Social welfare — Topics

15 Aug 2016

Use of Medisave Accounts of Deceased Members for Their Funeral Expenses by Family Members

Ms Foo Mee Har asked whether family members can use the Medisave accounts of deceased members to pay for funeral expenses according to their wishes.
The Minister explained that all CPF savings, including Medisave, are disbursed to nominees or, in the absence of a nomination, according to intestacy laws.
With a valid nomination, nominees can receive the funds within four weeks after CPF Board processes the application, and these funds can be used for funeral expenses.

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15 Aug 2016

Minimum Years of Citizenship as Additional Qualifying Criterion for Silver Support Scheme

Miss Cheng Li Hui proposed that the Silver Support Scheme require a minimum number of years of citizenship for eligibility.
The Minister clarified that the Silver Support Scheme targets low-income seniors aged 65 and above with little family support, regardless of citizenship duration.
The Pioneer Generation Package is the only scheme with a citizenship duration criterion, as it honors the first generation of Singaporeans.
Other social assistance schemes, including Silver Support, use various eligibility criteria to ensure support reaches the intended beneficiaries.
The Minister emphasized that imposing a citizenship duration requirement is not aligned with the design of the Silver Support Scheme.

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15 Aug 2016

Use of CPF Ordinary Account by HDB Lessees to Service Home Loans

Lim Swee Say explained that the Valuation Limit (VL) policy encourages prudent property purchases by restricting CPF Ordinary Account use beyond the VL, though flexibility is allowed on appeal for those facing difficulties in cash repayment.
Currently, over 500,000 HDB lessees use CPF for home loans, with about 15,000 having reached their VL and 60 having reached the Withdrawal Limit (WL), while 2,500 cannot use CPF beyond the VL due to insufficient Basic Retirement Sum.
In 2014 and 2015, the CPF Board received around 6,000 appeals to use CPF beyond the VL, with the majority from single property owners being successful, though the general emphasis remains on prudent housing decisions to secure retirement savings.

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15 Aug 2016

Construction of Portable Ramps at Entrances to Old HDB Flats

Mr Ang Hin Kee proposed renting portable ramps or retrofitting permanent ramps for older HDB flats with multi-step entrances, and decentralizing approval processes to local branches or CDCs.
Minister Lawrence Wong explained that older HDB flats were designed with steps for privacy and security, but solutions must be customised, avoid maintenance issues, and not obstruct fire escapes.
HDB is studying tailored solutions, considering expansion through EASE or other programmes, and exploring financial assistance for low-income families.
Residents can currently approach HDB branches for approvals to install private ramps, and financial aid may be available from welfare organisations or local advisers.

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15 Aug 2016

Means Testing for Medifund across Restructured Hospitals and Specialist Centres

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked about the proportion of MediFund recipients visiting multiple public institutions, those needing repeated means tests, and the portability of medical social worker records across facilities.
Over the past three years, about one in five MediFund recipients visited more than one public hospital or specialist centre in a year.
MediFund eligibility is assessed by each institution’s committee based on medical social workers’ evaluations, with information shared among institutions for patients needing cross-facility financial assistance.
MOH and public healthcare institutions are enhancing case record sharing and streamlining assessments, such as SingHealth’s One MediFund Assessment initiative, to reduce repeated means-testing for patients using multiple facilities.
The goal is to make MediFund access more convenient for patients while allowing each institution’s committee to retain flexibility in individual case decisions.

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15 Aug 2016

Number and Profile of Children who Do Not Attend Preschool

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked about the number and profile of Singaporean children not attending preschool, reasons for non-attendance, and whether preschool should be compulsory.
The Minister responded that over 90% of children aged five to six are enrolled, with nearly 99% having some preschool experience by age six.
Profiles of non-attendees include those living overseas, families preferring alternatives like homeschooling, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Ministry prioritizes making preschool accessible, affordable, and high-quality, with targeted support like KidSTART, rather than making it compulsory, to preserve parental choice.
Community outreach and home visits are used to understand barriers and support families in enrolling children in preschool.

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15 Aug 2016

Lapses in Management of Student Loans

MOE explained that the student loan schemes are designed as a social support measure to prevent Singaporeans from being denied tertiary education due to financial reasons, offering flexible, interest-free loans during study and extended repayment periods.
In response to the Auditor-General's findings, MOE committed to expediting a review of bank agency fees and improving enforcement of loan recovery processes while maintaining sensitivity to borrowers facing genuine hardship.
The Minister highlighted that appeals for deferment are assessed individually based on circumstances like unemployment, further studies, or medical issues, with many granted temporary deferment and a default rate of 1.4% deemed low internationally.
To balance accountability and compassion, MOE intends to clearly articulate the social objectives of the loans in future reviews, ensuring auditors understand the intent behind the schemes while incentivizing prompt loan recovery.

