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Govt to close gap in care for more severely disabled

SINGAPORE — The Government has acknowledged its lack of expertise in helping persons with moderate-to-severe disabilities, but steps will be taken to address that, said Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development, during the Committee of Supply debate yesterday.

SINGAPORE — The Government has acknowledged its lack of expertise in helping persons with moderate-to-severe disabilities, but steps will be taken to address that, said Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development, during the Committee of Supply debate yesterday.

“Let me say that I know and I agree that we have a gap, especially for the moderate-to-severe-disability group. In the last two years, with your (Member of Parliament Denise Phua’s) efforts and the efforts of many VWOs, we have taken a step in that direction by tackling the mild-to-moderate adult disability group first because we are very lacking in our support for expertise to manage this group,” said Mr Chan.

The Minister was responding to Ms Phua, who asked if the Government could provide more help to families of adults with moderate-to-severe disabilities, who are often “very helpless and frustrated, and anxious and worried”.

Does the ministry have plans to help these adults reach financial independence, physical fitness, physical well-being, social well-being and continued education, she asked.

Mr Chan said these were areas the ministry had wanted to develop, but it took “a step in that direction by going in to the mild-to-moderate (disabilities group) first because, admittedly, that is easier and we need to build up our capacity and capability”. “Today, we don’t yet have enough specialists in this area,” he told the House.

As for care services for disabled adults, Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for the MSF, said the ministry will continue to increase their availability. By the end of the year, there will be another 140 places in day activity centres to care for and provide skills training for adults with higher-care needs, she said.

To raise the standard of quality and care at homes for disabled adults, the MSF will introduce a licensing framework for adult disability homes in 2016.

Other schemes that the MSF will introduce include transport subsidies that will cost the Government about S$24 million a year and are expected to benefit more than 50,000 people with disabilities.

From July 6, those taking public transport can expect to pay 25 per cent less in adult fares on bus and rail services and those who take VWO transport will receive subsidies of 30 to 80 per cent from July 1.

Taxi subsidies of up to 50 per cent will also be given to those who are unable to take public or dedicated transport to work or school from Oct 1.

The MSF will also be enhancing the coverage and increasing the subsidies for children with special needs under the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children.

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Budget 2014

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