Social welfare

Jamus Lim questioned the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth about its efforts to engage specific merchants in the CDC hawkers program for the 2024 CDC Voucher Scheme, and why NTUC hawker groups like Foodfare or Kopitiam are excluded given NTUC Fairprice's participation. Edwin Tong explained that the CDC Vouchers Scheme aims to support local merchants and hawkers and has been engaging them since October 2021. CDCs are collaborating with various associations to onboard a diverse range of merchants and hawkers to provide more spending options for Singaporean households.

Gerald Giam Yean Song requested data from the Minister for National Development on appeals for subsidised rental HDB flats from 2021 to 2023, including the number of appeals granted and the availability of more flats for married couples without children, elderly couples, and singles awaiting BTO flats. Desmond Lee responded that HDB does not have specific breakdowns for the appellants but highlighted that they have increased the supply of subsidised rental flats, notably doubling the provision under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) from 800 to 2,000 units as demand surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. HDB has assisted 146 married couples without children, 72 elderly couples, and 211 singles with interim rental housing over the last three years, and while they can't provide flats to all applicants due to limited supply, they are prioritizing those with greater needs. Additionally, waiting times for BTO flats have been reduced, with over 80% of flats launched recently having waiting times of three-and-a-half years or less.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked about support programs for stay-at-home mothers seeking divorce and experiencing domestic violence. Masagos Zulkifli B M M outlined that the Ministry of Social and Family Development collaborates with Protection Specialist Centres to provide safety planning, accommodation, legal aid referrals, counselling, and financial support. Workforce Singapore offers the herCareer initiative, which helps women re-enter the workforce through job placement programs and events, leading to a significant increase in successful job placements. Additionally, mothers seeking employment or training can receive preschool subsidy support comparable to working mothers.

Murali Pillai asked if EASE 2.0 subsidies could be extended to children of eligible seniors living with them on a rotational basis, ensuring total subsidies do not exceed that of a single household. Desmond Lee responded that Singapore Citizen households can apply for EASE 2.0 if a family member is 65 or older, or 60 to 64 with daily living assistance needs. Both seniors and their children can receive full EASE subsidies for their respective HDB flats without requiring the seniors to be listed as occupiers in their children's flats.

Denise Phua Lay Peng asked whether senior-friendly fittings from the HDB's EASE 2.0 programme could be extended to eligible elderly retirees in non-HDB estates. Desmond Lee responded that the senior-friendly features under the HIP and EASE 2.0 programme are specifically designed for HDB flats due to their standardized layouts. He acknowledged the need to explore ways to better support seniors in private homes as their designs vary significantly.

• Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked about common misconceptions regarding the closure of the CPF Special Account for members aged 55 and above from early 2025, steps to clear doubts, and the role of trade associations and tripartite partners in addressing concerns.
• Minister Tan See Leng clarified that misconceptions include beliefs that the closure aims to save on interest payments, that interest does not accrue to CPF LIFE members transferring funds to the Retirement Account, and that the government is locking up savings, and he emphasized that the closure aligns with long-term savings principles and allows most members to transfer funds to continue earning higher interest.
• The Minister explained that interest continues to accrue on CPF LIFE premiums and is factored into monthly payouts, with unused premiums refunded to beneficiaries, and that withdrawable SA savings will be transferred to the Ordinary Account while other savings will increase retirement payouts from age 65.
• Trade associations, chambers of commerce, and tripartite partners are encouraged to direct members to online resources, work with employers to support senior workers, and leverage schemes like the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme to assist with retirement planning.

• Melvin Yong asked if the Ministry of Health would allow non-surgical dental treatments, which can be essential yet costly, to be claimable under MediSave.
• Ong Ye Kung responded that the Ministry is reviewing the extension of MediSave for non-surgical dental procedures like root canal treatments, but any changes must balance affordability with ensuring sufficient MediSave for future healthcare needs.
• He noted that patients facing financial difficulties after subsidies and MediSave use can seek assistance from medical social workers for MediFund and other support.

• Sylvia Lim highlighted a potential disparity in access to subsidised cancer treatments between Class B and Class C wards, questioning which treatments are unavailable to Class C patients and requesting a review to reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
• Ong Ye Kung clarified that all subsidised patients have equal access to the same cancer treatments and drugs across both Class B and C wards, with differences in charges stemming from subsidy rates rather than treatment availability.
• The debate underscored concerns about equitable healthcare affordability, with the Minister reassuring that no treatment exclusions exist between the two ward classes.

• Christopher de Souza proposed that the Ministry identify and release under-utilised public spaces to help social service agencies reach more persons with disabilities.
• Masagos Zulkifli affirmed that MSF considers factors like outreach and accessibility when locating services, including common spaces like HDB void decks.
• MSF regularly invites agencies to bid for available HDB or SLA premises to run self-funded social programmes, including those for persons with disabilities.

• Miss Rachel Ong proposed leveraging smart electricity meters to provide alert services to caregivers when anomalies in home electricity usage are detected for seniors living alone.
• Minister Gan Kim Yong stated there are no plans to use advanced meter data for such alerts, citing that electricity consumption is influenced by many factors and is not a reliable indicator of well-being.
• The government instead directs caregivers to Active Ageing Centres through the Silver Generation Office, where seniors receive befriending and buddying services for monitoring.