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11 Jul 2016

Subsidies for Preschools to Train and Employ Additional Manpower for Children with Speech Delay, Autism and at Risk of Moderate or Severe Disabilities

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked if the Ministry will consider funding or increasing subsidies for preschools to train and employ additional manpower, such as shadow teachers or allied educators, to support children with speech delay, autism, or at risk of moderate to severe disabilities, and if it will recommend increasing teacher-to-student ratios for these children in preschools.
The Ministry, through the Development Support Programme (DSP), already funds therapists and specially-trained Learning Support Educators (LSEds) in over 300 preschools to support children with mild to moderate developmental delays and will expand this to 30 more centres this year.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) collaborates to provide subsidised training for preschool teachers to support children with developmental needs, and while no specific staff-child ratio is prescribed, preschools can deploy more teachers as needed and are encouraged to work with parents and specialists.
For children with more severe needs, 17 Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centres support about 2,600 children, with capacity planned to increase to 3,200 places by 2018.
The Ministry aims to develop a continuum of services and train a multi-disciplinary team of teachers, LSEds, therapists, and psychologists to better support children with special needs in appropriate learning environments.

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11 Jul 2016

Availability of Places in Senior Group Homes and Take-up Rate

Darryl David asked the Ministry for Social and Family Development about the number of available places in Senior Group Homes and their take-up rate.
Tan Chuan-Jin stated there are 14 Senior Group Homes accommodating up to 250 seniors, with 11 starting operations since late 2015.
As of April 2016, only 39 seniors were residing in these homes, and the ministry is working to improve community care coordination.

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11 Jul 2016

Holistic Assistance for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Caregivers

Christopher de Souza asked about holistic assistance for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, including extending transport subsidies to all persons with disabilities regardless of financial background.
The Ministry supports persons with intellectual disabilities through early intervention, special education, employment services, and care programs like Day Activity Centres, with plans to add 600 new places by 2018.
Caregivers receive support through lower foreign domestic worker levies, grants for hiring domestic workers, and annual training grants, with eligibility based on household income.
Public transport subsidies are available to all persons with disabilities through a non-means-tested concession scheme, while private transport subsidies are means-tested to target those most in need.
The Ministry has awarded grants to transport operators to keep costs low for dedicated transport services, which are available to all persons with disabilities regardless of income.

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11 Jul 2016

Measures to Encourage Parents to Have More Children

Dr. Lee Bee Wah questioned if free childcare could be provided and its potential cost, with Minister Tan Chuan-Jin responding that the government focuses on subsidies, such as the enhanced Child Development Account and fee-capped childcare centres, which have increased spending to $600 million last year.
The Minister explained that free childcare could limit program options, increase taxpayer burden, and cause over-consumption, making it harder for those in need to access services, while current measures keep childcare affordable and allow parental choice.
Initiatives like Baby Bonus, tax benefits, and housing grants support child-raising costs, with childcare subsidies allowing lower-income families to pay as little as $3 per month, and the government plans to continue reviewing these measures.

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11 Jul 2016

Senior Citizens Diagnosed and Treated for Hearing Impairment

Between 2013 and 2015, public hospitals diagnosed 16,300 Singaporean seniors with hearing loss requiring hearing aids, with about 5,500 eventually using them.
Under the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF), 3,954 seniors applied for hearing aid subsidies, 9,934 received them, and about 640 needy seniors got 100% subsidy.
On average, seniors paid around $300 co-payment after receiving about $2,700 in SMF subsidies, and those unable to pay could seek further financial aid from medical social workers.
Including the Assistive Technology Fund and the former Special Assistance Fund, a total of $10.4 million was disbursed for hearing aid subsidies between 2013 and 2015.

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11 Jul 2016

Green Man Plus Scheme at Pedestrian Crossing along Potong Pasir Avenue 1

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin requested to expedite the Green Man Plus Scheme at the Potong Pasir Avenue 1 pedestrian crossing from June 2017 to assist elderly and disabled residents.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that LTA prioritizes areas with high elderly populations for the scheme's implementation.
LTA will examine the possibility of fast-tracking the scheme at the specified location.

