Unsuccessful Applications for Student Care Fee Assistance and Requests for Backdating

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) from 2021 to date, how many children attending student care have been unsuccessful in their Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) applications; (b) in what proportion of cases do these SCFA applications involve a request for backdating; (c) whether the backdating assessment is conducted by the student care centres; and (d) if so, whether avenues exist for families to appeal on the care centre’s assessment process and outcome.

From January 2021 to March 2024, about 10% of applications for Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) were unsuccessful. Of the unsuccessful applications, only about 0.4% were late requests for SCFA to be paid retrospectively.

Student Care Centres (SCCs) that are registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) assist parents in submitting the SCFA applications to MSF. This can be done as early as four months in advance. In the rare event that SCC fails to submit an application in time, MSF will consider appeals for retrospective payments. However, these must be substantiated with sufficient facts about the circumstances contributing to the delay.