Social welfare — Topics

4 Nov 2019

Efforts Made to Return Unclaimed CPF Monies to Family Members

The Senior Minister of State explained that unclaimed CPF monies without nomination are handled by the Public Trustee’s Office, which contacts known beneficiaries and has distributed about 88% of such funds over the past five years, with $132 million still unclaimed as of end-2018.
The PTO actively locates beneficiaries through calls, letters, and house visits, and encourages claims with no time limit, assisting applicants in obtaining necessary documents from agencies when needed.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh inquired about reasons why contacted individuals did not eventually claim the funds, and the Senior Minister of State suggested most people do step forward when traceable, with unclaimed sums typically linked to those who could not be traced.

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4 Nov 2019

Measures to Reduce Unclaimed CPF Monies

The CPF Board has successfully distributed about 98% of unused CPF monies from deceased members over the past five years, with the remaining 2% unclaimed but not forfeited, as next-of-kin can claim them at any time through the Public Trustee's Office.
To reduce unclaimed monies, the CPF Board uses a three-pronged approach: educating members through roadshows and partnerships, reminding them via annual statements and retirement planning sessions, and simplifying the nomination process with in-person, postal, and soon electronic options.
Members below age 45 are less likely to have made nominations, prompting plans to launch an electronic nomination system in the first quarter of next year to make it easier, especially for younger, tech-savvy individuals.
For members without next-of-kin, the focus is on encouraging them to join the CPF LIFE Standard Plan for higher lifelong payouts, rather than increasing withdrawal amounts under the Retirement Sum Scheme, which will be addressed separately in the CPF (Amendment) Act.
Additional efforts include personalized outreach through annual statements and exploring more effective tracing methods for hard-to-reach next-of-kin, with inter-governmental procedures for overseas deaths primarily initiated by next-of-kin or missions.

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7 Oct 2019

Number of Singaporeans and PRs Suffering from Food Insecurity over Past Five Years and Help Measures Available

The Ministry for Social and Family Development does not specifically track the number of Singaporeans and PRs facing food insecurity but supports low-income households through a holistic assessment that includes food needs via ComCare and Social Service Offices, linking them to additional support like the Meals-on-Wheels programme.
Over the past five years, the total social welfare budget for food support is not separately tracked, as it is integrated into broader ComCare and financial assistance provisions based on assessed household needs.
More than 20 registered charities in Singapore provide food support, including cooked meals, dry rations, and perishables, alongside informal groups and grassroots or religious organizations, largely volunteer-driven and collaborating with community agencies.
The exact operating expenditure of these charities for food support is not specified, as their efforts are part of broader community initiatives complementing government support.
The government’s approach emphasizes community partnership, with charities and informal groups helping to reduce food wastage and enhance food sustainability while meeting food-related needs.

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7 Oct 2019

Average Cash Savings Per Member of Households Receiving ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance and ComCare Long-term Assistance in Last Five Years

Ms Anthea Ong questioned the Ministry for Social and Family Development about average cash savings per household member, rejection rates due to savings, consideration of savings in assessments, maximum savings allowances, and public communication over the last five years for ComCare STMA and LTA applicants.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that assessments consider income, assets, savings, and expenditure, with no hard thresholds for savings as Social Service Offices exercise flexibility based on circumstances and needs.
Data on average cash savings per household member for STMA and LTA recipients from 2016 to 2018 was provided, noting that earlier data is unavailable.
The Ministry also shared the number and percentage of STMA and LTA applications rejected due to household cash savings from 2016 to 2018.
The Minister indicated that the criteria for considering cash savings in applications are not explicitly detailed in the response regarding public communication.

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7 Oct 2019

Care-givers Given Special Approval for Higher Subsidy Support for Infantcare and Childcare

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked how many caregivers receive Special Approval for higher childcare and infantcare subsidies due to not working or being non-parent caregivers, and the average amount they get.
Desmond Lee responded that 2,100 applicants currently receive higher subsidies under Special Approval, with average monthly totals of $520 for childcare and $950 for infant care.
Eligible applicants under Special Approval receive the same Basic Subsidy and means-tested Additional Subsidy as working mothers, with low-income families able to apply for extra financial assistance.

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7 Oct 2019

Needy Families Paying Less Than $10 and $5 Per Child for Full-day Childcare Services and Qualifying Criteria for Comprehensive Subsidy

About 4,100 needy families pay $10 or less per month for full-day childcare, with around 2,900 of them paying $5 or less, with the remaining amount covered by the CDA First Step grant.
Eligibility for subsidies includes universal basic subsidies for all Singaporean children, higher basic subsidies for working mothers, and means-tested additional subsidies for low- and middle-income families.
Non-working mothers may qualify for higher subsidies under special approval, subject to case-by-case assessment.
Low-income families can apply for case-by-case financial assistance to cover fees after subsidies and for one-time grants to cover initial enrolment costs.
The government supports affordable preschools through fee caps and plans to increase government-supported preschool places to 80% by around 2025.