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11 Jul 2016

Making Overhead Pedestrian Bridges Elder- and Disabled-friendly

The Ministry of Transport reported that 33 overhead pedestrian bridges currently have lifts, with plans to install lifts at 34 more bridges by 2018 and an additional 50 bridges thereafter.
Priority for lift installations will be given to bridges near key locations such as transport hubs, hospitals, polyclinics, welfare homes, homes for the aged, and schools for children with special needs.
For bridges regularly used by the elderly and disabled where lifts cannot be installed due to location constraints, alternative solutions like street-level crossings will be explored.

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11 Jul 2016

Payment of CPF Contributions and Workfare Income Supplement to Prison Inmates and Disabled Adults

CPF contributions are required for disabled adults only if their work arrangements involve an employee-employer relationship with earnings above a threshold, which typically does not apply to social enterprise programmes like those at MINDS.
Prison inmates in voluntary work programmes are not considered employees and thus do not require CPF contributions, as these programmes are part of rehabilitation rather than formal employment.
Workfare Income Supplement is available to disabled adults and prison inmates if they meet eligibility criteria, including making necessary CPF contributions, with the age requirement waived for persons with disabilities.

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11 Jul 2016

Percentage of Five- and Six-year-olds Enrolled in Pre-schools

In 2015, over 90% of five- and six-year-old Singaporeans and permanent residents were enrolled in half-day or full-day pre-schools, with close to 99% having some pre-school experience by age six.
Children not enrolled typically have families living overseas or preferring other developmental options, and no actions are taken against parents or guardians for non-enrollment.
The government conducts community outreach, including home visits, to help families overcome barriers to pre-school participation, especially for disadvantaged children.
The KidSTART initiative, piloted in the second half of 2016, aims to provide early health, learning, and developmental support, including pre-school access, for children from low-income and vulnerable families.

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11 Jul 2016

Addressing Challenges Faced by Caregivers of Children with Special Needs

Murali Pillai highlighted challenges faced by caregivers of children with special needs, including societal discomfort with inclusion, long waiting times for Day Activity Centres, and the need for better support for adult children post-education, while emphasizing community-driven attitude changes over legislation.
Tan Chuan-Jin acknowledged the feedback, outlined government efforts such as the Enabling Masterplan, campaigns like "We are Able," and initiatives to expand post-18 options, training, and employment support for persons with disabilities, while stressing community involvement for an inclusive society.
The debate underscored the importance of empathy, practical support like subsidies and transport assistance, and the role of families and the community in ensuring long-term care and inclusion for persons with special needs.

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11 Jul 2016

Main Complaints from Cardholders in Community Health Assist Scheme

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah raised concerns about complaints from CHAS cardholders against clinics, particularly regarding medical fees and requested data on complaints and actions taken over the past three years.
The Minister of State for Health reported about 300 complaints from 2013 to 2015, half related to charges like incorrect billing or high fees, with the Agency for Integrated Care engaging clinics to address issues and advise on clearer communication and itemized billing.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah suggested making itemized billing compulsory and displaying the CHAS hotline more prominently in clinics, to which the Minister responded that itemized billing is currently encouraged but not mandatory, with plans to consider making it compulsory and improving signage.

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11 Jul 2016

Plans for Improving and Streamlining Community Health Assist Scheme

The Ministry reported 1.4 million CHAS cardholders, including 600,000 Blue and 400,000 Orange cardholders, with ongoing reviews to address feedback on eligibility, subsidies, and application processes.
A member raised concerns that the $1,100 monthly household income per person criterion for Blue cards is too low, suggesting a review of thresholds and a possible merger of Blue and Orange cards to ease polyclinic workload.
The Ministry acknowledged the feedback and committed to regular reviews of subsidy levels, coverage, and eligibility criteria to ensure affordable primary care access for Singaporeans.
The Blue CHAS covers the 30th percentile of income, while Orange covers the 31st to 50th percentile, with the Ministry noting the scheme’s coverage percentage relative to the population.

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9 May 2016

Applications for Charity or IPC Status

In 2015, 86 applications were made for charity status, of which 41 were approved and 17 were rejected, while 39 applications were made for IPC status, of which 30 were approved and three were rejected.
Rejected charity applications often failed to meet registration requirements, such as having exclusively charitable objects, lacking substantive activities or sustainability plans, or not having clear beneficiaries or community benefits.
Rejected IPC applications were typically due to poor governance, qualified audited financial statements, regulatory non-compliance, or activities not wholly beneficial to the Singapore community.

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