26 March, 2014
By Leong Sze Hian
I refer to the recent Parliamentary proceedings reported in Hansard.
Replies not reported in media?
I found some interesting replies to questions that I do not remember reading in the media.
MEDIUM-TERM TO SHORT-TERM COMCARE SCHEME APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS
29 Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to the medium-term to short-term ComCare schemes for each year from 2009-2013 (a) how many recipients are there on these schemes at year end; (b) how many applicants are assessed for these schemes; (c) how many have been successful; and (d) how many applicants in each of the above categories from (a) to (c) are aged 55 years and above.
What is interesting from the Minister’s reply below is that –
Successful application rate only 65%?
… The successful application rate for ComCare medium and short-term assistance (excluding the long-term Public Assistance) in 2013 was only about 65%
Active beneficiaries only 57%?
… The most startling (I believe never revealed before) statistics that the ratio of the number of active beneficiaries as at end December 2013, at 12,535, to the number of successful applicants (families) for the whole year, at 21,955, was only about 57%.
Does this mean that most of those assisted were for short periods as the total number of families receiving assistance at end December was only about 6 in 10 families?
This may be a far cry from media reports of previous disclosures – which may have given the impression that about twice the number of needy families were being helped in a (whole) year.
More elderly applicants?
… The ratio of over age 54 successful applicants to all successful applicants has increased from about 21 to 31%, from 2009 to 2013.
Does this mean that more Singaporeans who have worked the greater part of their working lives, may still be struggling in their elderly years?
In this regard, the ratio of active over age 54 beneficiaries to active beneficiaries at end December 2013, was even worse – increasing from 23 to 34% from 2009 to 2013.
How much assistance?
What is perhaps even more interesting statistics on ComCare, may be the breakdown of the amount of assistance that families actually received monthly, and for what duration.
