Family & gender — Topics

5 Jul 2023

Inclusion of Other Relatives under Sponsorship Scheme for Seniors with No Children or Siblings to Hire Migrant Domestic Workers

The Ministry of Manpower allows seniors aged 60 and above with no income or working adults in the household to hire a migrant domestic worker under a sponsorship scheme, requiring sponsors with direct familial relationships like children or siblings.
On a case-by-case basis, other relatives can be approved as sponsors after providing documentation explaining their circumstances and relationship to the senior.
For urgent needs due to declining health, the ministry expedites the approval process for such sponsorship applications.

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5 Jul 2023

Reviews on Impact of Baby Support Grant and Increases in Amounts for Baby Bonus Scheme

Ms He Ting Ru asked whether the government has reviewed the impact of the one-off Baby Support Grant and past increases in the Baby Bonus Scheme.
Indranee Rajah responded that the government has a comprehensive suite of measures supporting marriage and parenthood, with surveys indicating that the Baby Bonus and Baby Support Grant have been helpful.
She noted that reviewing the schemes in isolation is not meaningful, as parenthood decisions are influenced by multiple factors including costs, work-life balance, and the broader economic climate.
The government emphasised the importance of a whole-of-society effort to build a Singapore Made For Families beyond government measures.

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5 Jul 2023

Mandating Caregiving Leave for Private Sector Companies

Leon Perera asked whether the Government would consider mandating caregiving leave for private sector companies, citing limited adoption and growing eldercare needs.
The Minister of State for Manpower highlighted existing statutory leave for parents and children, noted some companies voluntarily provide eldercare leave, and emphasized promoting flexible work arrangements through tripartite standards.
Perera followed up by urging the Government to consider mandating elderly or parent care leave or flexible work arrangements, especially for larger companies, given the aging population and low private-sector take-up.
The Minister responded that the Government takes a practical approach balancing employee caregiving needs with business costs, and reiterated the importance of flexible work arrangements in supporting caregivers.

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4 Jul 2023

Work Permit Holders Granted Approval to Marry Singaporeans

Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Manpower for statistics from 2021-2022 on approvals for Work Permit holders to marry Singaporeans, including gender breakdown, industries of the approved spouses, and the criteria used.
The Ministry of Manpower approved an average of about 1,100 applications per year in 2021-2022 from current or former Work Permit holders to marry Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Of the approved applicants, 84% were female.
The Ministry assesses marriage applications holistically, considering the applicants' ability to support themselves and their families.

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4 Jul 2023

Priority for Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme Applicants with Babies and Have Been Waiting for Five Years for BTO Flats

Yip Hon Weng raised concerns about the financial struggles of families with babies waiting over five years for BTO flats and suggested prioritizing PPHS applicants in this group.
Desmond Lee noted that married couples with children under 18, including expectant parents, already receive priority for PPHS flats since August 2021.
The government increased PPHS supply from 800 units in 2021 to 1,800 in 2023, reducing application rates from over 20 times to around three times.
PPHS flat supply is expected to reach nearly 2,000 by year-end and double to 4,000 by 2025 to better support families needing temporary housing.
The priority for families with children and the expanded PPHS supply aim to address waiting time concerns while maintaining fair allocation.

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4 Jul 2023

Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Bill

The Bill introduces a screening mechanism where parents with official records of abandonment, abuse, or neglect must seek the Tribunal’s permission before filing a maintenance claim, aiming to prevent re-traumatisation of adult children.
It empowers the Commissioner to initiate conciliation for destitute parents in welfare homes, even without the parent’s consent, to encourage children to fulfil their maintenance duties.
The Tribunal is granted new powers to issue non-monetary directions, such as counselling orders for parents with behavioural issues like gambling, and to dismiss frivolous or vexatious applications more efficiently.

