PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME

Parliament of Singapore · 12 February 2007

Official Report, 12 February 2007, Vol 82, Issue 9 · Open in the reader (summaries, search, filters)

Lily NeoYu-Foo Yee Shoon

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME:

(Review): 13.

Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports when was the last review of the Public Assistance Scheme and whether there has been an increase in the number of families on the Public Assistance Scheme.

The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Assistance Scheme is targeted at helping needy Singaporeans who are unable to work and have no family support. The number of families on the scheme has been stable for the past five years at about 3,000 families at any one time. MCYS reviews the Public Assistance Scheme regularly and takes into consideration changes in the cost of living for families on public assistance. The scheme was last reviewed in 2002 and the revised rates were implemented on 1st January 2003. And I would like to inform hon. Members that there is good news - a review is currently ongoing and likely to be completed within the next few months.

Mr Speaker: Yes, Dr Neo, one minute left.

Dr Lily Neo: May I request that this review be commensurate with inflation because, in the past, the review had not been. And from my study on 32 elderly PA cases, it shows that they need $400 a month, whereas now, from the $260 per month, they only have to live from $5 per day, which is too little even for subsistence living. The other issue is whether we could also look into the eligibility criteria because we have been very stringent as there are less than 2,800 cases of PA allowance cases whereas, according to a study, there are 100,000 households that need assistance from charitable organisations.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: **** Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos. 18, 21-22, 32-33, 43-46, 51, 59 and 61-62 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 14-17, 19-20, 23-31, 34-42, 47-50, 52-58, 60 and 63 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 15 February 2007 .]

  • Cols. 1299-1318.

Source: Singapore Parliament Official Report (Hansard) for 12 February 2007. Republished on SGParliament.