WITH the economic downturn likely to hit lower-income families the hardest, the Government yesterday announced additional financial help for those who need it.
It is also working on being quicker to respond to applications for social aid and aims to be more flexible in helping 'sandwiched' families, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said after a dialogue with residents in Boon Lay.
The Jan 22 Budget is also likely to enhance community-based assistance schemes already in place.In the meantime, improved initiatives to tide over the poor are being put into effect.
First, childcare centre subsidies for low-income families - those with monthly household incomes of under $1,800 - will be enhanced from Jan 1.
A family with an income of less than $500 now gets a $340 monthly subsidy for the first and second child, and $275 for the third and fourth child. There is no subsidy for any child beyond that.
But from Jan 1, such families will get up to $340 a child, no matter the birth order. This is on top of the $300 childcare subsidy for all working mothers that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally speech.
Dr Balakrishnan's other announcement was that Citizens' Consultative Committees' (CCC) ComCare Fund for needy residents will be topped up where required.
The ComCare Fund gives CCC advisers the discretion to meet the needs of the poor in their wards.
Although a total of $6.25 million has been allotted to the fund for the year ending March 31, Dr Balakrishnan said he was looking 'to see whether we will need more in future'.
Of the 84 constituencies, each of which get $52,000 a year from the fund, two have sought top-ups: Chinatown and Boon Lay.
'So long as these programmes are good programmes, and the grassroot leaders believe in them and the residents are benefiting, we will continue to press on,' he told reporters after the dialogue.
'If they need more resources, we will make them available.'
Flanked by Boon Lay ward MP Ho Geok Choo and Mayor for South West Community Development Council (CDC) Amy Khor, he fielded questions for an hour. Most were on help for Singaporeans amid fears of wage cuts and job losses.
Responding, Dr Balakrishnan had this message for all: 'No matter how tough things get, Singaporeans will continue to have a roof over their heads, food on the tables, children will go to school, health care will be taken care of, training opportunities will be available for the adults.'
On ComCare funds, he said Madam Ho had asked for an extra 25 to 30 per cent more.
She later told The Straits Times that this was because three-quarters of her ward's $52,000 budget had already been used up. She added that in the last two to three months, the number of residents seeking help at Meet-the-People sessions had risen from 60 to 80. Most live in rental, two- or three-room flats and need help with utility bills.
While these bills are slated to fall, she anticipates that with new rounds of retrenchments, more will seek aid.
The enhanced measures yesterday may be an indication of how Jan 22 Budget will address social assistance needs.
Dr Balakrishnan hinted that the emphasis will be on improving existing schemes: 'Most people have told me, don't come up with new schemes and make the situation more complicated.'
What they want to know is whether the Government will provide additional assistance if the need arises.
'And the answer to that is a clear and resounding yes,' he said.
His ministry is working with CDCs to reduce the processing time for applications, and he said there will be more flexibility for families 'on the boundary' - those above the $1,500 household income criteria applicable for most help schemes.