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4 Jul 2023

Women's Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) (Amendment) Bill

The Bill updates the definition of family violence to explicitly include physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse, aiming to provide more comprehensive legal protection for survivors.
It introduces new measures to empower survivors and authorities, such as allowing protectors to apply for protection orders on behalf of reluctant survivors, issuing emergency orders, and implementing electronic monitoring for high-risk perpetrators.
The amendments also strengthen rehabilitation and accountability for perpetrators by expanding the scope of counselling and treatment orders and increasing penalties for breaches of court orders.

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3 Jul 2023

Use of Unpaid Infant Care Leave under Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs

Louis Ng asked the Minister for Manpower for the number of employees who used unpaid infant care leave under the Tripartite Standard over the past five years.
The Minister explained that employers must provide six days of paid childcare leave for children under seven and six days of unpaid infant care leave in addition to the paid leave.
The Tripartite Standard encourages employers to voluntarily offer up to four weeks of unpaid leave for employees with children under two who are born pre-term, have congenital conditions, or are part of multiple births.
The government does not track the utilisation of unpaid infant care leave under the Tripartite Standard.
The debate highlighted the statutory requirements and voluntary standards but did not provide specific data on usage.

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3 Jul 2023

Public Rental Flat Applications from Recent Divorcees

Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development for the number of recent divorcees who applied for public rental flats over the past five years.
Desmond Lee reported that HDB approved 5,669 rental flat requests from divorcees from 2018 to 2022, with a yearly breakdown provided.
HDB does not track the date of applicants' divorce, so it cannot identify which divorcees are recent.

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3 Jul 2023

Review of CPF Nomination Rules to Allow for Automatic Revocation of Nomination Upon Divorce

Lim Biow Chuan asked if the CPF Board has reviewed rules to automatically revoke nominations when a member divorces.
Manpower Ministry and CPF Board are reviewing automatic revocation rules for nominations, aligned with the Ministry of Law’s review of will revocation rules.
An update will be provided once the review is ready.
Since April 2023, CPF Board has been contacting members who change marital status, including divorcees, to prompt them to update their nominations.

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3 Jul 2023

Unmarried Mothers under Age of 35 Who Seek Assistance for Public Housing Application

In 2022, HDB received 147 requests from unmarried mothers under 35 for assistance with public housing applications.
Of these, 75% of requests to buy a new HDB flat were approved, while 52% of requests to buy a resale flat were approved.
HDB assesses requests holistically based on the applicant's ability to afford a flat, their age, and whether public rental housing is in the child's best interests, considering social worker input when necessary.

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3 Jul 2023

Remission of Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty for Property Buyers who are Singles

Darryl David asked if Singaporean singles buying a second private property could get an ABSD remission if they sell their first property within six months, similar to the concession given to married couples.
Lawrence Wong explained that ABSD aims to moderate property demand and applies to Singaporeans purchasing a second or subsequent property, regardless of whether the first property is later sold.
An exception exists for married couples buying a replacement private property, allowing ABSD refund if the first property is sold within six months under specific conditions.
This ABSD refund concession is currently not available to other groups, including singles, and the government will continue reviewing policies for relevance.

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3 Jul 2023

Updates on Prices and Procedures for Elective Egg-freezing in Singapore

Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that elective egg-freezing (EEF) will be implemented by July 2023 under the new Assisted Reproduction regulations, with procedures and costs for egg retrieval mirroring those of in-vitro fertilization.
EEF will not be eligible for subsidies, co-funding, or MediSave use since it is not medically indicated, and costs will be similar to IVF procedures.
All licensed assisted reproduction service providers, including public hospitals like SGH, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and NUH, will be permitted to offer EEF.
The update responds to Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin’s query about the timeline, costs, procedures, and availability of EEF in public healthcare institutions.
The implementation aligns with the broader rollout of assisted reproduction regulations under the Healthcare Services Act.

