Social welfare — Topics

7 Nov 2016

Additional Help for Costly Medical Tests

Ong Teng Koon inquired about assistance for families who cannot qualify for extra government subsidies to cover high outpatient medical fees for tests like MRIs, CT scans, and blood tests, which can cost thousands.
The Minister of State for Health explained that Singaporeans receive substantial subsidies of up to 70–75% for such diagnostics, with post-subsidy costs typically far below a thousand dollars, citing median MRI and CT scan costs of $260 and $140 respectively.
Additional financial support includes using MediSave for outpatient scans (up to $300 or $600 annually based on condition), extra MediSave for the elderly, and MediShield Life coverage for costlier treatments like chemotherapy, with further help from MediFund for low-income patients.

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10 Oct 2016

Review of CPF Investment Scheme Given Continued Losses

Foo Mee Har highlighted that 38% of CPFIS investors suffered losses and only 16% achieved returns above the 2.5% CPF Ordinary Account interest rate, urging an urgent review of the scheme.
Lim Swee Say acknowledged the high-risk nature of CPFIS, noting that 84% of investors underperformed the risk-free CPF rate and that members must understand and accept investment risks.
The CPF Advisory Panel recommended targeting CPFIS at knowledgeable investors and introducing a simpler Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS) for those who find CPFIS complex or time-consuming.
The Government accepted these recommendations and will review CPFIS and study the LRIS, with more details to follow.

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10 Oct 2016

Employment Rate of Graduates of Special Education Schools

The Acting Minister for Education reported that about 300 students graduate from Special Education (SPED) schools annually, with diverse readiness for work; roughly one-third enter regular employment, half go to sheltered workshops or day activity centres, and 10% pursue further studies.
MOE has implemented a vocational education framework and certification pathways through institutions like Metta School and Delta Senior School to equip SPED students with life skills and work habits for employment or further training.
A School-to-Work Transition Programme, developed with MSF and SG Enable, supports students in their final school year and up to one year after graduation with job placement, customised training, and internships to prepare them for employment.
SG Enable offers employment assistance, training, and internship opportunities for persons with disabilities, while employers can access funding for job redesign and workplace modifications through the Open Door Programme and benefit from the Special Employment Credit when hiring them.

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10 Oct 2016

Enhancing Home-based Care Options for Young Children, Elderly and Disabled

The government has expanded home-based care services for seniors and introduced the Home and Community Care Masterplan to improve home-based care quality and flexibility, including training eldercarers and piloting new care models.
Parents receive enhanced parental leave provisions and financial support, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift with Baby Bonus Plus, to help with caregiving costs and bonding with newborns.
Caregivers of persons with disabilities can access training grants, support centres, and a pilot home-based care services program providing therapy and daily living assistance.
Families hiring foreign domestic workers for caregiving receive a concessionary levy and monthly grants to offset costs, especially for low-income households caring for seniors or persons with disabilities.

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10 Oct 2016

Subsidies for Immunisations for Children and Elderly

Miss Cheng Li Hui raised questions about extending full subsidies for compulsory childhood immunisations at private GP clinics and providing free immunisations for elderly Singaporeans against influenza, T-dap, pneumococcal pneumonia, and herpes zoster.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) follows the Expert Committee on Immunisation (ECI) recommendations, allowing Medisave use for all recommended vaccinations and providing full subsidies at polyclinics for Singaporean children for certain vaccines.
Medisave can be used for influenza and Pneumo23 vaccines for high-risk groups like the elderly, but the ECI does not recommend diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and herpes zoster vaccinations for the elderly.
Singaporean babies receive a $4,000 Government grant in their Medisave accounts, which can be used for all vaccinations under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS), including at private clinics, ensuring full government support for these costs.
MOH will continue to review vaccination policies based on ECI inputs to maintain accessibility and affordability for Singaporeans.

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10 Oct 2016

Central Provident Fund (Amendment No 2) Bill

The Bill introduces flexible lump-sum withdrawals of up to 20% from Retirement Accounts at Payout Eligibility Age, allowing members to choose between immediate cash, deferred transfers, or converting to monthly payouts.
It simplifies CPF payouts by automating the start of Retirement Sum Scheme payments at age 70, mirroring the CPF LIFE scheme, to assist members who may not apply on their own.
The amendments fully implement the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) to fix healthcare savings targets per cohort, remove obsolete MediSave Minimum Sum rules, and streamline family MediSave top-ups from Ordinary/Special Accounts.

