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Higher cash aid for Comcare recipients as cost of living increases

SINGAPORE — Recipients of the ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme will get more cash aid from July, with the rates for one-person households to be increased from S$450 to $500, while bigger households will get more.

SINGAPORE — Recipients of the ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme will get more cash aid from July, with the rates for one-person households to be increased from S$450 to $500, while bigger households will get more.

The increase, to help the needy keep pace with the cost of living, was announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim during the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate yesterday.

The long-term assistance scheme is meant for those who are unable to work because of old age, illness or disability. Most of the beneficiaries are elderly persons. Dr Faishal said other ComCare schemes also provide short- and medium-term assistance to low-income families and children in need.

Responding to a query from Nominated Member of Parliament Kuik Shiao-Yin, Dr Faishal noted that apart from the financial needs of these low-income families, the Government also looks at their other requirements, such as food, employment and healthcare.

The Social Service Offices (SSOs) usually work with these families by drawing up action plans to guide them towards improving their circumstances in different areas.

Help is also available for foreign spouses in “vulnerable transnational families”, Dr Faishal said.

For example, the SSOs work with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency to train ComCare recipients and help them find jobs.

SSOs may also link ComCare recipients with financial literacy classes for proper budgeting, or with other social services if they have family or socio-emotional issues, he added.

In response to MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling’s question on whether agencies can adopt a consistent definition of income criteria for different schemes, Dr Faishal said the Government “has been making efforts to streamline income criteria and simplify processes where appropriate”. “(It) will continue to do so across schemes that target the similar groups,” he added.

For instance, the Ministry of Health’s subsidy schemes for outpatients and long-term care, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s residential subsidy schemes for adults with disabilities make use of a common set of income information.

Dr Faishal noted that there are schemes that focus on “fairly unique beneficiary groups or needs”, and it is more appropriate for these groups to “adopt different income basis”.

Separately during the debate, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin shared with the House more details about the SHARE as One programme, which aims to increase regular giving through the ComChest SHARE programme.

From this month, the Government will match additional donations made through the ComChest programme, said Mr Tan. Donations above the levels made in Financial Year 2015 will be matched dollar-for-dollar for the next three years until the end of March 2019, he added.

More details of the SHARE as One programme — which will be administered by the Community Chest — will be announced soon. AMANDA LEE

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