Secondary and Discretionary Tiers in Public Assistance Scheme

Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Social and Family Development since the introduction of the secondary and discretionary tiers in the Public Assistance scheme in 2013 (a) how many applicants have been assessed for each tier; (b) how many have been successful; (c) for each tier, what is the average payout or estimated value of items paid out to each successful applicant; and (d) what are the most common expenses for which assistance was paid out under these tiers.

Beneficiaries under the Public Assistance (PA) scheme receive a cash grant and other support, such as free medical services and other community services. In April 2013, the Ministry introduced two new tiers of assistance for PA beneficiaries. The secondary tier provides assistance for recurrent health and hygiene needs, and the discretionary tier covers one-off purchase or replacement of items, such as assistive devices or household appliances.

Between April and December 2013, 70 and 140 applications were received for the secondary and discretionary tiers respectively. All the applications for the secondary tier were successful, while 92% of applications for the discretionary tier were approved.

The average value of items supported were close to $200 for both tiers, with recurrent medical consumables, such as adult diapers and milk feeds, and household maintenance items like mattresses and fans, being the most

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common expenses.