SINGAPORE - Residents of Bedok will have better access to help with the launch of a new social service office in their estate.

The office is at the void deck of Block 426 Bedok North Road and is the 12th such office officially opened by the Ministry of Social and Family Development since the middle of last year. The ministry aims to set up 23 social service offices by next June.

These offices work with voluntary welfare organisations and community partners in their areas to better coordinate the social services they offer. Along with family service centres islandwide, the offices will put help within 2km of where 95 per cent of needy residents live or work.

The office, which had its soft launch in June, is sited in East Coast GRC MP Lee Yi Shyan's Kampong Chai Chee ward. Mr Lee, who is also the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development, was guest of honour at the opening of the office on Thursday.

Bedok is one of the oldest HDB towns here. It has 80,700 residents aged 55 and above, or about one in four of the residents. Staff at the social service office handle about a dozen walk-in cases each day, of which about 90 per cent need financial aid.