The Community Life Support Program Recipient Certificate

Chiiki Seikatsu Shien Jigyou Jukyuusha Shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証

If you have been looking into mobility support (idou shien / 移動支援) or daytime temporary care (nichijuu ichiji shien / 日中一時支援) for your child, you need this recipient certificate. It is not the same recipient certificate as the one used for home help or short-stay respite care. Those national services use the disability welfare services recipient certificate (shougai fukushi saabisu jukyuusha shou / 障害福祉サービス受給者証). Mobility support, daytime temporary care, and other municipal services use a separate recipient certificate: the community life support program recipient certificate (chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou jukyuusha shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証).

You apply for both recipient certificates at the same place, your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課), and many families hold both. This article explains what the community life support program recipient certificate covers, how to get it, and what to expect.

What Is the Community Life Support Program?

The community life support program (chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou / 地域生活支援事業) is established by national law under the Disability Comprehensive Support Act (shougaisha sougou shien hou / 障害者総合支援法), so the program exists in every municipality across Japan. However, the national government deliberately gave municipalities flexibility in how they run it. Each municipality decides which services to offer, how many hours to approve, and what fees to charge. This means what is available to you depends on where you live.

The national government provides up to half the funding for the program, the prefecture contributes up to a quarter, and the municipality covers the rest. This shared funding structure is why the services exist everywhere but look different depending on your city or ward.

What Services Does This Recipient Certificate Cover?

The community life support program recipient certificate (chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou jukyuusha shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証) authorizes you to use municipal disability support services. The most common ones families use are:

Mobility support (idou shien / 移動支援): A guide helper (gaido herupaa / ガイドヘルパー) accompanies your child on outings such as trips to the park, shopping, community events, or government offices. Your recipient certificate specifies the approved monthly hours.

Daytime temporary care (nichijuu ichiji shien / 日中一時支援): Your child is cared for during the day at a registered facility while you rest or handle personal matters. This is not the same as after-school day services (houkago tou dei saabisu / 放課後等デイサービス) or child development support (jidou hattatsu shien / 児童発達支援), which are structured therapy and skill-building programs covered by the day services recipient certificate (tsuusho jukyuusha shou / 通所受給者証). Daytime temporary care is specifically about giving the caregiver a break. It is daytime only, with no overnight stay.

Community activity support centers (chiiki katsudou shien sentaa / 地域活動支援センター): Facilities that provide creative activities, social activities, and opportunities for community participation for people with disabilities.

Some municipalities also include bathing services, communication support, daily living equipment grants, and other locally designed programs under this recipient certificate. Not every municipality offers every service. Check with your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課) for what is available in your area.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility varies by municipality, but in general you will need a disability handbook (shougaisha techou / 障害者手帳, also called a disability certificate): the physical disability handbook (shintai shougaisha techou / 身体障害者手帳), the intellectual disability handbook (ryouiku techou / 療育手帳), or the mental health and welfare handbook (seishin shougaisha hoken fukushi techou / 精神障害者保健福祉手帳). See our articles on each of the three disability handbooks.

Some municipalities also accept a medical diagnosis or a determination from a children’s consultation center (jidou soudan sho / 児童相談所) without a formal disability handbook. People with designated intractable diseases (shitei nanbyo / 指定難病) may also be eligible. Check with your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課) for your municipality’s specific requirements.

How to Apply

The application process is simpler than for national disability welfare services. There is no disability support category assessment (shougai shien kubun nintei / 障害支援区分認定) required.

Go to your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課) and tell them which community life support services you want to apply for. For a step-by-step guide to working with the welfare desk, see our article on how to navigate the ward office welfare desk.

You will typically need to bring your disability handbook (shougaisha techou / 障害者手帳), identification, your My Number card or notification, and your health insurance card. Some municipalities may also require income-related documents to determine your copay category.

The municipality will review your application and issue a decision. If approved, you will receive a community life support program recipient certificate (chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou jukyuusha shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証) that lists the approved services and the monthly hours or days you can use. The recipient certificate format varies by municipality.

Cost

Most municipalities follow the same general framework as national disability welfare services: a copay with an income-based monthly cap. Households receiving public assistance (seikatsu hogo / 生活保護) and non-taxable households are typically exempt. However, because this is a municipal program, your municipality may have its own fee schedule and cap amounts. Confirm the specifics at your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課). For a general overview of the copay system, see our article on disability certificate benefits.

Renewal

The community life support program recipient certificate (chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou jukyuusha shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証) has a validity period that varies by municipality, typically one year. You will need to renew before the expiration date to continue using services. Most municipalities do not send reminders, so mark the expiration date on your calendar and start the renewal process early.

Practical Tips

If you already hold a disability welfare services recipient certificate (shougai fukushi saabisu jukyuusha shou / 障害福祉サービス受給者証), ask your welfare desk whether you also need this recipient certificate. Many families need both, and you can apply for them at the same visit.

If your municipality does not offer a service you need, ask whether neighboring municipalities have cross-boundary agreements that allow you to use their programs.

When you receive your recipient certificate, check the listed services and approved hours carefully. If the hours seem insufficient, discuss this with your disability welfare desk (shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課) or your consultation support specialist (soudanin / 相談員). Adjustments may be possible.

For more detail on how mobility support and daytime temporary care work in practice, see our article on respite care and home help for special needs families.

Key Terms

English	Japanese
Community life support program	chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou / 地域生活支援事業
Community life support program recipient certificate	chiiki seikatsu shien jigyou jukyuusha shou / 地域生活支援事業受給者証
Mobility support	idou shien / 移動支援
Daytime temporary care	nichijuu ichiji shien / 日中一時支援
Community activity support center	chiiki katsudou shien sentaa / 地域活動支援センター
Guide helper	gaido herupaa / ガイドヘルパー
Disability welfare desk	shougai fukushi ka / 障害福祉課
Disability handbook (also called a disability certificate)	shougaisha techou / 障害者手帳