Debated in Parliament on 7 Oct 2014.
Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Prime Minister whether the Government has plans to increase the quantum of ex-gratia payments and the gross pension ceiling for Government pensioners.
The pension of a retired officer is fixed based on his length of service and pensionable salary as at his eve of retirement.
Although the pension is fixed, the Government has given an ex-gratia Singapore Allowance (SA) since 1974 to help low-income pensioners whose monthly pensions are below a gross monthly pension ceiling. The current SA quantum is $280 per month and the gross monthly pension ceiling is $1,210.
Since its introduction, the SA has been increased on 12 occasions, with more frequent revisions made in recent years. The last five increases were made between 2007 and 2013. The SA was last increased on 1 April 2013 by $20 to $280 and the gross monthly pension ceiling was correspondingly increased by $20 to $1,210.
The Government will continue to carry out regular reviews on the SA and gross monthly pension ceiling and revise them when necessary.
In addition to the SA, eligible Government pensioners also receive Medisave top-ups and GST Vouchers in the same way as other Singaporeans. Government pensioners who meet the Pioneer Generation criteria are also eligible for lifelong Medisave top-ups, outpatient care subsidies and MediShield Life premium subsidies under the Pioneer Generation Package.
When MediShield Life is introduced in end 2015, the Government will help pensioners to benefit from MediShield Life. Pensioners will enjoy the benefits of MediShield Life and continue to receive their existing post-retirement medical benefits. Government pensioners will be better off than before with MediShield Life.
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