I never applied for anything. Is this fake?

Not necessarily. Many schemes work by the city office identifying recipients from tax and residence records and mailing them directly. Still, verify by calling the number listed on the municipality's official website, never a number printed on a letter you doubt.

Does a 支給決定通知書 mean the money is guaranteed?

It normally means payment will be transferred on the stated date to the stated account. If that account has been closed or the details are wrong the transfer fails and the office will contact you again, so check your bankbook or app on the expected date.

I moved, and the notice went to my old address.

Most schemes are run by the municipality where you were registered on a set reference date, so your former city may still be responsible. Contact that office first, and file a mail forwarding request (転送届) with Japan Post.

Do I have to pay tax on this money?

Some benefits are legally designated as non-taxable and some are not. Follow what the notice states, and if it says nothing and you are unsure, ask the tax office (税務署) or a licensed 税理士 (tax accountant) rather than guessing.

City hall

給付金・支援金の支給通知: Japan Benefit Payment Notices

An envelope marked 給付金 (benefit payment) or 支援金 (support payment) comes from your city, ward, town or village office, which administers national or prefectural benefit programmes. There are broadly two kinds inside. The first is a 支給決定通知書 (notice that payment has been approved): the money is already decided and will be transferred to a bank account the office already has on file, and you normally do nothing. The second contains a 申請書 (application form) or 確認書 (confirmation form): nothing is paid unless you fill it in and return it by the printed deadline. So the first thing to do is read the title of the document, not the envelope. The amount, the expected transfer date and the submission deadline are printed in a box near the top or on the front page. Programme names and eligibility rules change every fiscal year and differ by municipality, so trust the paper in your hand over anything you read online.

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Watch for scams

This document type is heavily imitated. The real one arrives by post from your municipality; genuine offices do not open contact by phone, email, SMS or LINE asking you to complete benefit procedures. No real benefit procedure ever involves going to an ATM: you cannot receive a government payment through an ATM, and anyone directing you there is stealing from you. Genuine notices never ask you to pay a handling fee, hand over a cash card or bankbook, or reveal your PIN or My Number card password. If you get a call or message claiming to be from city hall, do not call back the number they gave; use the main number on the official municipal website, or consult the police advice line #9110 or the consumer hotline 188.

Who receives it

People whose registered residence records match the conditions the programme sets: households exempt from 住民税 (resident tax), households with children, households affected by price increases, or specific age groups, depending on the scheme. The office finds recipients itself from tax and residence records, so a notice can arrive even though you never applied. The reverse also happens: if your actual household situation differs from the office records, you may be eligible but receive nothing, and you would have to go to the counter and apply yourself.

What to do

1Open the envelope and check the title of the document: 支給決定通知書 (payment approved) versus 申請書 or 確認書 (action required).
2If it is only a 支給決定通知書, check the bank account and the expected transfer date shown, then keep the paper for your records with nothing further to do.
3If a 申請書 or 確認書 is enclosed, fill in the blanks and gather the attachments it lists, typically a copy of your ID and a copy of your bankbook or cash card.
4Post it in the enclosed reply envelope so it arrives by the deadline printed on the form.
5If anything is unclear, phone the section named on the document, using the number you find on the municipality's official website rather than the letter.

About the deadline

Forms that require action carry a date labelled 提出期限 or 申請期限 (submission deadline), usually at the top of the first page or in the margin of the form. Check whether it says 消印有効 (postmark by that date is acceptable) or 必着 (must physically arrive by that date), because the two are different. As a rule, missing the deadline means losing the payment even if you were eligible. The 振込予定日 on a 支給決定通知書 is not a deadline; it is the date the money is expected to reach your account.

Common misunderstandings

I never applied for anything. Is this fake?: Not necessarily. Many schemes work by the city office identifying recipients from tax and residence records and mailing them directly. Still, verify by calling the number listed on the municipality's official website, never a number printed on a letter you doubt.
Does a 支給決定通知書 mean the money is guaranteed?: It normally means payment will be transferred on the stated date to the stated account. If that account has been closed or the details are wrong the transfer fails and the office will contact you again, so check your bankbook or app on the expected date.
I moved, and the notice went to my old address.: Most schemes are run by the municipality where you were registered on a set reference date, so your former city may still be responsible. Contact that office first, and file a mail forwarding request (転送届) with Japan Post.
Do I have to pay tax on this money?: Some benefits are legally designated as non-taxable and some are not. Follow what the notice states, and if it says nothing and you are unsure, ask the tax office (税務署) or a licensed 税理士 (tax accountant) rather than guessing.

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