while you are away you probably won't be doing any work for which you will be paid in Japan, correct? If that's the case, there will be no way the J-authorities can make a claim on your income for social insurance payments. You don't have a continuing obligation to pay while you're outside of the country, and the fact that you're not earning money in Japan just reinforces that.

My advice: go home, tend to your Dad, forget about the pension system. If this question weighs heavily on your mind, take a couple of hours tomorrow morning to visit the local government office and ask them.

Wouldn't your J-wife be able to help out in this case?

kamome wrote:My advice: go home, tend to your Dad, forget about the pension system. If this question weighs heavily on your mind, take a couple of hours tomorrow morning to visit the local government office and ask them.

The pension/health thing is just something I didn't need on plate at this moment, that's all.

GomiGirl wrote:Wouldn't your J-wife be able to help out in this case?

Yeah, the J-wife... well the in-laws actually are looking into it today, as the wife has never worked and has less of a clue about this than I do.

Curious about your status in the pension plan? Get in line
Asahi Shimbun, May 12
Atsuko Saito grabbed her waiting-list number from the machine at the Kawagoe social insurance office in Saitama Prefecture at 8:40 a.m. last month.
And then she waited. And waited.
Hours passed and the number on the electronic display was still far from her own. So the 60-year-old from nearby Tsurugashima went home for lunch.
She returned to the office where the wait continued....
... At the Hodogaya social insurance office in Yokohama, the average number of daily visitors is about 180. When TV ...

Thanks guys. Keep up those payment so Steve B. and I can collect, hee, hee.

Social security to cost corporate workers 16% of income by 2025
Asahi.com / 05/17/2004 Social security payments for company workers will likely balloon to 31.7 percent of their annual income by 2025, officials of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.
The 2004 average is 23.7 percent.
Because the payment burden is shared equally by employer and employed, the actual amount paid out by a worker will rise from 11.85 percent of annual income to 15.85 percent.

The Japan Times is running a good multipart series on FG pension question: refunds, strategies, etc. It is a very worthwhile read for any FG...

Collecting your pension dues
In the second of two articles, Barry Brophy, explains the nitty-gritty of a Japanese pension
The Japan Times: Aug. 17, 2004After those who leave Japan, hand in their gaijin cards and apply for their 2.4 month refund, the remaining millions of yen they've paid into the system stay in Japan, where the money is used to pay pension payments for those they left behind.....

...or further queries related to the pension system, contact the Social Insurance Agency; your nearest Social Insurance Office, or your local ward office. Documents relating to the Lump Sum Withdrawal Payment are available in English, though beyond that there is little information readily available for foreign residents who don't speak Japanese -- and officials may be unwilling to volunteer information unless asked the right questions. Good resources can be found at: http://www.issho.org or http://www.debito.org

Taro Toporific wrote:The Japan Times: Aug. 17, 2004...officials may be unwilling to volunteer information unless asked the right questions.

Man, that is the J-gov, and all Japanese in any sort of official capacity, in a nutshell. Getting information here is like pulling hen's teeth. I have a theory that the worst thing to happen to a Japanese person isn't ostracization from the group, but being held accountable for a decision.

when I left sapporo in January, the people at the local govt centre put my pension and nat health payments on hold, I had to fill out 2 forms I think, and they said only to give in my gaijin card if I was going away for over a year I think

sorry I`m very vague on this, its just we had to do so much in such a short space of time and my wife helped sort everything out + the staff in Sapporo were amazingly helpful (well the younger staff didnt have much of a clue, whereas the older staff were on the ball and extremely helpful)

one way of looking at it is at least you will get to see your dad alive again, I wasn't able to despite my wife telling me to go and see him in the christmas break (i had 2.5 weeks off but my dad either didnt mention how bad he was or he and the doctors just didnt know)

hope everything goes as well as possible.