<p>I think it is mostly similar: generally people consider it stigmatizing or shameful to receive help from the system.</p>
<p>Although I don't really have any evidence, possible reasons are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Applying for such help implies administration calls around relatives (parents, siblings, etc.) of the applicant to check whether they could help him/her. Naturally s/he doesn't want those people to know that s/he is in such a situation. (I don't know if this calling thing is true - luckily, I haven't had hands on experience yet :) )</li>
<li>Those who get help from the system are generally hated by tax payers because it is considered a kind of free money.</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, receiving such help implies that s/he must be controlled by administrations and will be required to live in assigned apartments or to get training so that s/he will become independent eventually. Some homeless people hate this kind of control.</p>
<p>Another thing may be just universal: people do not want change. According to <a href="https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/04-Houdouhappyou-12003000-Shakaiengokyoku-Shakai-Chiikifukushika/02_homeless28_kekkasyousai.pdf" rel="noreferrer">this report(pdf) by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare</a>, 35.3% of tramps answered that they would like to live the same (p60) partly because they were able to live by picking cans and/or they are used to living like that (p61).</p>
<p>As an additional note, according to p57 of the report, around 15% of them think that they are not eligible for receiving such help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-14T01:46:46.563Z
2022-08-14T01:46:46.563Z
sundowner
<p>In the second story of Episode 6 of <em>Hinamatsuri</em>, Anzu and the tramps who 'adopted' her being kicked out of the park where they lived. Those tramps are quite kind, at least seem so in the anime. They don't seem to have any mental illness or addiction, and they are not very lazy-they pick cans to cover their living.</p>
<p>Why don't the tramps seek help from the welfare system? Wouldn't it be better if they are provided shelter? Why do they choose to tramp around the city?</p>
<p>I read in some novel that some tramps in America refuse to live in a welfare shelter because they don't want to leak out their personal information or be seen as animals, which would make they lose their dignity in their eyes. I wonder whether the tramps in Japan hold the same opinion.</p>

<hinamatsuri>
Why don't the tramps seek help from the welfare system?
# Why don't the tramps seek help from the welfare system?
Posted by: username_0 on 2022-08-13
In the second story of Episode 6 of *Hinamatsuri*, Anzu and the tramps who 'adopted' her being kicked out of the park where they lived. Those tramps are quite kind, at least seem so in the anime. They don't seem to have any mental illness or addiction, and they are not very lazy-they pick cans to cover their living.

Why don't the tramps seek help from the welfare system? Wouldn't it be better if they are provided shelter? Why do they choose to tramp around the city?

I read in some novel that some tramps in America refuse to live in a welfare shelter because they don't want to leak out their personal information or be seen as animals, which would make they lose their dignity in their eyes. I wonder whether the tramps in Japan hold the same opinion.
**Tags:** hinamatsuri
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-14. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
I think it is mostly similar: generally people consider it stigmatizing or shameful to receive help from the system.

Although I don't really have any evidence, possible reasons are:

* Applying for such help implies administration calls around relatives (parents, siblings, etc.) of the applicant to check whether they could help him/her. Naturally s/he doesn't want those people to know that s/he is in such a situation. (I don't know if this calling thing is true - luckily, I haven't had hands on experience yet :) )
* Those who get help from the system are generally hated by tax payers because it is considered a kind of free money.

Also, receiving such help implies that s/he must be controlled by administrations and will be required to live in assigned apartments or to get training so that s/he will become independent eventually. Some homeless people hate this kind of control.

Another thing may be just universal: people do not want change. According to [this report(pdf) by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/04-Houdouhappyou-12003000-Shakaiengokyoku-Shakai-Chiikifukushika/02_homeless28_kekkasyousai.pdf), 35.3% of tramps answered that they would like to live the same (p60) partly because they were able to live by picking cans and/or they are used to living like that (p61).

As an additional note, according to p57 of the report, around 15% of them think that they are not eligible for receiving such help.
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