Forum: Use CHAS card status as indicator of financial hardship to help seniors

Seniors are now excluded from the Silver Support Scheme (SSS) if they own a five-room or larger HDB flat or if their CPF contributions at age 55 exceeded the fixed threshold of $140,000. I feel these eligibility criteria should be reviewed.

During recent debates in Parliament, it was highlighted that the CPF Full Retirement Sum has been raised multiple times since 2016 to keep pace with inflation. In contrast, the SSS contribution threshold has not been revised since 2021. It is timely to reassess whether these criteria still reflect present-day realities.

The SSS is especially important for those who retired in 2000 or earlier. This group had fewer opportunities to accumulate CPF savings.

Many met the then-minimum sum of $60,000 through a combination of HDB property pledges (up to 50 per cent) with the rest coming from their modest CPF balances. A substantial number of seniors now have extremely low or even zero Basic Retirement Sum balances and are denied support on technical grounds that no longer reflect today’s financial landscape.

A more correct and compassionate indicator of financial hardship would be the CHAS Blue or Orange card status. Seniors holding CHAS Blue or Orange cards have already undergone rigorous means-testing and are verified by the authorities as financially strained.

Greater emphasis could therefore be placed on current, practical indicators such as CHAS status, as well as on seniors with little or no income and limited family support, regardless of flat type.

As the $140,000 CPF benchmark grows less relevant over time, a more ground-up and compassionate review will help ensure that support reaches seniors who are struggling to age with dignity.

Chun Shian Chew