ComCare criteria for financial help to be reviewed in 2022

SINGAPORE - The eligibility criteria for receiving financial aid from ComCare, a key social safety net for low-income individuals in Singapore, will be reviewed "sometime" this year, said Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Tuesday (Jan 11).

ComCare helps low-income households with basic living expenses, and to tide over temporary financial difficulty, through its Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) scheme.

To be eligible, applicants must have a household income of $1,900 and below, or a per capita household income of $650 and below.

Mr Edward Chia (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) had asked in Parliament if the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) would consider reviewing the eligibility threshold for assistance in view of rising inflation and slow economic growth.

Mr Masagos said MSF appraises the criteria every two to three years, with the last review conducted in 2019 and the next one scheduled for this year.

"While there is an income eligibility criterion for ComCare SMTA, the criterion is not a hard threshold to qualify for assistance," he added.

Instead, social service offices (SSOs) assess the needs of individuals and families "holistically", and exercise flexibility in providing the necessary financial assistance and community support.

Mr Chia later asked what the considerations behind the review period were, and if MSF was exploring ways to reduce the "time lag" between its evaluations and increases in the cost of living.

But Mr Masagos said this period was not critical because it serves as an internal guideline only and that officials would still look at ways to help those who do not qualify for ComCare assistance.

In response to another query from Mr Chia on whether the SMTA aid could be rendered beyond the three-month period to reduce the anxiety felt by low-income households, Mr Masagos said that amid Covid-19, some extensions have taken place "automatically" where necessary.

Prior to the pandemic and its economic fallout, these time intervals were in place for MSF to check in with the beneficiaries on their employment or health status.

In November last year, MSF revealed that most of the new recipients of ComCare help between April and December 2020 were assisted for at least six months.

For its financial year ending March 31, 2021, the ministry disbursed $236 million through ComCare to 96,000 individuals - both record-breaking numbers since the initiative began in 2005.

Mr Masagos urged people who encounter neighbours, friends or family members in need of support to call the ComCare hotline on 1800-222-0000, or refer them to the nearest SSO or Family Service Centre for assistance.