More help to be given to Public Assistance scheme recipients

PA recipients to get funds to buy some medical supplies
Recipients will not have to pay for one-off or annual purchases of medical equipment: Minister
By Tan Weizhen, TODAY, 2 Mar 2013

Not only will they pocket higher cash allowances every month — as announced during this year’s Budget — Public Assistance (PA) recipients will also get handouts for the purchase of recurring medical consumables and medical equipment.

These items include adult diapers, stoma bags and dietary supplements, said Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing as he announced further enhancements to the scheme yesterday.

PA recipients, most of whom are elderly living alone, will also not have to pay for one-off or annual purchases of medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, commodes, oxygen respirators, and hearing aids, the Minister added.

There is no cap on how much a recipient can get to make these purchases, said Mr Chan. The Minister also announced that the household income cap for recipients in the PA scheme would be raised by S$200 to S$1,700. As of December last year, 3,047 households were PA recipients.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced during his Budget speech on Monday that PA recipients will receive S$50 to S$130 more in monthly cash allowances — depending on the household size.

Yesterday, Mr Chan said the extra benefits were aimed at easing the financial burden from medical needs of PA recipients who, increasingly, are from an older demographic.

Social workers say PA recipients used to have to fork out part of their monthly allowance for basic items, such as diapers and milk feeds. As a result, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) often had to source for funding or donations for recipients.

Mr Chan said the processes under the enhanced PA scheme will be more streamlined, making it a one-stop shop for social workers sourcing for funds. “It will allow the VWOs and social workers to focus their efforts on taking care of their clients rather than going around to seek funds for the consumables,” he said.

Social workers and PA recipients welcomed the enhancements.

Mdm Rusniati Mohamad Aris, 50, who cannot work because she suffers from Down Syndrome, hypertension and diabetes, said she used to have to manage paying for medical expenses, such as insulin syringes, alcohol swabs and aquaria cream, and her living expenses on a S$400 PA handout.

Said Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities Divisional Director of elderly and disability services Satyaprakash Tiwari: “We were having difficulties because, for some items like special feeds, there is no funding. Now, more elderly can live in the community, and truly age in place, without the need to go to nursing homes.”

Despite the enhancements to the PA scheme, Mr Chan stressed yesterday that the Government’s stance is still for people to rely on family as their main source of support.

“But we must recognise that there are people who may not have the conventional family line of support. With the growing number of singles and growing life expectancy, some may outlive their caregivers; some might have dysfunctional families ... but the first recourse is to try to get the family to provide the support,” he said.

The enhancements to the PA scheme are estimated to cost some S$4 million — bringing the total budget to S$20 million — although Mr Chan said the eventual budget would be determined by the needs of recipients.