If you receive the Child Rearing Allowance (jido fuyo teate) for single-parent households, your municipality will send you a notice about the Current Status Report (genkyo-todoke) between late July and August. The submission window is August 1 to August 31 every year. If you forget to submit this single form, your allowance is withheld starting with the November installment, and if you leave it unsubmitted for two years, you lose your eligibility altogether. Even people whose payments are fully suspended must submit it. Based on official materials from the Children and Families Agency and municipalities, this article organizes the latest FY2026 allowance amounts and income limits (as revised in April of Reiwa 8) and the points where people most often stumble with the Current Status Report.
What the Current Status Report Is: One Form in August Decides a Full Year from November
The Current Status Report is the procedure by which your municipality checks your caregiving situation as of August 1 each year (whether you live with your child, whether there is a de facto marriage, etc.) and your previous year's income, and determines your eligibility and allowance amount from the November installment through the following October. The Child Rearing Allowance is not a benefit that "continues automatically once approved" — it is this once-a-year renewal that keeps your payments going.
- Submission period: August 1 to August 31 (municipalities mail the notice between late July and early August)
- How to submit: Many municipalities require submission in person with an interview at the counter. Some accept mail or electronic filing via Mynaportal (details are in the notice)
- Required even with zero income or full payment suspension: "My payments are fully stopped by the income limit, so this doesn't concern me" is a mistake. If you do not submit, the administration of your eligibility lapses, which can lead to loss of eligibility
What happens if you forget
(1) If you do not submit within August, your allowance from the November installment onward is withheld (once you submit, the withheld amounts are paid retroactively). (2) If you go two years without submitting, you lose your eligibility, and to receive the allowance again you must restart the certification application from scratch. Simply leaving the envelope unopened can cost you hundreds of thousands of yen a year — this is the single most important August procedure for single parents.
FY2026 Allowance Amounts: Up to 48,050 Yen a Month, Plus 11,350 Yen per Additional Child
The allowance amount is indexed to prices and revised every April. The monthly amounts for FY2026 (from April of Reiwa 8) are as follows.
| Category | Full payment | Partial payment |
|---|---|---|
| First child | 48,050 yen/month | 48,040 yen to 11,340 yen/month (tapers with income) |
| Supplement for second and subsequent children (per child) | 11,350 yen/month | 11,340 yen to 5,680 yen/month |
For example, with two children and full payment, you receive 59,400 yen a month — roughly 710,000 yen a year. The November 2024 reform raised the supplement for the third and subsequent children to the same amount as the second child and also eased the income limits. The allowance covers children up to the first March 31 after they turn 18 (the end of the school year in which they typically finish high school).
Income Limits: Judged on Last Year's Income — and 80% of Child Support Counts as Income
The August Current Status Report determines your payment category from the November installment onward based on your previous year's income (January to December). The limits after the November 2024 reform (based on the recipient's own income) are as follows.
| Number of dependents | Limit for full payment | Limit for partial payment |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 690,000 yen | 2,080,000 yen |
| 1 | 1,070,000 yen | 2,460,000 yen |
| 2 | 1,450,000 yen | 2,840,000 yen |
| 3 or more | Add 380,000 yen per additional dependent | |
"Income" here is not your gross salary; it is the amount after deductions such as the employment income deduction, with certain adjustments. The two points people most often trip over are:
- 80% of child support received counts as income: For child support from a former spouse, 80% of the amount is added to your income for the assessment, regardless of whether it is received in your name or your child's name. Failing to report it can lead to a later demand for repayment (a lump-sum refund of overpaid allowance)
- A cohabiting family member's income can also stop payments: If you have moved back in with your parents (persons with a support obligation) and a parent's income exceeds the limit (for example, 2,740,000 yen with one dependent), your allowance is fully suspended even if your own income is low
Even in a year when your income slightly exceeds the limit and your allowance stops, it can be restored through the Current Status Report (or an amount-revision procedure) once your income falls the following year. The criteria are separate from the residence tax exemption assessment, so checking where you stand alongside the conditions for residence-tax-exempt households helps you avoid missing benefit payments and fee reductions.