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3 Jul 2023

Progress and Impact of Proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation and Support Measures Available

The proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation aims to protect against common forms of discrimination such as nationality, age, sex, race, and language, building on existing tripartite guidelines and introducing a graded penalty system that focuses on dispute resolution through internal channels and mediation before litigation, with the goal of maintaining a harmonious workplace culture.
Small firms with fewer than 25 employees will be initially exempt from the legislation for about five years to allow time to build HR capabilities, but they remain subject to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and can still face administrative penalties for discrimination, with support measures planned in collaboration with organizations like ASME.
The government emphasizes a whole-of-society approach to root out discrimination, including educating stakeholders, clarifying what constitutes discrimination, and protecting employees from retaliation, while the legislation is targeted for finalization and drafting in 2024, with ongoing reviews on areas like breastfeeding accommodations and strengthening penalties under the guidelines.

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10 May 2023

Top Three Concerns of Families with School-going Children Living in Rental Housing

The top three concerns for families with school-going children in rental housing are financial circumstances, their children’s future, and health and housing stability.
These families aspire to purchase a flat, build up savings, and see their children do well in school.
The Ministry’s ComLink programme provides Comprehensive, Convenient, and Coordinated support to help families achieve Stability, Self-Reliance, and Social Mobility through action plans and community partnerships.

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10 May 2023

Family Service Centres with Dedicated Headcount for Community Work

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked whether more funding could be provided to Family Service Centres (FSCs) to hire additional staff dedicated to community work, noting that only one headcount is currently funded for such a large area.
The Ministry of State for Social and Family Development clarified that MSF funds FSCs based on the number of cases managed and provides funding for casework, group work, and community work, including two fixed headcounts for group and community work and five for administrative functions.
Louis Ng reiterated his request for MSF to study how many social workers focus on community work in FSCs to inform policy changes, while the Ministry emphasized that FSCs have the autonomy to allocate resources internally according to community needs.

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9 May 2023

Provision of Fertility Leave to Public Servants

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked whether the Government will provide fertility leave to public servants, the timeline for implementation, and the reasons if not.
Chan Chun Sing replied that public officers can already use existing leave provisions like sick or hospitalisation leave for fertility procedures, and may request flexible work arrangements.
He stated that the Government will study the idea of fertility leave but must consider the operational impact of additional leave on the Public Service.

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9 May 2023

Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Bill

Seah Kian Peng moved to introduce the Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Bill, highlighting the success of the 2011 conciliation-first approach that settled 90% of claims annually and reduced Tribunal applications from 183 to around 30 per year.
The proposed amendments aim to strengthen support for neglected elderly parents while preventing misuse by parents who abandoned or abused their children, based on a nine-member Work Group's review.
Two rounds of public consultation and an online survey showed general support for the amendments, which seek to balance enhanced powers for the Tribunal and Commissioner with new safeguards against misuse.
The Bill was introduced after the motion was agreed to, with the Second Reading scheduled for the next available Sitting.

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9 May 2023

Women's Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) (Amendment) Bill

The amendment bill aims to strengthen protections against family violence by updating the Women’s Charter and aligning it with other relevant laws.
Minister of State Ms Sun Xueling presented the bill on behalf of the ministry, initiating its first reading and scheduling the second reading for after 3 July 2023.
The bill seeks to improve legal measures and support mechanisms for victims of family violence, reflecting the government’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals.
Parliament is set to review the proposed amendments in detail during the second reading, with the goal of enacting more comprehensive protections.

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9 May 2023

Reviewing Income Criteria for Student Care Fee Assistance to Reduce Out-of-pocket Expenses

The Ministry of Social and Family Development reviews the Student Care Fee Assistance scheme periodically to ensure affordability for lower-income families, with most recipients paying a median of $29 per child.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary confirmed that the scheme was last enhanced in 2020 and will be reviewed again, with family size considered through per capita income criteria for higher subsidies.
The Ministry noted that the scheme includes startup grants for initial enrolment costs but does not cover enrichment programmes, focusing instead on essential student care fees.

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