A person's eligibility for the Silver Support Scheme is assessed automatically and no application is needed.

Despite fulfilling all the criteria, my 80-year-old widowed mother, who lives in a three-room Housing Board flat, was considered ineligible.

I found out later that her flat tenant's income was classified as part of the household income, although there is no family relationship between them.

Do government agencies now include a tenant's income as part of one's household income when assessing eligibility for social service schemes?

We now need to file an appeal to the Central Provident Fund Board and was told that even if it is approved, the missed payout will not be made good.

This aspect of the government assistance scheme needs to be clarified, as many low-income and elderly folk will be affected.

Chan Chee Soon