Social Supports on Starting a New Life for People in Debt

消费者破产率正在上升。2002年消费者破产的数量是214 636，是1989年的23倍。冲绳县的消费者破产和法院调解总数在日本是最高的。本研究的目的在于了解负债者的社会支持状况。本次调查的对象是冲绳的过度负债者。冲绳的失业率和离婚率最高，平均收入最低，是负债的主要原因。负债正在成为严重的风险，特别是对低收入家庭。这项调查发现，借钱的主要原因是缺乏生活费用。调查还认识到，借款的原因因年龄和性别而异。因此，必须根据年龄和性别开展消费者教育。受试者表示，除了金钱问题外，他们还有失业、低收入、子女教育效率低下、住房问题、健康问题和家庭关系不良等问题。由于一些人无法支付健康保险等国家安全费用，他们无法看医生;或者他们无法支付国家养老金，所以他们将来无法获得退休福利。这些人被社会排斥在主流之外，从法律上解决消费者破产或法院调解并不是改变低收入或失业的根本解决办法，这是过度负债的主要原因。要解决贫困问题，需要社会支持、就业教育、住房、社会网络、灵活变通的国家援助和低息贷款。

The rate of consumer bankruptcy is increasing. The number of consumer bankruptcy in 2002 was 214,636 23 times greater than in 1989. Okinawa prefecture has the highest consumer bankruptcy and court meditation total by population in Japan. The purpose of this study was to clarify social supports for people in debt. The subjects of this survey were over-indebted people in Okinawa. The main cause of debt in Okinawa was the highest unemployment rate, divorce rate, and the lowest average income.Debt is becoming a serious risk, especially for low-income families. This survey found the main cause of borrowing money was the lack of living costs. The survey also recognized that the reasons to borrow differ by age and gender. Therefore consumer education must be developed according to age and gender. The subjects stated they have troubles such as unemployment, low-income, inefficient education for children, housing problems, health problems, and bad family relationships in addition to money problems. Since some people cannot pay the national security fees like health insurance they cannot see a doctor; or thet cannot pay the national pension, so they will not get retirement benefits in the future. Such people are socially excluded from the mainstream.Solving consumer bankruptcy or court meditation legally is not the fundamental solution for changing low-income or unemployment, which was the main cause of over-debts. To solve such poverty, social supports, employment education, housing, social network, flexible adaptation of national assistance and low interest loans are needed.