SUPPORTING AN AGEING POPULATION
Under the Caregiver Support Fund, eligible families can receive up to S$700 in cash relief, a maximum of S$600 in reimbursement for respite care and up to S$300 in Grab vouchers to defray transportation costs incurred for medical visits or commuting.
Up to 2,800 families are expected to benefit from his programme, and the amount disbursed to recipients will depend on household composition, income level and required needs.
For example, a blue CHAS card holder — those with a household monthly income per person of S$1,500 and below – will qualify for the maximum amount of cash relief, transport assistance and respite care assistance, totalling S$1,600.
An orange CHAS card holder, or those with a household monthly income per person greater than S$1,500 but under $2,300, will qualify to receive up to S$500 in cash relief, S$200 in Grab vouchers and up to S$400 in reimbursement for respite care assistance.
The care recipient must be a Singapore citizen residing in Marine Parade Cluster, who requires assistance due to a physical or mental disability, a chronic illness, special needs or a mental illness. The caregiver must also be an immediate family member of the care recipient.
Since April 2023, Mr Winson Low, a 50-year-old delivery driver and Braddell Heights resident, has been the main caregiver to his 76-year old father, who has had part of his feet amputated due to diabetes.
He has previously applied for a local caregiver grant, which provided a one-time payment of S$500 that helped with medical bills.
As he is a blue CHAS card holder, he stands to qualify for up to S$1,600 under the new caregiver support scheme and said it will help with fluctuating medical bills.
Speaking to the media at a briefing on the two initiatives on Thursday, Ms Tin said that the amount of the caregiver support was benchmarked against the typical cost for daycare services and an estimated five wheelchair user-friendly rides using GrabAssist Plus services.
“Obviously it won’t be able to fully mitigate all of the stresses, whether financially or emotionally, but we hope that through this, we do our part to show them we care,” said Ms Tin.
The initiative was timed to SG60 and meant to ensure Marine Parade Cluster residents have interim assistance before the Home Caregiving Grant enhancement announced at this year’s Budget takes effect from April 2026, said Dr Tan.
He added that the new fund will expand the We Care Caregiver Support Network that started in Marine Parade to support caregivers across the cluster.
Applications for the Caregiver Support Fund are currently open until the end of the year, and the grants will be disbursed until Jan 31, 2026.
