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‘Limitations’ in having a single poverty line

SINGAPORE — A single poverty line is “one-dimensional” and inadequate for identifying the poor or assessing the effectiveness of assistance schemes, said Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing yesterday.

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong

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SINGAPORE — A single poverty line is “one-dimensional” and inadequate for identifying the poor or assessing the effectiveness of assistance schemes, said Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing yesterday.

Hence, the Government has opted to have different criteria to identify groups of Singaporeans who require support, “depending on the purpose”. “In other words, we have multiple lines of assistance instead of a single poverty line,” he said.

Mr Chan was responding to a parliamentary question for written reply from Nominated Member of Parliament Laurence Lien on whether the Government would review its stand on defining a poverty line for Singapore.

In his reply, Mr Chan noted that a poverty line has its limitations — it could lead to a cliff effect where those below the line are guaranteed a whole range of help and those above receive none, regardless of actual needs. Neither does it provide “useful information on the depth or intensity of needs of low-income families”, he said.

Yesterday, several Members of Parliament (MPs) had raised concerns about the eligibility criteria of various social assistance schemes and their impact on the needy, with Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Intan Azura Mokhtar rising to speak in an adjournment motion on social assistance and affordability.

Responding, Mr Chan assured that there is no cliff effect in the national assistance scheme, Comcare, as “overall circumstances beyond income” are taken into account when assessing applications.

These factors include household size, number of schooling children and medical conditions.

He added that the Government takes a “flexible” approach in ensuring that help is rendered to those who need it most.

He also pointed out that last year, more than 1,500 households received assistance despite not meeting Comcare’s eligibility criteria. As of June, 11,800 households have received short- and medium-term Comcare assistance.

Mr Chan also stressed that those with the lowest incomes should always get the most. “We should not be in a situation whereby because of politics, the middle income group end up getting the bulk of it and we neglect the lowest-income group,” he said.

In her speech, Dr Intan suggested refinements to various assistance schemes, such as paying Medisave Maternity Package subsidies for pre-delivery expenses upfront to low-income mothers, instead of reimbursing them after delivery. She also called for better coordination between agencies for effective assistance.

Mr Chan acknowledged that more could be done on this front. Earlier, he also said the planned national database for the social services sector could help streamline processes and that social workers will be trained to understand the types of help available.

Two questions on the Government’s stance on a single poverty line have been tabled for today’s Parliament sitting.

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