‘More flexibility needed’ in assessing Silver Support Scheme eligibility
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Several Members of Parliament (MPs) urged greater flexibility in assessing whether a senior citizen qualifies for the new Silver Support Scheme during the Budget debate in Parliament yesterday.
For example, the Government can consider seniors’ final Central Provident Fund (CPF) balances and their financial situation, and exercise flexibility when assessing appeal cases, they suggested. There were also calls to raise the amount of money given out under the scheme and provide monthly instead of quarterly payouts.
Announcing details of the scheme in the Budget statement last Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the Government would look at three factors when deciding eligibility: An elderly person’s lifetime wages, level of household support he or she receives and the type of housing he or she lives in.
The new scheme will support the bottom 20 per cent of Singaporeans aged 65 and above, with a smaller degree of support extended to cover up to 30 per cent of seniors. Those who qualify will receive between S$300 and S$750 every three months.
Yesterday, MP Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade GRC) suggested the Government look at final CPF balances of the elderly. “If the elderly have very low CPF balance, it suggests a very real likelihood that they will have less payouts for retirement,” she said. The Government can also consider appeals on a case-by-case basis as some seniors face “particular circumstances”. This may include elderly living in inherited landed homes but are, in reality, financially poor, she added.
Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam said when evaluating the amount of household support seniors receive, this criterion should not deny support for seniors whose children are unable to support them or who are estranged.
He also called for monthly payouts. “Silver Support recipients are not working and receiving a salary, unlike Workfare recipients, yet they still have monthly household expenses such as food and transport.” This was also suggested by the People’s Action Party Seniors Group last week.
Mr Giam felt the Silver Support quantum seems “rather low”. Estimating that the payouts would work out to between S$100 and S$250 a month, he said this is less than the S$761 the bottom 20 per cent of households spend or the S$317 retiree households spend on basic household necessities each month, citing the Household Expenditure Survey 2012/13.
But, disagreeing with those who called for less stringent criteria, Nominated MP Randolph Tan said: “Giving, say, a few hundred dollars to everyone of a certain demographic group would spread the amounts too thin. It is better to give to those who need them in a structured and precise manner.”
There are others in the lowest income quintile who deserve targeted assistance, such as those who are holding jobs while balancing that with caregiving roles, he said.
Other concerns were raised on whether the new scheme would reduce the amount of existing assistance given to seniors and whether the elderly could understand the scheme’s eligibility criteria. MP (Tanjong Pagar GRC) Chia Shi-Lu asked whether other government transfers such as Workfare could be integrated into the Silver Support Scheme to avoid confusion.