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13 Sep 2016

Availability of and Subsidy for Student Care Places

The Ministry of Social and Family Development states that there are currently over 400 Student Care Centres providing more than 30,000 places, which is sufficient to meet overall demand, though some locations may have higher demand.
The Ministry of Education plans to establish an SCC in every primary school by 2020 and will expand the capacity of existing school-based centres without compromising quality.
Subsidies for student care fees were recently enhanced in January, raising the household income criteria to $4,000 and per capita income to $1,000, with increased subsidy amounts allowing some families to pay as little as $5 monthly.
The Ministry will continue to monitor demand and assess the need for further subsidy enhancements in future reviews, but has not committed to extending subsidies up to the 50th percentile household income level.

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13 Sep 2016

Removal of GST on Water Conservation Tax

Low Thia Khiang asked whether the Ministry will consider removing GST on the water conservation tax (WCT).
Heng Swee Keat explained that WCT and GST serve different purposes, with WCT reflecting water’s value and covering production costs, while GST is a general consumption tax applied to the final price of goods and services.
The Minister noted that applying GST to WCT is consistent with international practice and that fairness is maintained through schemes like GST Vouchers, which provide rebates to lower- and middle-income households.

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13 Sep 2016

Interest Payment on CPF Amount Owed to Members under Full Savings Vesting (FSV) Bonus Scheme

Mr Zainal Sapari asked if the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will pay interest on CPF amounts owed to servicemen under the Full Savings Vesting Bonus scheme, as noted in the Auditor-General's Report for FY2015/16.
MINDEF is working with the CPF Board to credit the outstanding CPF amounts to affected servicemen.
The credited amount will include interest that could have been earned if CPF contributions had been made on time, in line with CPF guidelines.
This addresses the shortfall highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report regarding the FSV Bonus scheme.
The action ensures compliance with CPF rules and rectifies the issue for servicemen.

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13 Sep 2016

Employees Benefiting from Revision of Employment Assistance Payment

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah inquired about the number of employees who have benefited from the Employment Assistance Payment (EAP) since its last revision and asked what the Ministry is doing to address employers dismissing or refusing to hire workers nearing age 62 to avoid paying EAP.
Lim Swee Say explained that employers must offer re-employment to eligible employees turning 62, with over 98% of such workers being offered continued employment since 2012, and EAP is only required as a last resort when re-employment is not possible.
The Ministry reminded employers that dismissing employees under 62 due to age is unlawful and that failure to offer re-employment or EAP is an offence, while urging them to value older workers and not use age as a hiring factor.
Support for employers includes the WorkPro scheme to redesign jobs and the Special Employment Credit to encourage hiring workers above 55, aimed at helping older employees continue working in a tight labour market.

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13 Sep 2016

Protection for Foreign Spouses and Children when Marriages with Singapore Citizens Break Down

The Minister emphasized that both parents are legally required to maintain and provide for their children until age 21, and a foreign mother can apply for maintenance on the child's behalf even if she is not a Singaporean or Permanent Resident.
Families facing breakdown can access counselling and support from Divorce Support Specialist Agencies and Family Service Centres, while financially needy families, including single parents and dependents of NSmen, can receive financial assistance through Social Service Offices and the Ministry of Education.
Full-time National Servicemen receive a monthly allowance, with additional financial aid available for those in hardship, and foreign widowed or divorced wives with sole custody of Singaporean children can generally receive a renewable Long-Term Visit Pass to remain in Singapore.

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13 Sep 2016

Take-up Rate for Home Access Plan to Aid Low-income Families with Internet Connectivity

Mr Murali Pillai queried the Ministry on the take-up rate and future plans for the Home Access plan, which provides affordable internet to low-income households, asking for figures on prequalified beneficiaries, sign-ups, total beneficiaries since 2014, and digital inclusion improvements.
The Ministry highlighted that over 2,000 households on long-term assistance were pre-qualified for Home Access, but only 100 have signed up so far, while the broader Digital Inclusion initiative has supported over 32,000 low-income households across multiple schemes.
The NEU PC Plus programme, aimed at households with school children, has benefitted over 27,000 households, with recent enhancements raising income caps to include more families and simplifying subsidies for Special Education students.
The Ministry emphasised ongoing enhancements to digital inclusion schemes, including the expansion of NEU PC Plus eligibility, which is expected to benefit an additional 5,000 households over the next five years.

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13 Sep 2016

Central Provident Fund (Amendment No 2) Bill

The Central Provident Fund (Amendment No. 2) Bill was introduced by the Minister for Manpower to amend the Central Provident Fund Act and make consequential amendments to other relevant Acts.
The bill aims to update and refine the existing CPF framework, with the First Reading completed and the Second Reading scheduled for the next parliamentary sitting.
The amendments are part of ongoing efforts to ensure the CPF system remains responsive to current economic and social needs while safeguarding members' interests.

