ASSISTANCE FOR SINGLE-INCOME FAMILIES

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Community Development what kind of public assistance, such as subsidized housing, educational grants, or outright financial grants, are currently given, or contemplated to be given, to single-income families earning less than $1,500 a month.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: The Government's approach in helping low income families is to help them to overcome their difficulties and improve their well-being through the support given by both the Government and the non-government sectors. Through the Many Helping Hands approach, the Government, together with the voluntary sector, has developed a network of social services to assist families in need.

The range of services and programmes covers the following:

• Financial assistance through the Public Assistance Scheme, the Rent & Utilities Assistance Scheme, the Small Families Improvement Scheme, Medifund and other financial schemes of Government departments, charitable organisations and self-help and religious groups.

• Counselling, information and referral services at Family Service Centres to help families to sort out their family and personal matters and help the children in tuition and supervised homework.

• Centre-Based Financial Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC) and the Subsidy for Before And After School Care (BASC) provide affordable child-care for low income families.

• Training awards available at the various community self-help groups help low-income and low-skilled workers pay for skills upgrading courses. Such training awards cover between 75% and 95% of the course fees.

• In the area of housing, HDB has various schemes such as the Low Income Family Incentive Scheme, Sale of 3-room Flats under the Registration for Flat System and Sale of Flats to Sitting Tenants Scheme to help low income families own HDB flats.

• Families who have elderly or disabled members can use the various support services such as day care centres, counselling services, home care services, respite care services, day activity centres and residential care facilities.

Information on the various types of schemes and services available are provided in the "Directory of Services to Help Low-Income Families". MCD and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) have jointly launched a Public Education Programme On Social Services targeted at about 98,000 households residing at the 1- and 2-room HDB flats in December 1997. Volunteers from the CDCs, Residents' Committees and voluntary welfare organisations visit these households to explain the various schemes and services and how to go about seeking assistance in times of need. The booklet "We are Just a Call Away" is used to brief the households. Copies of this booklet which are available in 4 languages are also given to them.

The CDC National Helpline launched in January 1998 enables residents to call for assistance. Residents need only remember the Helpline number to gain access to various services. The Helpline is published through a brochure issued by the CDC.

The various CDCs are actively working with the voluntary organisations to set up new services and schemes to better meet the needs of the residents.