Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Some seniors prefer help in cash to health subsidies

SINGAPORE — Cost of living issues, among them inflation and high transport fares, dominated concerns of seniors at a dialect dialogue session with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu yesterday, with a third of the questions posed focused on asking for more help such as in the form of cash, instead of health subsidies offered under the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP).

SINGAPORE — Cost of living issues, among them inflation and high transport fares, dominated concerns of seniors at a dialect dialogue session with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu yesterday, with a third of the questions posed focused on asking for more help such as in the form of cash, instead of health subsidies offered under the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP).

One of the 200 Yuhua elderly residents who attended the hour-long session at Jurong East Street 31 was an odd-job worker, who only wanted to be known as Mr Koh. The 73-year-old is one of many elderly who are feeling the pinch from the high costs of living. Every month, Mr Koh is left with only S$600 after paying his rent of S$500. “This is not enough for me to live on, and I can’t retire because of this,” he said in Mandarin.

In response, Ms Fu said medical subsidies were offered under the PGP because the move would benefit the highest number of elderly Singaporeans, while an initiative such as transport subsidies would benefit only some. And while many elderly folks do not use the public transport system, most would incur medical expenses, she added. At the same time, Ms Fu said, the focus on medical subsidies would free up some cash for them and take some pressure off their children.

“We thought if there was a package that could encompass everyone, healthcare would be the best way to ensure that everyone can benefit,” she told the audience. “So we placed all our firepower behind healthcare for this package.”

Speaking to the media after the event, Ms Fu said while some seniors may not understand all the details of the package, she hoped the session would give them “peace of mind, that their worries are very much taken care of”.

Other items announced in the Budget, such as Goods and Services Tax (GST) Vouchers and U-Save payments, would also help the elderly in their daily expenses, she noted.

When asked about their concerns that the rebates would not be sufficient help, Ms Fu said the Budget was not simply a one-off measure.

“From time to time, the Budget has always taken care of the needs (of people). We won’t say that this will be (the) one and only. We will take feedback and see what we can improve on in future Budget offerings,” she said.

Yesterday’s meeting was the first of two dialogue sessions that are jointly organised by Lianhe Wanbao and grassroots organisations, and is among a slew of measures by the Government to reach out to the elderly to help them understand the PGP better.

As part of the effort, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday his ministry will explore various channels, including working with schools and community organisations, to better communicate the package to elderly Singaporeans. Speaking on the sidelines of a Chinese Budget Forum organised by MediaCorp, Mr Gan acknowledged the need for older citizens to comprehend the healthcare subsidies available to them so that they would fully enjoy the benefits.

Besides tapping on grassroot leaders who conduct home visits and students to pass on the message, he said the communication process would have to be a long-term effort in order for details of the package to be understood. Additional reporting by Ng Jing Yng

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.