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13 Sep 2016

Trend for Income Gap

The Minister reported that the income gap has remained relatively stable over the past five years, with the Gini coefficient moving from 0.472 in 2010 to 0.463 in 2015, and real income growth for the bottom 20th percentile households being among the highest at 24%.
The government's strategy to narrow the income gap sustainably focuses on work and skills, through measures like the Workfare Income Supplement, Workfare Training Support, and the Progressive Wage Model, which have started to narrow the wage growth gap between low-income and median workers.
There is ongoing concern about global trends potentially increasing inequality, and the government is committed to strengthening support for low-wage workers, such as transforming wage structures and promoting skills specialisation, while also noting the need to support the "sandwich class" through tripartite efforts and industry transformation plans.

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13 Sep 2016

Appeals to CPF Board for Inclusion in Silver Support Scheme

The Ministry of Manpower explained that the Silver Support Scheme is a targeted third-tier support for the bottom 20-30% of seniors, using CPF contribution history, home ownership, and household income criteria, with about 2,300 appeals received and some approved based on case-by-case reassessment.
MPs raised concerns about the scheme's household income criteria penalizing seniors living with working children, the need for better outreach to elderly who may not use digital channels, and the rationale for only including co-residing children's income in eligibility calculations.
The Minister responded that annual reviews are conducted, appeals are considered holistically, and while current rules use household income, future enhancements might consider family income, emphasizing that seniors should not be discouraged from living with their children for care.

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16 Aug 2016

Review of Yearly Cap on Use of Medisave

Foo Mee Har urged the Ministry of Health to review the yearly MediSave cap to better cover rising medication and treatment costs for chronic diseases, aiming for 90% of costs to be met by MediSave.
Gan Kim Yong stated that the Chronic Disease Management Programme allows up to $400 per MediSave account annually for chronic disease treatment, covering 19 conditions and more than 90% of chronic attendances at polyclinics.
In 2015, the $400 limit was sufficient for nine in 10 subsidised patients with common chronic conditions, an improvement from 2014, due to subsidy enhancements and the Pioneer Generation Package.
Patients exceeding the $400 cap can use family members' MediSave or apply for MediFund if they face financial difficulties.
The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor affordability and review MediSave withdrawal limits regularly, ensuring balances are not depleted prematurely.

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16 Aug 2016

Median, Mean, 10th and 90th Percentile Totals in Deceased Members' Individual CPF Accounts

Leon Perera requested data on the median, mean, 10th, and 90th percentile totals in deceased individuals' CPF accounts from 2010 to 2015.
Lim Swee Say provided that half of CPF members aged 65 or older who died in 2015 had $6,800 or less in their accounts.
The response included a table detailing CPF balances of members aged 65 or older who passed away between 2010 and 2015.
Unused CPF balances are bequeathed to nominated beneficiaries or distributed under intestacy laws if no beneficiaries exist.

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16 Aug 2016

Impact of Extending Equal Medical Benefits to Female Pensioners who Retired before 2005 and Their Dependants

Mr. Leon Perera asked about the number of female pensioners who retired before 2005, whether their dependants could receive equal medical benefits, and the cost of extending such benefits.
There are 8,400 female pensioners who retired before 2005, and pensioners on older medical schemes can switch to the more modern MSO scheme, which allows claims for spouses and children, but few have done so due to the older schemes' generosity.
Extending medical coverage to all dependants of female pensioners on older schemes would cost over $30 million annually.
All dependants, including spouses of these pensioners, already have lifelong protection through MediShield Life, and Pioneer Generation members receive additional healthcare subsidies and MediSave top-ups.

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16 Aug 2016

Extending Enhancement for Active Seniors Programme to Seniors Living in Private Estates

Joan Pereira asked if the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme can be extended to seniors in private estates who lack support and savings.
Lawrence Wong responded that there are no immediate plans to extend EASE to private estates.
The Ministry will continue to study the possibility of such an extension in the future.

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15 Aug 2016

Applications for MediFund and Grants Disbursed

About 670,000 MediFund applications were made annually over the past five years, with less than 0.15% not approved by MediFund committees.
Over 92% of applications in the past five years were granted full assistance, with average grants ranging from $100 for outpatient treatment to $1,800 for hospitalisations.
The Minister did not provide the specific breakdown of rejection reasons or the median, 20th percentile, and 90th percentile grant quantiles requested by the Member.

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