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7 Oct 2019

Review of Payout Duration for CPF Retirement Sum Scheme

Ms Foo Mee Har asked if the CPF Board could review the Retirement Sum Scheme payout duration to allow members to receive higher payouts.
The Ministry of Manpower and CPF Board are currently reviewing the payout rules, noting that rising life expectancy has increased the risk of members outliving their savings.
Extra Interest schemes introduced in 2008 and 2016 were used to extend payout durations beyond 20 years, but payouts are capped at age 95 to prevent depletion.
Some members have expressed that payouts lasting up to age 95 are too long, and the review aims to address this concern.
The review is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, with outcomes to be announced thereafter.

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7 Oct 2019

Average Amount of Funds Seniors Received through Lease Buyback Scheme

The Lease Buyback Scheme has provided seniors with average proceeds of $177,000 per household, which includes a cash bonus, with the distribution between CPF Retirement Account and cash depending on their initial CPF balances.
Seniors who participated in the scheme generally have sufficient CPF Retirement Account savings to receive a lifelong monthly income of about $1,000 per household under CPF LIFE.
Most seniors also receive additional cash from the scheme beyond the cash bonus, enhancing their retirement adequacy while allowing them to continue living in their flats.

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7 Oct 2019

Take-up Rate for Eldercarer Foreign Domestic Worker and Plans to Expand Scheme to Include People with Special Needs

The Eldercarer Foreign Domestic Worker Scheme, launched in November 2016, provides FDWs with basic eldercare training, and as of September 2019, 413 FDWs had been trained under the scheme.
Households can use the Caregivers Training Grant, an annual $200 subsidy per care recipient, to offset training costs for both eldercare and special needs care courses.
The CTG already covers courses for caring for persons with special needs, such as autism and intellectual disabilities, alongside eldercare training.
There is no explicit plan announced to expand the Eldercarer FDW Scheme specifically to include special needs training, as the CTG already supports such courses.
The debate highlights existing mechanisms to support FDW training for both eldercare and special needs care without a new scheme expansion.

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7 Oct 2019

Regulating Care-giver Training Programmes

The government, through agencies like the Agency for Integrated Care, manages and regulates training programmes for both professional and informal caregivers to ensure they are relevant and led by qualified instructors.
There are various subsidized training options for healthcare professionals, social service staff, and family caregivers, including short courses, diplomas, and grants like the Caregivers Training Grant, which offers a $200 annual subsidy.
Over 40,000 caregivers have used the Caregivers Training Grant since 2013, and the government will continue to review and expand training support for caregivers of the elderly and persons with special needs.

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7 Oct 2019

Impact of Increase in Public Transport Fares on Amount of Vouchers Given Out and on Financial Sustainability of Public Transport Operators

Miss Cheng Li Hui questioned whether the Ministry would increase public transport voucher quantum in light of a proposed 7% fare hike and how financial sustainability of operators would be maintained without degrading service.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that fare adjustments were long deferred, causing losses for operators and increased government subsidies, which burden taxpayers and divert funds from other national priorities.
He emphasized the need to set fares correctly to prevent service degradation and ensure operators can sustain operations and worker livelihoods.
The Public Transport Council aims to keep fares affordable, with concessions for students and seniors, and the government provides vouchers to cushion impacts on lower-income households.

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7 Oct 2019

Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill

The Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill was presented by the Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) on behalf of the Minister for Manpower to amend the Central Provident Fund Act.
The Bill was read for the first time and scheduled for a second reading in the next available sitting of Parliament.
The amendment will be printed, following parliamentary procedure for legislative changes to the CPF system.

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7 Oct 2019

Hike in Childcare Fees Following Increase in Government’s Childcare Subsidy

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how many childcare operators raised fees, the increase quantum, and expected savings after subsidy enhancements, to which Minister Desmond Lee responded that 330 centres (one in five) will raise fees in 2020, with a median increase of 5% or about $35, but enhanced subsidies will lower costs for most families.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong sought assistance for parents not benefiting from the subsidy increase, and Minister Lee clarified that enhanced Additional Subsidies apply to all eligible families regardless of childcare centre type, with financial aid available for low-income or non-working mothers meeting criteria.
Minister Lee noted that fee increases are annual occurrences due to operational costs, but government-supported pre-schools will grow to 80% of places by 2025 with lower fee caps, and subsidies will more than double annual government spending on preschools.
Dr Lim raised concerns about middle-income families with multiple children and non-working mothers, and Minister Lee explained that per capita income assessments and special approvals for caregiving needs ensure targeted support without universal subsidy equalization.

