Revising Limits for Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme

Debated in Parliament on 7 Feb 2013.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Acting Minister explained that the HOPE scheme, while designed for young, low-income couples, has allowed divorced mothers since a 2009 review and is currently under review, with 301 divorced mothers enrolled as of September 2012.
Housing support for divorcees includes assistance from HDB to find affordable flats, options to incorporate resale levies or provide loans, interim rental housing, and public rental flats for those in financial hardship.
Childcare subsidies are available for single parents, with additional ComCare subsidies for families with household incomes up to $3,500 or per capita incomes up to $875, and these are regularly reviewed.
To address late maintenance payments, the Women's Charter allows for attachment of earnings orders, and recent amendments enable courts to impose sanctions like bank guarantees, community service, and financial counselling on defaulters.
In response to a specific case of a divorcee facing maintenance default and court attendance stress, the Minister offered to have MSF staff follow up to provide legal and financial assistance if details are shared.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Acting Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry has plans to increase the age and income limit under the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme to help divorced women who have custody of their children; (b) whether the support for divorcees in the areas of housing costs and childcare will be improved; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure that divorcees receive maintenance fees in a timely manner.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Acting Minister explained that the HOPE scheme, while designed for young, low-income couples, has allowed divorced mothers since a 2009 review and is currently under review, with 301 divorced mothers enrolled as of September 2012.
Housing support for divorcees includes assistance from HDB to find affordable flats, options to incorporate resale levies or provide loans, interim rental housing, and public rental flats for those in financial hardship.
Childcare subsidies are available for single parents, with additional ComCare subsidies for families with household incomes up to $3,500 or per capita incomes up to $875, and these are regularly reviewed.
To address late maintenance payments, the Women's Charter allows for attachment of earnings orders, and recent amendments enable courts to impose sanctions like bank guarantees, community service, and financial counselling on defaulters.
In response to a specific case of a divorcee facing maintenance default and court attendance stress, the Minister offered to have MSF staff follow up to provide legal and financial assistance if details are shared.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Revising Limits for Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme

Debated in Parliament on 7 Feb 2013.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Acting Minister explained that the HOPE scheme, while designed for young, low-income couples, has allowed divorced mothers since a 2009 review and is currently under review, with 301 divorced mothers enrolled as of September 2012.
Housing support for divorcees includes assistance from HDB to find affordable flats, options to incorporate resale levies or provide loans, interim rental housing, and public rental flats for those in financial hardship.
Childcare subsidies are available for single parents, with additional ComCare subsidies for families with household incomes up to $3,500 or per capita incomes up to $875, and these are regularly reviewed.
To address late maintenance payments, the Women's Charter allows for attachment of earnings orders, and recent amendments enable courts to impose sanctions like bank guarantees, community service, and financial counselling on defaulters.
In response to a specific case of a divorcee facing maintenance default and court attendance stress, the Minister offered to have MSF staff follow up to provide legal and financial assistance if details are shared.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Acting Minister explained that the HOPE scheme, while designed for young, low-income couples, has allowed divorced mothers since a 2009 review and is currently under review, with 301 divorced mothers enrolled as of September 2012.
Housing support for divorcees includes assistance from HDB to find affordable flats, options to incorporate resale levies or provide loans, interim rental housing, and public rental flats for those in financial hardship.
Childcare subsidies are available for single parents, with additional ComCare subsidies for families with household incomes up to $3,500 or per capita incomes up to $875, and these are regularly reviewed.
To address late maintenance payments, the Women's Charter allows for attachment of earnings orders, and recent amendments enable courts to impose sanctions like bank guarantees, community service, and financial counselling on defaulters.
In response to a specific case of a divorcee facing maintenance default and court attendance stress, the Minister offered to have MSF staff follow up to provide legal and financial assistance if details are shared.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

The Acting Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Chan Chun Sing)

Mdm Speaker, the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) scheme helps young, less-educated and lower-income couples who choose to keep their families small. The scheme does not specifically focus on divorced mothers. But following a review in 2009, divorced mothers can apply to join the scheme. As at September 2012, 301 divorced mothers were on the scheme, including some who had marginally missed the eligibility criteria but were admitted on a case-by-case basis. MSF is reviewing the HOPE scheme now and we note Dr Lee's various suggestions.

Divorcees with young children may sometimes find it difficult to afford alternative housing after they have sold their matrimonial flat. For those in financial hardship, HDB will look into ways to help them. For example, HDB can help them source for a flat that they can afford, and consider incorporating the resale levy into the price of the flat or provide loans to reduce the upfront cost. For those who need temporary accommodation, HDB can offer them interim housing under the Interim Rental Housing Scheme, while they rebuild their savings or work out more permanent housing arrangements. For those who cannot afford home ownership, HDB can consider offering them a public rental

Page: 10

flat.

In the area of childcare, single parents are eligible for infant and childcare subsidies. In addition, ComCare childcare subsidies provide further financial assistance to families earning a household income of $3,500 or below, or a per capita income of up to $875. MSF regularly reviews the support provided for childcare and infant care, especially for lower and middle income families.

Receiving timely payment of maintenance is an issue some divorcees face. Under the Women's Charter, the Court can make an attachment of earnings order when it makes an order for maintenance. An attachment of earnings order will deduct the maintenance amount directly from the payer's salary and transfer it to the maintenance recipient. This will help to secure payment of the maintenance.

In 2011, MSF amended the Women's Charter to increase the range of sanctions against maintenance defaulters. With the amendments, the Court can order a defaulter to post a bank guarantee against future defaults, perform community service or attend financial counselling. This is in addition to the Court being able to make a garnishee order, levy a fine or sentencing the defaulter to imprisonment. Complainants are also empowered to report the maintenance debt to a designated credit bureau.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon)

Mdm Speaker, I have one supplementary question. I have a resident who is a divorcee with three children, and she has joint custody of the children with her ex-husband. She confided in me that her ex-husband always defaults on the maintenance payment. Worse still, he always makes applications to the Family Court, and brings along his lawyer. My resident is working, and so she has to apply for leave to attend the hearings. It is very stressful to deal with three children, no maintenance payment, and still face the need to apply for leave to attend the court hearings. Otherwise, she said she would be issued with warrants of arrest. In a situation like this, how else can the Ministry help a divorcee in such a dire situation?

Revising Limits for Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

Summary

Questions Identified

Revising Limits for Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah

Summary

Questions Identified

The Acting Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Chan Chun Sing)

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon)

Chan Chun Sing