Reviewing Income Computation Method and Considering Caregiving Expenses for Childcare Subsidy Eligibility

Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider (i) reviewing the computational method for the gross monthly household income and per capita income to exclude the income of other family members for young parents residing in their parents’ or relatives’ properties and (ii) factoring caregiving expenses for elderly dependents into the eligibility assessments of the applicants of Additional Subsidy for childcare.

The Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Mr Goh Pei Ming) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Early Childhood and Development Agency (ECDA) uses the gross monthly household income to assess the amount of means tested additional subsidy that a family qualifies for. This approach looks only at the income of both parents of a child in the family and does not include the income of other family members in the household.

However, we do allow for larger families with five or more household members to be means tested on a per capita basis, which may qualify them for higher subsidies. Their per capita income would be computed using the income of all the family members in the household, divided by the total number of family members in the household. And such families would receive the more favourable means tested result of the two processes.

Mr Speaker: Mr Muhaimin.

Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two supplementary questions for Minister of State Goh: first, whether the Ministry has engaged social service agencies or family service centres to gather feedback on how current eligibility criteria affect caregiving households. And number question two, whether the Ministry can share a timeline for any planned review of subsidy eligibility frameworks affecting young families.

Mr Goh Pei Ming: I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Generally, it pertains to feedback and making sure that we stay close to the ground. I would like to reassure the Member that ECDA and MSF are in close contact with the preschools, as well as in close contact with the various family service centres and social service agencies on the ground. We do hear from them in terms of the feedback, whether the means testing processes are streamlined, effective and really serve our residents. We will not shy away from making necessary changes when we do get some feedback.