FAMILIES AT RISK

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development (a) what is the number of families at risk; (b) what are the criteria for defining such families; and (c) if there are no well-defined criteria, whether he will have them set out.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: The Committee on Destitute Families, one of the 3 Committees set up by the Advisory Council on Family and Community Life, defined families at risk as being those families who are likely to fall into destitution should they be faced with some untoward event.

Destitution can be caused by any or a combination of these conditions:

(a) physical, intellectual and mental dysfunction arising from prolonged illness such as heart illness, chronic kidney diseases which impair the person's ability to secure permanent full-time employment and strain the family's financial resources.

(b) socio-psychological dysfunction due to personality disorders such as delinquency or drug addiction of one parent.

(c) family structure dysfunction as a result of various reasons such as death of one marriage partner, divorce or marital conflict.

Based on the 1988 Annual Labour Force Survey, the Committee estimated that there are 22,140 families with an earned income below the Minimum Household Expenditure (MHE) which accounted for about 3.5% of the total households in Singapore.

There are various schemes administered by Government and community organisations to assist families at risk. Such schemes include the Rent and Utilities Assistance Scheme administered by the National Council of Social Service and the Financial Assistance Scheme administered by Ministry of Education. The eligibility for assistance to these families varies according to the objectives and types of assistance provided.