WORK ASSISTANCE PLAN AND HOME OWNERSHIP PLUS EDUCATION PROGRAMME

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WORK ASSISTANCE PLAN AND HOME OWNERSHIP PLUS EDUCATION PROGRAMME: 10.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Community Development and Sports (a) how far have the Work

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Assistance Plan (WAP) and the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) programme been working to fulfill their objectives; (b) what other measures, if any, will be put in place to help as many of the underclass as possible; and (c) how will the Government encourage community help groups to step in to care for the disadvantaged without creating a sense of dependency.

The Minister for Community Development and Sports (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, Dr Amy Khor has asked for an update on the Work Assistance Programme (WAP) and the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme. I am pleased to report that since the launch of WAP last October, over 2,100 Singaporeans have been placed on the scheme by end February 2004. Some of the remaining applications are still being processed. Over 40% of these beneficiaries were successfully placed in employment. About 10% were referred for intensive employment-related counselling.

I am also pleased to say that the response to the HOPE scheme, which was launched in January this year, has been encouraging. For the first two months, the CDCs had received 370 applications of which over 65% were assessed to be eligible. While the response has been good, it is rather premature at this point to assess how the families have been faring. We will continue to monitor and support the families' progress through the mentoring programme.

Dr Khor also asked what other measures will be put in place to help the disadvantaged. Earlier in March, my Ministry announced the Self-Reliance Programme which will replace two existing schemes - namely the Interim Financial Assistance and the Rent and Utilities Assistance Scheme with effect from January next year. The Programme will provide more targeted help for families

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whose adult members are not able to work in the short term due to illness or care-giving responsibilities. The package of assistance includes cash allowances, utilities subsidies, educational allowances and medical subsidy and will be customised depending on the needs of the family. Families on the programme, particularly those with young children, will have to play their part to improve their own situation. They will be given case management support and will be required to follow the intervention roadmap drawn up by their case manager in consultation with them.

While we will continue to strengthen our social safety net to provide more targeted help to those in need, it is equally important that the individuals and families understand the crucial role they play in lifting themselves out of the situation. They must play their part and make use of the opportunities to improve their situation. The Government's efforts alone are not enough. We certainly look to complementary support from our various community partners, such as the self-help groups, the CDCs and social service agencies. Community groups can help widen our outreach to these needy families and point them to the help available. Social service agencies play a critical role in the mentoring aspects of our programme - for example, by providing the guidance to families on the HOPE and the Self-Reliance Programme to enable them to work towards independence. As I mentioned in the recent Committee of Supply debate, some agencies have, on their own, started good initiatives to help low income families. We welcome more of such initiatives and will facilitate the sharing of effective interventions among our community partners.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what is being done for the 50% unsuccessful

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WAP applicants, some of whom, I am given to understand through my meet-the-people session, could be chronically unemployed in the long term. Are they transferred to other schemes?

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, what will happen is that the CDC officer will make an assessment. If the applicants are not eligible for WAP, they will be considered for other schemes which are provided either through the Government or through some of the schemes offered at the local or CDC level.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: Sir, one more supplementary question. I would like to ask the Minister if there is any guideline given to the CDCs, for instance, as to how long the applicants would have to be on the WAP programme before they are transferred to other schemes. Because very often, I have people who come and say that they have not had any response or they are still on the WAP scheme waiting for a job.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: There are guidelines from the Ministry. But we recognise that each case may be different and the CDCs have been informed and have exercised flexibility on their part to ensure that none of the applicants on WAP remain over too long a period. As you know, there is an obligation on the part of the applicants to go out, take the job referral that we have given to them and to ensure that they continue to make an effort to secure a job. If they are unsuccessful, we will continue to assist them. But if they have been negligent on their part, we will have to take some form of measure to make sure that they get back on to the roadmap that we have developed for them. But, nonetheless, I would like to assure the Member that we will try our very best to help every Singaporean that is placed on the WAP so that they can get the jobs as soon as possible.

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Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, how does the Ministry monitor whether the CDC is following the guidelines of the Ministry and whether the CDC is efficient in handling such cases and in a reasonable time, because I have also received similar complaints as Dr Amy Khor?

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, my officers are in constant contact with the CDCs and we do monitor the progress. As these are Government-funded programmes, we would require the CDCs to submit to us the number of applicants. We are quite happy with the performance of the CDCs at this stage. But I think we have to recognise that, as far as the CDCs are concerned, these are new things which they have taken on board and to develop the capability in a short period of time, I think, would be asking too much. But rest assured that the CDCs are committed to helping Singaporeans. If there are instances that both Dr Amy Khor or Mr Low would like me to look into, I would be most happy to look into, in this particular instance.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Sir, can I have the Minister's clarification that, of the 35% who are ineligible for the HOPE programme, how many of them or what percentage of them are the borderline cases, for example, one spouse meets the eligibility requirement but the other does not, and whether the Ministry has started looking at this on a case-by-case basis to allow them leeway to get into the programme?

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I do not have the details of the 35% that we have rejected. They may be borderline cases. But we have left it to the CDCs to exercise flexibility. My only reply to the Member is that, at this point in time, we are still new in implementing this scheme. It is only over two months. I think let us develop as we go along. And if there are

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instances whereby we can move at the margins, I think we will certainly consider that.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there are any key performance indicators set up by his Ministry to monitor the work of the CDCs, in terms of how fast they respond to requests for assistance, what is the progress and whether they will track all this.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, this is an entirely separate question. But I would like to assure him that we do monitor the performance of the CDCs. There are indicators. There are service standards that we ask of the CDCs, and thus we are very satisfied with the CDCs.