Maintenance could be given based on need, not gender

SINGAPORE — A woman may be asked to contribute to the maintenance of her former husband under exceptional circumstances, such as when he is permanently incapacitated, under possible changes to the Women’s Charter that are being mulled over.

Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said yesterday that the Government is considering tweaking the Charter, which protects families and ensures the maintenance of wives and children, to provide better support for them.

He said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will also be exploring how relief can be given to a “handful of men” who are permanently or severely incapacitated and are unable to pay maintenance to their former wives. In such cases, the woman could be asked to support her former husband instead.

“The nature of the needs of families are evolving and while today, we are very focused on the issue of supporting women and children ... we also have to look at the interests of men, (as) they could be incapacitated from whatever unfortunate reason,” he said.

Mr Chan added that such cases — based on needs rather than gender — will only be for “very exceptional cases”.

The minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the start of a series of conversations with social and civic groups at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), on the complications of divorce.

The proposed changes to the Charter — which will also include enhancing the enforcement of maintenance by providing better support through the legal framework and the community — are aimed at easing the financial burden of vulnerable families during and after a divorce. The changes will also target men who are able to afford maintenance but refuse to pay up.

According to the Family Court, about 3,000 applications for enforcement of maintenance orders are filed annually in the past two years. About 60 per cent of these applications involve defaulters from the low-income group.

When asked why the MSF is reviewing the maintenance enforcement framework only two years after the setting up of the Maintenance Support Central, which provides support and assistance to both men and women, Mr Chan said it is part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the support system for families and children.

Yesterday’s conversation, which involved about 30 women from the SCWO’s shelter and the women’s chapters from the NTUC and People’s Association, was held amid ongoing public discussions on the Family Justice Bill, which is expected to be read a second time in Parliament next month. The consultation is expected to wrap up early next year.

Mr Chan also spoke of the steps the Government is taking to further protect the interests of a child whose parents are divorcing.

Apart from requiring the parents to go for counselling in the pre-filing stage to discuss the child’s interests, the MSF is also studying how agencies, including Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres, can provide a better support structure for these families in addressing issues such as housing and employment.