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4 Sep 2019

Schemes to Ensure Affordable Step-down Care and Nursing Home Facilities for Ageing Population

Desmond Choo asked about schemes to ensure affordable step-down care and nursing home facilities for the ageing population.
Gan Kim Yong highlighted existing means-tested subsidies of up to 80% for intermediate and long-term care services, with more support for lower-income Singaporeans.
New schemes include the Home Caregiving Grant (by end 2019), CareShield Life (from 2020), ElderFund for low-income severely disabled, and allowing MediSave withdrawals for long-term care.
MediFund is available for Singaporeans who still cannot afford care after using all other support measures.

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4 Sep 2019

Home Visits by Silver General Office Ambassadors

Anthea Ong asked about the average number of home visits per Silver Generation Office (SGO) ambassador, the ambassador-to-household ratio, the average time between visits for households with and without follow-up needs, and the total expenditure on these visits.
Gan Kim Yong explained that around 3,000 volunteer Silver Generation Ambassadors (SGAs) conduct an average of 85 engagements per year, with seniors typically visited at least once every 18 months.
For seniors with more complex needs, visits are more frequent and may involve SGO staff working with community providers to create integrated support packages.
Each SGA receives an allowance of $10 per senior engaged, contributing to the overall cost of the home visit programme.

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4 Sep 2019

Average Number of Referrals Made by Silver Generation Office to Healthcare and Social Service Providers

Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Health for the total and average number of referrals made by the Silver Generation Office to healthcare and social service providers, as well as the number of home visits that resulted in applications for eight specific support schemes.
Minister Gan Kim Yong stated that Silver Generation Ambassadors may recommend applications or referrals during home visits and provided data for engagements between 1 March 2019 and 31 July 2019.
The data includes the number of applications for various support schemes and referrals to service providers following home visits during that period.
The response covers schemes such as IDAPE, PioneerDAS, SMF, EASE, CTG, Medifund, ComCare, and CHAS, but does not specify the total or average referral numbers requested.

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4 Sep 2019

Income Criterion for Citizens Seeking Pro-bono Services from Legal Aid Bureau

The income criterion for citizens seeking pro-bono legal aid from the Legal Aid Bureau is currently based on a means test, with disposable income not exceeding S$10,000 per year and disposable capital not exceeding S$10,000, but it will be replaced by a new system using Per Capita Household Income and Annual Value of residence to simplify the process and align with other social schemes.
Average-income families who do not qualify for pro-bono services can access affordable legal help through alternative avenues like the Law Society Pro Bono Services, the Community Justice Centre, and over 50 community legal clinics, with the Ministry providing lists and online resources to guide the public.
The Ministry is also exploring ways to simplify estate management, such as for Letters of Administration and Lasting Power of Attorney, and developing a more intuitive "Moments of Life" portal to assist with planning and administrative needs, though it may not be fully DIY.

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3 Sep 2019

Care-givers Usage of Care-givers' Training Grant

Anthea Ong requested data from 2013 to 2018 on the number of caregivers using the Care-givers' Training Grant, broken down by caregiver type like family members or domestic workers, as well as the most popular caregiving course.
Gan Kim Yong reported the number and profile of unique caregivers who used the grant during that period, noting that eldercare courses, particularly those assisting with daily living and dementia care, were the most frequently taken.
The response highlighted trends in caregiver support through the grant, focusing on practical training for seniors' care needs.

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3 Sep 2019

Additional Housing Grants and Priority for Adults with Special Needs to Live Near Care-givers

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked if the Ministry will consider special housing grants and priority for adults with special needs to live near their parents or caregivers.
The Minister responded that the Government already provides significant subsidies, including discounted HDB flat pricing, additional grants for first-timers, and priority for flats near parents.
First-timers with special needs can also choose resale flats near parents and receive CPF housing grants and the enhanced Proximity Housing Grant.
The Government will continue reviewing housing schemes to ensure affordability and accessibility for all Singaporeans, including those with special needs.

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3 Sep 2019

Appeals for Lease Buyback Scheme from Persons who Have Not Yet Fully Paid Up Housing Loan

Gan Thiam Poh asked about the number of appeals from HDB flat owners who have not fully paid their housing loan but wish to apply for the Lease Buyback Scheme, how many were granted on compassionate grounds, and whether the rule will change.
Lawrence Wong explained that the scheme initially required an outstanding mortgage of no more than $5,000, but this was relaxed in February 2013 to allow those with larger loans, provided the lease sale proceeds can fully discharge the loan.
The discussion highlights concerns about financial hardship and eligibility rules for the Lease Buyback Scheme.

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