Government widens income benchmark for ComCare financial help
From Jul 17, the per capita household income benchmark for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance will be S$800, instead of the current S$650.
SINGAPORE: Income benchmarks for ComCare, Singapore’s support scheme for lower-income households, will be revised from Jul 17, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
The per capita household income benchmark for ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) will be raised from the current S$650 (US$490) and below, to S$800 and below, said MSF in a media release on Thursday (Jul 13).
ComCare SMTA provides financial assistance to those temporarily unable to work or earning a low income. Beneficiaries receive support for basic living expenses, household bills, medical bills and finding employment.
The current household income benchmark for SMTA will also be removed, and only the per capita household income benchmark will be used. The latter more accurately reflects basic living expenses, which vary according to household size, said MSF.
ELIGIBILITY FOR COMCARE BASED ON HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT
The per capita household income benchmark is not a criterion that automatically qualifies a household for SMTA, said MSF.
Social Service Offices will determine a person's eligibility for financial aid based on a "holistic assessment", and those with income below what they require for their basic needs may qualify. Households are also assessed on factors such as their amount of savings and availability of family support.
The revised per capita household income benchmark of S$800 and below will also apply to other ComCare schemes from Jul 17, said MSF.
These schemes are ComCare Interim Assistance, for those who require urgent and temporary financial relief, and ComCare Long-Term Assistance, which provides aid over a longer period of time to people who are permanently unable to work due to old age, illness or disability, and have little or no family support.
Elderly people whose children have per capita household income of S$800 and below may be eligible for ComCare Long-Term Assistance, said MSF.
REVISION OF COMCARE INCOME BENCHMARKS
The ComCare income benchmarks were last revised in 2014. The monthly household income benchmark was raised from $1,700 and below to S$1,900 and below, while the monthly per capita household income benchmark was raised from S$550 and below to S$650 and below.
MSF reviews ComCare income benchmarks every two to three years, taking into consideration official data on expenditure for basic living needs, projected inflation and views from social service professionals who work with lower-income households.
According to MSF’s latest ComCare annual report, about S$177 million was disbursed under ComCare programmes in the financial year of 2021. Around 34,000 households received ComCare SMTA, while 4,000 households received ComCare Long-Term Assistance in 2021.
MSF last increased ComCare cash assistance rates on Aug 1, 2022. A one-person household on ComCare Long-Term Assistance would receive a higher cash assistance of S$640 per month, up from S$600 per month.
Households in need of assistance can apply for ComCare online via SupportGoWhere or in person at any Social Service Office.
Those who need help completing the online application form can call the ComCare hotline at 1800 222 0000, email Ask_SSO [at] msf.gov.sg, or approach their nearest Social Service Office.
