I refer to the letter “Silver Support payout should not be based on past earning capacity” (July 25). The Pioneer Generation Package and Silver Support Scheme are two different schemes with different objectives.

The Pioneer Generation Package was introduced to honour and thank our pioneers for their hard work and dedication to making what Singapore is today.

The Silver Support Scheme was introduced to supplement the incomes of the lifelong low-income elderly who have less retirement support.

It targets the bottom 20 per cent of Singaporeans aged 65 and above, with a smaller degree of support extended to cover up to 30 per cent of the elderly. Not all pioneers, therefore, are eligible for this scheme.

Pioneers who did not receive a letter for the Silver Support Scheme should not feel disappointed and despair.

Having total CPF contributions of not more than S$70,000 by age 55 is one of the many criteria in determining who the lifelong low-income elderly are. Whatever criteria are set, there are bound to be those who just miss out.