Is the Public Assistance scheme adequate for elderly folks?
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Is the Public Assistance scheme adequate for elderly folks?
Sunday, 30 August 2009, 7:45 pm | 3,170 views
Leong Sze Hian
When the question was last asked in parliament as to the rejection rate for applications for the Public Assistance scheme, the answer was that about 50 per cent were rejected.
As there are only about 3,000 Singaporeans receiving public assistance, the question that needs to be raised is whether the criteria to qualify is too strict?
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports’ (MCYS) website says:
“If you are unable to work owing to old age, illness or disability and have no means of subsistence and have little or no family support you may seek help under the PA scheme”.
The tens of thousands of elderly toilet cleaners, food court cleaners, used drink cans and used cardboard collectors, etc, I believe may also fail to meet the PA scheme criteria.
If the elderly lady earns more than $12 a day, she may be actually better of being a rubbish scavenger, as recepients of the PA scheme are not allowed to work.
I also understand that if you own a flat, or have working children, it is also very difficult to qualify. Would you prefer to stay in your own home – instead of having to sell it and use up the proceeds, in order to get $360?
Medifund I understand cannot be used for polyclinic out-patient treatment. I spoke to a 81 year-old toilet cleaner who earns just $600 a month, and she told me that her biggest worry is that everytime she goes to a polyclinic about every three months, she has to pay about $98 for her three-months medicine and consultation.
As I understand it, the criteria to qualify for Medifund is confidential. As far as I am able to find out, the patient and family members must all have nothing in their Medisave, very little in their bank accounts, hardly any extra monthly disposable income, in order to get Medifund subsidy. Also, getting Medifund does not mean free, it may just be a subsidy for part of the medical cost.
I also understand that about 20 per cent of Medifund applications are rejected.
Members of parliament should know what are the rejection rates for Public Assistance, Financial Assistance and Medifund in their own constituencies. I suggest that these statistics be made public.
Compare Singapore to any developed country, and the number of only 3,000 public assistance recipients against the total citizen population, may be the lowest “welfare per capita” in the world.
To get the whole picture, perhaps what we need are the statistics. For example, according to the latest Department of Statistics data available, the bottom ten percentile of employed households have a per capita monthly income of only $360. What about unemployed households and retiree households? How many of the 116,600 unemployed as at June 2009 have zero or very low per capita income?
How many Singaporeans earn less than $800? The latest data say that 292,800 residents (Singaporeans and PRs) earn less than $1,200, and about 126,800 work part-time for a median income of $600 which has remain unchanged from 1999 to 2008.
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Today elderly folks are yesterday ah lian and ah beng, they are less educated and therefore most failed to plan their financial porfolio well for retirement, indeed, we do sympathise them, but these group of old poeples will diminish as time goes by, the next batch will be better educated, faster to adapt and cheaper to maintain as they had planned well with good saving and investment.
Therefore i see a elderly folks of Singapore problem is only a temporary problem. As much as we wanted to help them, they have to help themselves by knowing themselves and status they are in. Live by their means and be happy that they are living in Singapore with so much avenues in Govt initiatives to help them.
The Govt should therefore focus on the younger generation is will emerge soon as the the elderly of Singapore, and I am happy that they are doing it, in teaching people about financial planing and investment, education, health and saving. If the Govt knows how to sow the young now, it will reap in their old age, and thereby giving no more problem to the govt and the society as a whole.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Today elderly folks are yesterday ah lian and ah beng, they are less educated and therefore most failed to plan their financial porfolio well for retirement, indeed, we do sympathise them, but these group of old poeples will diminish as time goes by, the next batch will be better educated, faster to adapt and cheaper to maintain as they had planned well with good saving and investment.
Therefore i see a elderly folks of Singapore problem is only a temporary problem. As much as we wanted to help them, they have to help themselves by knowing themselves and status they are in. Live by their means and be happy that they are living in Singapore with so much avenues in Govt initiatives to help them.
The Govt should therefore focus on the younger generation is will emerge soon as the the elderly of Singapore, and I am happy that they are doing it, in teaching people about financial planing and investment, education, health and saving. If the Govt knows how to sow the young now, it will reap in their old age, and thereby giving no more problem to the govt and the society as a whole.
