Cases of elderly parents taking legal action against their children for a lack of maintenance has fallen from 110 in 2011, to 84 last year.

Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said in Parliament on Tuesday that the downward trend was due to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents clearing its queue of cases.

Also, more elderly parents are turning to mediation rather than legal action, he added, in response to questions by MPs.

Mr Chan also revealed that the cases of abandonment of elderly parents, such as when an 82-year-old wheelchair-bound man was found in Johor Bahru in April, remain low overall.

Over the past three yeas, Mr Chan said his ministry has seen less than five abandonment cases a year, while social service agencies and hospitals report an average of less than 10 cases a year, he said.

"Nonetheless, we are closely monitoring the cases. Our priority is to ensure the elderly's welfare," he added.