The "Other Form" to Check with Your Report: The Partial Suspension After Five Years
Once five years have passed since you started receiving the allowance (or seven years since you first met the eligibility requirements), there is a mechanism under which half of the allowance is suspended. However, if you are working, actively seeking work, have a disability or illness, or are caring for a relative, you will not be reduced as long as you submit the "Notification of Grounds for Exemption from Partial Payment Suspension" (ichibu shikyu teishi tekiyo jogai jiyu todokedesho).
For those affected, the form is enclosed with the Current Status Report materials at the same time of year. If you are employed, you can avoid the reduction simply by attaching a certificate of employment or copies of pay slips. Submitting only the Current Status Report and forgetting this one is a needless loss — your allowance is halved even though you are working — so check everything inside the envelope.
Also, if you receive a public pension such as a disability pension, since the March 2021 installment you have been able to receive the difference between the pension's child supplement and the Child Rearing Allowance as allowance. If you had given up because you receive a pension, it is worth asking at the counter when you submit your Current Status Report.
Also Worth Checking: Tax and Insurance Breaks for Single Parents
Since the Current Status Report brings you to the municipal office anyway, it is efficient to take stock of the other programs for single parents at the same time.
- Single-parent deduction (350,000 yen for income tax, 300,000 yen for residence tax): An income deduction claimed through year-end adjustment or the final tax return. It can be used alongside the Child Rearing Allowance. See the single-parent deduction and the disability deduction for details
- Concurrent receipt with the Child Allowance: The Child Allowance (jido teate, for all families) and the Child Rearing Allowance (for single parents) are separate programs, and you can receive both
- Municipality-specific top-ups: Medical expense subsidies for single-parent households, rent assistance, grant-type scholarships, and other municipal support programs can be found in our nationwide child-rearing support roundup
- Reductions in National Health Insurance and National Pension contributions: In low-income years you may qualify for premium reductions or exemptions. These are separate from the allowance, so ask about them at the counter at the same time
Note that the Child Rearing Allowance itself is tax-free. You do not need to include it as income in your final tax return or year-end adjustment.
What to Do Today
What to do today
- Open the Current Status Report envelope from your municipality and check the submission method (in-person interview, mail, or electronic), the required documents, and whether the "Notification of Grounds for Exemption from Partial Payment Suspension" is enclosed
- If your municipality requires in-person submission, pick a less busy day in the first half of August and put it on your calendar (the end of the month gets crowded)
- Write down the amount of child support you received last year (to avoid failing to report the 80% inclusion)
FAQ
Q. I forgot to submit the Current Status Report in August. Can I no longer receive the allowance?
A. Submit it as soon as you realize. Even after August, once you submit, the withheld installments are paid retroactively. However, if you go two years without submitting, you lose your eligibility and must restart the certification application from the beginning.
Q. My payments are fully suspended by the income limit (0 yen paid). Do I still need to submit?
A. Yes. The Current Status Report is the renewal procedure for your eligibility, so even people whose payments are suspended will lose eligibility if they do not submit. If your income falls the following year, payments resume, so you should keep your eligibility in place.
Q. If I receive child support into an account in my child's name, is it excluded from my income?
A. No, it is included. Regardless of whether the account is in your name or your child's, 80% of the child support you receive is counted as income. If it goes unreported and is discovered later, you may be required to repay the overpaid allowance.
Q. Can I receive both the Child Allowance and the Child Rearing Allowance?
A. Yes, you can receive both. The Child Allowance is for all child-rearing households, while the Child Rearing Allowance is a separate program for single-parent households and the like. The Child Rearing Allowance is also tax-free, so you do not need to include it as income in your tax return.
Reference Links (Sources)
* The allowance amounts and income limits shown are the FY2026 figures (as revised in April of Reiwa 8). Submission methods, payment dates, and required documents vary by municipality. For individual determinations, check with your city, ward, town, or village office.