Don't you dare insult my grandparents for calling them ah lian and ah beng!!!From what I read about your past posts, you don't give a damn about the old folks. Save your effort, don't post here to downgrade yourself further.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Don't you dare insult my grandparents for calling them ah lian and ah beng!!!From what I read about your past posts, you don't give a damn about the old folks. Save your effort, don't post here to downgrade yourself further.
Looking at how you have been posting.It wouldnt be surprising that your grandparents are indeed as mentioned.
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Originally posted by viciouskitty74:
Looking at how you have been posting.It wouldnt be surprising that your grandparents are indeed as mentioned.
Itchy to attract my attention again. So desperate for attention! I want to say to you jing shui bu fan he shui!
Those good fellows here know who the good and bad ones here are and this I am not including you.
Reading your posts is good way to know what a person you are. hahahaha!
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Itchy to attract my attention again. So desperate for attention! I want to say to you jing shui bu fan he shui!
Those good fellows here know who the good and bad ones here are and this I am not including you.
I trust it meant that you are the well water?The kind that feeds off underground river water and is often stagnant at that well?
Who needs to be a good fellow, when one who does not contribute to the society except mouthing off others with their fellow frogs in the well?
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Originally posted by viciouskitty74:
I trust it meant that you are the well water?The kind that feeds off underground river water and is often stagnant at that well?
Who needs to be a good fellow, when one who does not contribute to the society except mouthing off others with their fellow frogs in the well?
There you go again - making use of me to draw attention to yourself. So despo!!!hahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please don't make use of this thread to gain attention to yourself.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Reading your posts is good way to know what a person you are. hahahaha!
And people who actually knows you in person, tells me what a person you really are.I leave up to the forumers to decide, that is reading posts or really finding out a person and realising that the outbursts on the forums is the extension of their real personality is really a way to know a person for what they are.
There are those that believes that they could lie and ruin other people by means of forum bullying and pretending to be otherwise.
And I am sure there are those that are only comfortable of hiding behind their pc screen and believe they can lie and be not what they think they are.
And there are those, try to 'mai nong' their 'soo called goodness' because they are insecure about who they really are.
I am sure, your grandparents must be real proud of you defending them to be labeled as ah bengs or ah lians. But I can be doubly sure, they will so proud of you because you were pretending to be so fillal and respectful on the forums, when actually you were so not that in real life.
What makes a difference to a person? One that actually practises what he/she preaches....or one that only mouth off the theories?
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Don't you dare insult my grandparents for calling them ah lian and ah beng!!!From what I read about your past posts, you don't give a damn about the old folks. Save your effort, don't post here to downgrade yourself further.
who insulted yr granparents leh??? wha lau, dun anyhow said leh. Me got nothing to do with you lor. -
Originally posted by Fantagf:
Please don't make use of this thread to gain attention to yourself.
I like to point out.So far, this thread is used by your 'goodself' in that aspect.
I wasnt in this thread until I see you post stuff that incriminate yourself in that aspect of using this thread to gain attention to yourself.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
who insulted yr granparents leh??? wha lau, dun anyhow said leh. Me got nothing to do with you lor.
Oh........wow......so I wasnt the one.....trying to get attention by bringing in grandparents. -
Originally posted by viciouskitty74:
Oh........wow......so I wasnt the one.....trying to get attention by bringing in grandparents.
dunno leh, grandparents also go up stage and get involve in our play and discussion..haiz, some people, i just give up on them. Dunno want to laugh or cry over it. -
Originally posted by angel7030:
dunno leh, grandparents also go up stage and get involve in our play and discussion..haiz, some people, i just give up on them. Dunno want to laugh or cry over it.
Nothing wrong with grandparents being involved in our daily lives. I think they are a better 'chinese: borrowed mirror' reflection of how you should behave, be it online or off.Frankly. I've worked with lots of grandparent status people. I motorcycle toured & danced with them too.
Grandparents people do not mind being called ah lians and ah bengs. In fact, they revelled in it. Its kinda their era thing.
