Applying for Sickness Benefits in Japan Was Hell

Japan has a sickness benefits system—but actually using it is a different story.
When you’re already sick, the process itself becomes another kind of punishment.

Deciding to Apply for Sickness Benefits

Sickness benefits are a system where you can receive about two-thirds of your salary for up to one year and six months if you become unable to work due to illness or injury.

I decided to apply because my autonomic nervous system dysfunction made it impossible for me to work.

The Painfully Complicated Application Process

But applying for it is much harder than it sounds.

First, you have to go to the hospital and ask your doctor to fill out the medical form (which takes one to two weeks).
Your company has to prepare paperwork too.
And you also have to fill out your own forms.

Doing all this while you feel sick is honestly brutal.

If someone is ill enough to need sickness benefits, the system should really be simpler.

Waiting One to Two Months With No Income

To make things worse, the whole review process takes a long time—at least one month, sometimes two.

During that time, you receive nothing.

Since I’ve had recurring health issues and have no savings left,
I’ll have to rely on credit card installments and cash advances this time…
It’s sad to go into debt not because I wasted money, but simply because I got sick.

Stress, Debt, and the Fear of Not Knowing When I’ll Recover

If I’ve taken care of my health and still ended up like this, the only explanation is stress.
It’s practically a work-related injury, isn’t it?
Of course, no one would ever acknowledge it that way.

Still, Japan might be better than some countries—
If I lived abroad, I might genuinely be homeless by now.

The truth is, I don’t know when I’ll recover.
My debt keeps increasing, and my income will soon drop to two-thirds.
It’s terrifying.
Sometimes I cry from the anxiety.

Trying Not to Think Too Much and Hoping Things Will Work Out

But crying doesn’t change anything.
Plenty of people carry far heavier debt.
Maybe my situation is still mild by comparison.
And at least my body itself is healthy.
Thinking too much only makes it harder, so for now, I’m trying to believe things will somehow work out.