First post here, I’m kind of freaking out and need some advice.
I moved to Japan in August of 2022, and I did a year study abroad from September 2017 until August 2018.
Earlier today I received a letter in the mail saying I have unpaid pension from March 2021 until July 2022. It’s a very big number and I’m very scared because I can’t afford it.
I’m also confused because I wasn’t working, let alone even in Japan during that entire period. I did everything by the books as far as I know, but I think it has something to do with the time I was in japan during study abroad, but even then I wasn’t working or paying pension I believe. I wasn’t even in the country and my residence had well expired during that time frame in the letter so this is definitely a mistake right? I’m going to go to the ward office ASAP but until then I wanted to ask if this has happened to anyone else, what the reason could be and what I can possibly do about it?
Edit: I don’t think it’s a scam, a coworker of mine who moved to Japan on the exact same date as me (late August) received a letter, but hers was just for the month of August as our contracts began in September meaning the pension wasn’t covered in our paychecks so we have to pay that one ourselves. I was expecting the same number but mine is also saying I need to pay from 2021 which I can’t understand at all.
8 comments
Pension payments start from when you are 20
If you were a student or jobless, you can apply to skip payment.
Just head to the city hall, they’ll sort it out for you.
You have to go to the pension office and tell them you weren’t in Japan.
Maybe you didn’t properly do the move out procedure in 2018? Or the pension office could’ve made a mistake. It may help to have proof that you were living abroad at that time.
Honestly most japanese ignore the pension payments. Me included. But i actually wanted to pay it too but no money so it sucks haha
I came to Japan at 22. You can make payments from 20. When I came, my workplace asked me if I wanted to make back payments for the two years I wasn’t here. I declined, and that was that. Talk to the pension office and they’ll clear everything up for you.
Just go to the pension office at the city hall and tell them you were out of the country. Bring your passport if you still have the stamps in the same passport. I didn’t need to show it but bring it just in case.
I had the same experience where I left Japan 2014 and came back 2018. I received the bills a few months after I arrived here which I didn’t know about cause I didn’t knew I had a post box and the color of the mail just became redder and redder. lol Went immediately to the pension office and explained it to them . Won’t take an hour, at least for me.
Had the same issue a while ago. Just go to the pension office and explain to them your situation. If possible, bring your old student card from your stay abroad time, or some proof that you were a student during that time period.
It’s mandatory to pay for the pension in Japan when you turn 20 yo, however, you can skip it as well while studying.
If you skip it, you pay less for the pension. It means you get less pension when you turn 65 yo.
Maybe you didn’t send a notification of moving out and you got the letter.
All the Japanese people who work at a normal company pay for the pension. We only get net salary and our company pays for the pension and other taxes.