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Originally posted by viciouskitty74:
Nothing wrong with grandparents being involved in our daily lives. I think they are a better 'chinese: borrowed mirror' reflection of how you should behave, be it online or off.Frankly. I've worked with lots of grandparent status people. I motorcycle toured & danced with them too.
Grandparents people do not mind being called ah lians and ah bengs. In fact, they revelled in it. Its kinda their era thing.
Actually i was referring to a group of them only, oh yes, old peoples are good to chit chat with, I use to visit Bedok Zion old folk home for women, my Dad use to contribute alot to them, they like to dance and also good at joke. It is good that singapore still have homes to shelter old folks with contributors and sponsorship from people, just across the strait of both side only, you can see old people crawling on floor beggin for money.
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Those that were born before WWII if they and have little education would most likely not have financial planning. They grew up in villages where the old survive on their own with very little substenance, usually their own.
When they came to the city, the scene changed but many did not change their mentality. The modern world outside us not like their village at all. Therefore it is no surprise they are unprepared for their old age.
This group should be helped.
Caution need to be exercised, as helping them would encourage lazy old bastards to also seek a handout. The l.o.b. would definitely appear.
So should be a firm rule between strict criteria, and amount given out. Social assistance must not be attractive. It is believed that Singaporeans don't know how to think, I believe that is a myth. Singaporeans right this minute are thinking of ways and means to get around the various regulationa that hold our society together.
Those born after WWII, would be in the sixties or younger now. They would be less and less relying on handouts from the government.
We have no obligations to do what other countries do. So what if Scandinavian countries tax their citizens highly, and give generous welfare benefits to the people there. We don't have to copy them. I think they like to copy us.
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if the gov dun take care of their people irregardeless of age,race and religion...who will??the japanese empire???usa???australia???they can haedly btake care of themselves let alone other people.
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omg!
Above $5 million a year for one old man still not enough?
How much he wants?
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Originally posted by deepak.c:
omg!
Above $5 million a year for one old man still not enough?
How much he wants?
power to control everything - not monetary term anymore
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Originally posted by Gattlinggun80:
if the gov dun take care of their people irregardeless of age,race and religion…who will??the japanese empire?usa?australia???they can haedly btake care of themselves let alone other people.
Lesson 1,there is no such thing as irregardless, only regard or regardless.
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Originally posted by deepak.c:
omg!
Above $5 million a year for one old man still not enough?
How much he wants?
Money where got enuf one. You must be crazy if you said you had enuf of money ya.
The more the merrier.
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there is no lesson to learn here....either u use condom or gets pregnant!!!
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cannot use injection, birthcontrol pill and insert sensor chip pad meh?? u think only condom hor.
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condom is good.....dat way if gal is no good,,,can use condom to strangle her!
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Originally posted by mancha:
Those that were born before WWII if they and have little education would most likely not have financial planning. They grew up in villages where the old survive on their own with very little substenance, usually their own.
When they came to the city, the scene changed but many did not change their mentality. The modern world outside us not like their village at all. Therefore it is no surprise they are unprepared for their old age.
This group should be helped.
Caution need to be exercised, as helping them would encourage lazy old bastards to also seek a handout. The l.o.b. would definitely appear.
So should be a firm rule between strict criteria, and amount given out. Social assistance must not be attractive. It is believed that Singaporeans don't know how to think, I believe that is a myth. Singaporeans right this minute are thinking of ways and means to get around the various regulationa that hold our society together.
Those born after WWII, would be in the sixties or younger now. They would be less and less relying on handouts from the government.
We have no obligations to do what other countries do. So what if Scandinavian countries tax their citizens highly, and give generous welfare benefits to the people there. We don't have to copy them. I think they like to copy us.
I can agree with much of what you're saying.
Personally I think the scandinavian model are a little too generous towards the unemployed but i want more to be given to the childless elderly , it's ridiculous the pittance given to them currently.
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Originally posted by Stevenson101:
I can agree with much of what you're saying.
Personally I think the scandinavian model are a little too generous towards the unemployed but i want more to be given to the childless elderly , it's ridiculous the pittance given to them currently.
but i want more to be given to the childless elderly , it's ridiculous the pittance given to them currently.you have my respect