Debated in Parliament on 25 Feb 2021.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the circumstances under which the Silver Support payout quantum may be reduced for beneficiaries; and (b) whether there are ways by which changes may be better explained to reduce the anxiety and other negative consequences for the seniors who are unaware or do not expect the drop.
Mr Speaker, the Silver Support Scheme helps seniors who had low incomes during their working years and now have less for their retirement. In total, the Government will disburse about $600 million in Silver Support payouts to almost 250,000 seniors in 2021. This is nearly double the $330 million paid out to 150,000 seniors in 2020.
As part of scheme enhancements that were implemented this year, we introduced a new payout tier for seniors with higher household monthly income per person. Prior to 2021, seniors who experience an improvement in circumstances may no longer receive Silver Support. With the new payout tier, such seniors could continue to receive Silver Support payouts of a reduced quantum.
All seniors who are eligible for Silver Support in any given year are automatically notified of their payout amounts by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board in December of the preceding year. The letter and its accompanying infographic that explains the eligibility criteria are written in all four languages. Those with registered Singpass mobile numbers will also receive an SMS notification.
We appreciate that some seniors may still need help to understand changes to their payouts. They may visit the Silver Support website to check their eligibility status. They may also call the CPF Board hotline to check their eligibility status and reasons for their changes in payouts. We will consider appeals on a case-by-case basis. We are also reviewing the feasibility of informing recipients of the specific reasons for the changes in their payout quantums.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
I just wanted to ask the Minister of State this: many of our seniors who are eligible for the Silver Support Scheme are actually of a certain age, where they may not be literate, they may not understand an SMS that comes through the telephone, or they may not be able to appreciate the information provided by the Government. Is there any way in which we can communicate to them in the language that they understand, the vernacular language? Or is there any way in which we can get the Community Clubs (CCs) or the grassroots leaders to convey and explain to them the reason for the reduction in the Silver Support Scheme? Otherwise, I can appreciate that for many of those who are less literate, it will be a big challenge to understand why it was this amount last year and this year, it will be reduced.
Indeed, we recognise that some seniors may have difficulties understanding why there is a change in payout or why they are no longer eligible. We do have letters in the four vernacular languages to explain to the seniors and we also have a hotline which the seniors can call to make direct enquiries. I do agree with hon Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan that our grassroots leaders also can play an active role in helping to do the translation and helping them clarify on the reasons for the changes in payouts.
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