• Ms Sylvia Lim proposed that variable earnings such as bonuses and commissions be excluded from the per capita household income assessment for residential long-term care subsidies.
• The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, opposed the proposal, stating that variable income components should be included to provide a complete picture of a household's financial resources.
• The Minister explained that means-testing uses an average of the past 12 months' income and is valid for two years to account for fluctuations.
• He noted that individuals can appeal for a reassessment if their financial circumstances change or apply for further assistance if they still face difficulties after subsidies.

• Ms Ng Ling Ling asked whether an enhanced version of the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) could include more senior-friendly features inside homes for older residents in private estates, similar to programmes for public housing.
• Desmond Lee responded that the Age Well SG programme will enhance living environments in both HDB and private estates, with the EUP expanded to include senior-friendly features like rest points, ramps, fitness trails, and therapeutic gardens for selected private estates.
• A new EUP for Silver Estates will target estates with higher senior concentrations for senior-friendly enhancements, and management corporations can use the Accessibility Fund for common area upgrades in private developments.
• For within-home features, HDB’s programmes are tailored for public housing, but designs vary in private homes, so further study is needed to support seniors aging in place in private residences.

• The Ministry of Health has different policies for ward downgrades and upgrades: downgrades are subsidized per class and supported for financial hardship, while upgrades trigger retroactive subsidy adjustments to prevent selective behavior.
• Patients are counseled at admission on financial implications, and upgrades followed by downgrades may result in higher charges unless appeals or means-testing criteria are met.
• Residents have reported issues with downgrades not being allowed except via A&E, and confirm that even after downgrading, patients pay higher medicine costs from the original class.

• Liang Eng Hwa asked about the range of monthly payouts under CareShield Life since its start and whether the premium-to-claim economics can be improved.
• CareShield Life payouts began at $600 per month in 2020, rise by 2% yearly until 2025, and a 2024 claimant gets $649 monthly with premiums suspended while severely disabled.
• The scheme is not-for-profit, with premiums set actuarially and based on lifetime principles where young policyholders pay upfront and claims occur later, making a current premium-to-claim ratio assessment inappropriate.
• An independent council reviews and recommends premium and payout changes under a sound actuarial framework.

• The Government focuses on expanding mental health services in public hospitals and polyclinics, offering subsidies of up to 80%, while continuing to work with the insurance industry to improve coverage, as detailed in a previously published written answer.
• Subsidies for mental health conditions are available at selected private CHAS GP clinics for eligible groups like Pioneer and Merdeka Generation cardholders, with support from MediSave under the Chronic Disease Management Programme.
• The Mental Health GP Partnership Programme has trained over 450 GPs, with a target to extend mental health services to 1,350 Healthier SG GP clinics by 2030.
• The Government does not fund private hospitals for subsidised mental care but prioritizes expanding capacity in public settings and collaborates with the private sector on alternative financing or subsidy models as part of ongoing efforts.

• MP Gerald Giam raised concerns about CDC vouchers being issued per household, questioning their impact on extended families, subtenants, and those with greater needs, as well as exploring an individual basis for issuance.
• The Ministry of Finance responded that other schemes provide individual support to help larger households and confirmed that co-tenanted households can seek assistance at Community Centres to claim vouchers.
• The government committed to ongoing reviews of measures to better support Singaporeans based on equity and individual needs.

• Mr Yip Hon Weng raised concerns about long waiting times for subsidised intervention and asked about engaging more private clinics, starting applications at polyclinics before diagnosis, means-testing for eligibility, and placement basis.
• The Ministry stated that children are assessed by paediatricians, with only medium-to-high support needs referred to EIPIC, and noted the expansion from 16 to 29 centres with plans to add 1,500 more places in 2024.
• Placements are generally first-come-first-served but prioritise children aged five to six to ensure at least one year of intervention before school transition, and means-testing determines fees rather than eligibility.

• Christopher de Souza inquired about increased home caregiving assistance for caregivers of elderly individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
• The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, outlined recent enhancements including the expanded Home Caregiving Grant, increased training courses, dementia day care, home personal care services, and the Night Respite service.
• Since 2021, Post-Diagnostic Support Community Outreach Teams and CREST-Caregivers have provided resources, coping skills, and self-care advice to dementia caregivers.
• The government committed to continuing reviews of support measures to better meet the needs of caregivers for seniors with dementia.

• Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health if the Ministry will consider allowing seniors above 55 to use MediSave for root canal treatments.
• The Minister of Health responded that Singaporeans can already get subsidies for root canal treatments at public healthcare institutions and under CHAS, with additional support for Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors.
• For patients who still cannot afford treatment after subsidies, financial assistance like MediFund is available through medical social workers.
• The government has received calls to allow MediSave use for root canal treatments and will review the suggestion.
• Any extension of MediSave use must be carefully considered to balance affordability with ensuring seniors have sufficient funds for other healthcare needs.

• The Ministry of Health will ensure MediShield Life remains affordable and accessible by using MediSave for premiums, providing premium support and top-ups for those in need, and guaranteeing no loss of coverage due to genuine affordability issues.
• To balance expanding coverage for groundbreaking treatments with affordable premiums, the MediShield Life Council will only include treatments assessed as clinically and cost-effective, using risk pooling to manage high-cost, low-incidence procedures.
• MOH will enhance public awareness by offering resources to help Singaporeans understand their premiums and coverage, and provide a comparison of Integrated Shield Plans on its website to support informed decisions.