Higher ComCare cash assistance rates from Aug for low-income households

ComCare's cash assistance rates will be raised from Aug 1, in permanent enhancements made to its Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) and Long-Term Assistance (LTA) schemes.

This move by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is part of the support measures announced by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday to help households and businesses tackle economic challenges, such as higher global inflation.

A one-person household on ComCare LTA will receive greater cash assistance of $640 a month, compared with the current $600.

A two-person household will get $1,080 a month, up from $1,000.

A three-person household will receive $1,510, up from $1,400, while a four-person household will get $1,930, up from $1,750.

MSF said the increase will benefit around 4,000 ComCare LTA households, most of which comprise elderly folk with little or no income and family support.

The cash assistance is part of a support package that can include medical care at public healthcare institutions, social services and community support.

Those who apply for ComCare SMTA or apply to renew their existing SMTA can also expect to receive greater cash aid and support for utility expenses. The amount will depend on the household's composition, needs and income.

The enhancements follow temporary measures announced in April to help low-income households cope with increases in cost of living arising from global supply chain disruptions and the Ukraine war. Those temporary measures will remain in place until Sept 30 and enable new ComCare SMTA beneficiaries to receive at least six months of assistance.

Current beneficiaries who renew their applications will get at least three additional months of aid.

Mr Mohd Bahazli Zainudin, 59, lives with his wife and three children in a two-room rental flat. His eldest son, 31, has Down syndrome and requires full-time care by his wife. The family has been receiving ComCare SMTA since June 2020, and the additional support announced yesterday will help them make ends meet, he said.

"Every month, we just eat whatever we can. Usually, we run out of cash just as the month ends, so having a bit more will help cushion our expenses," said Mr Bahazli, who has been unemployed since last November due to medical reasons.

Apart from enhanced ComCare help, there will be an additional payout of up to $300 for Goods and Services Tax Voucher - Cash recipients in August. This will benefit about 1.5 million Singaporeans.

And every Singaporean household will receive $100 by September to help offset utility bills.

Also, the Singapore Allowance and monthly pension ceiling for pensioners who draw lower pensions will be enhanced by $30 each, to $350 and $1,280, respectively. The allowance is an additional payment to help pensioners who draw lower pensions. Since its 1974 introduction, it has been increased 14 times, the last time in 2019, taking into account factors such as inflationary pressures.

Addressing concerns about rising food prices, Mr Wong said at a media conference that the key lever the Government uses to make sure food remains affordable is ensuring that all housing estates have affordable options such as hawker centres and coffee shops run by social enterprises like NTUC Foodfare.

He was replying to a question on recent multimillion-dollar coffee shop sales that made headlines, and anxiety on the ground that these would lead to higher rents and more expensive meals.

"(The availability of cheaper options) will also put some competitive pressure in the market when it comes to some of these commercial transactions," he added.