Few aware that Traffic Accident Fund exists

Only 50 accident victims so far have tapped fund that was set up in 2004

By Maria Almenoar, The Straits Times, 10 Sep 2012

EVEN as more than 10,000 people are killed or injured in road accidents each year, few of those affected know that they can tap a fund to get back on their feet.

The Traffic Accident Fund (TAF) was set up in 2004 with $550,000 in the kitty, but only $240,000 has been disbursed in the last nine years.

Only 50 individuals have applied, an average of six a year. In 2009, there was one applicant.

The fund is administered by the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL), which took over from the National Council of Social Service in 2009. The money was raised by the National Safety Council and Traffic Police.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents - from families with a per capita gross monthly household income of $1,300 or less - are eligible.

They can get up to $10,000, depending on household income.

Victims of traffic accidents who suffer permanent or total disability can apply for help to buy equipment that helps them with mobility or recovery. These items include prostheses, wheelchairs and medical equipment.

The fund can also be tapped to pay for the installation of handrails and ramps, and the widening of doorways for easier access.

Applicants can also get reimbursement for transport expenses between their homes and rehabilitation centres.

Families whose loved ones have died or suffered brain damage in accidents can also seek temporary cash relief.

It was only through a medical social worker that one accident victim - Mr Mohammad Sabree Salleh - learnt about the fund.

The 25-year-old is paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair after the then warehouse executive was hit by a lorry from behind while on his motorcycle in November last year.

"The doctor told me it was total permanent paralysis. I can only hope for a miracle now," said the youngest of four children, who lives in a four-room flat in Jurong East.

The accident left him in a tight spot because he has yet to get any insurance payout. His parents are retired.

But with the help of the fund, he did not have to pay $3,900 for a wheelchair that helps him move around the house.

A spokesman for the CEL, which comes under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, said public education is important to create and sustain awareness of its schemes and funds, including the Traffic Accident Fund.

"CEL will continue to put in effort into this area so that all eligible beneficiaries will be able to receive the help they need," added the spokesman.

The CEL is working with social workers to raise awareness of the availability of the fund.

Mr Mohammad Sabree now hopes to use the fund to defray the cost of some installations in his home, like handrails in the toilet and the toilet commode. His parents had to dip into their savings to pay for them.

He said: "I hope eventually I will be able to find a job and not have to worry about using this fund."