When assessing a financial assistance application, the Community Development Councils consider the individual’s or family’s circumstances and put together a package to address their needs.
It can be in the form of a cash grant, vouchers for food, rent, utilities, service and conservancy charges, assistance with medical bills as well as pre-school or student care subsidies.
The amount, in cash and kind, varies from case to case. The period of assistance also differs. Hence, the average monthly cash assistance per beneficiary is not a good reflection of the adequacy of help.
Take for example a family of four, with a homemaker spouse and two young children, whose breadwinner has recently lost his job. His family may receive cash assistance of about S$600 a month, in addition to vouchers for utilities and service and conservancy charges.
The support is reviewed every three months. Each child can also receive childcare subsidies of up to S$340 a month when placed in childcare while the parents seek employment.
In another case, a single needy elderly on Public Assistance may receive S$400 in allowances monthly.
He or she will receive additional help with free medical treatment at polyclinics and restructured hospitals, rental subsidy and other free or subsidised services such as befriending, meal delivery and elderly day centre activities.
Beyond Government assistance, the elderly may receive supplementary help from community-based agencies. The total value of the support can amount to about S$1,000 monthly. Such assistance is reviewed yearly.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports shares Mr Leong’s concern for the low income and needy. We regularly monitor and review the assistance given to ComCare beneficiaries.
For instance, allowance rates for the Public Assistance scheme were revised upward four times between 2007 and this year, taking into account inflationary pressures.
The scheme helps those who are unable to fend for themselves and have no family to turn to, despite their best effort. Childcare and kindergarten subsidies for low-income families were also revised four times during the period.
We will continue to monitor the environment and where necessary, take measures to help needy families cope with basic living
