Different layers of financial support available to seniors and caregivers: MOH

MOH's Reply

Different layers of financial support available to seniors and caregivers

We thank Ms Preethi Devi for her letter (“Look into giving more direct financial support to caregivers”, Oct 10).

Caregivers play a key role in helping our seniors age in place in the company of their loved ones. The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the Caregiver Support Action Plan earlier this year to strengthen support for senior caregiving, covering areas such as care navigation, financial assistance, respite options and socio-emotional support for caregivers.

To improve financial support for caregiving needs, MOH introduced the new Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) on Oct 1. The grant of S$200 a month is available to eligible care recipients with permanent moderate disability regardless of age.

In addition to the enhanced payout quantum compared to the former Foreign Domestic Worker Grant, the HCG accords care recipients the flexibility in using the HCG payout to meet their caregiving needs in the community.

For example, those without a family caregiver can use the grant to hire a helper or pay for community care services, while those with a family caregiver can nominate the caregiver to receive the grant.

The HCG complements the suite of existing financial support available to seniors and their caregivers. For example, we provide subsidies for seniors who require day care or home care services.

Eligible care recipients with severe disability can also apply for additional disability payouts under the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme, the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly, as well as the upcoming CareShield Life, MediSave Withdrawals for Long-Term Care and ElderFund schemes.

This suite of financial support measures goes hand-in-hand with community support, personal savings and family support, to better enable Singaporeans to afford their long-term care costs.

Families of caregivers can support their retirement adequacy by making Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-ups or transfers to their CPF accounts.

A whole of community effort is needed to address the diverse needs of our caregivers. Together with stakeholders and the community, MOH will continue to look at w
ays to better support seniors and their caregivers.

Titus Lee
Director (Aged Care Services)
Ageing Planning Office
Ministry of Health

Forum Letter

Look into giving more direct financial support to caregivers

The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) welcomes the announcement of the S$200 Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) taking effect this month, which will provide some relief to qualifying households battling long-term care costs. (“Applications for new home caregiving grant to open from Oct 1”; Sept 25)

The HCG replaces the previous Foreign Domestic Worker Grant, with an S$80 increase in payout amount. It’s a positive sign that the Government recognises the rising cost of long-term care. 

Having spoken to many caregivers and eldercare organisations, we have two suggestions on how to better support family caregivers financially. 

The first is to increase the payout amount for the HCG, to better reflect average out-of-pocket long-term care costs.

Out of 22 family caregivers who participated in Aware’s recent research, those looking after older persons who needed help with at least three activities of daily living reported spending an average of S$1,917 per month, after subsidies, which amounts to 64 per cent of their average monthly household income. 

National studies should be conducted to determine the average amount that households with an older person spend on long-term care costs. HCG payout could then be modified accordingly to enhance its effectiveness.

The second is to introduce a caregiver support grant, with cash and Central Provident Fund components, specifically for the primary family caregiver — possibly a family member who is co-residing with and providing primary care to the care recipient.

The HCG is currently awarded to the care recipient, who can choose to give the cash payout to a family caregiver, or spend it himself.

However, there is no guarantee that the HCG will go to family caregivers, whom our research shows are already facing heavy income losses due to caregiving. On average, those who experienced a change in their working status due to caregiving had faced a 63 per cent loss in income.

As family caregivers may simultaneously spend a substantial amount of their household income on care-related expenses and face a drop in their income, we recommend more direct financial support for them.

Both a caregiver support grant and the HCG could help achieve the aim of more substantially defraying a household’s long-term care costs, while providing support to the family caregiver.

Ms A Preethi Devi
Project Executive
Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)