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Even S’poreans living in private property require Govt ’s assistance and handouts
Some private estate households in Geylang Serai area have approached grassroots organizations for help. They were seeking financial and job-related assistance this year, according to the Chairman of Geylang Serai’s citizens’ consultative committee (CCC), Mr Eric Wong.
“Five years ago, there were zero such cases,” said Mr Wong.
One reason could be the elderly people are unwilling to sell their private homes but require assistance and handouts from the Government.
One childless couple in their 70s had their electricity almost cut off because they owed SP more than $1,000. The wife is a stroke patient and requires expensive care. With the CCC’s help, SP has allowed them to pay by installments. The elderly couple has used up all their CPF to pay for their private property and left with little for their retirement.
Mr Wong said, “A permanent solution is to downgrade to a smaller place but the husband is currently not in the right mindset to sell the property. We will let him work through his sums and over time he will understand the situation.”
Some of the elderlies living in these private homes have no steady income or do not have enough coming in to keep up with the cost of living.
Minister of State for Social and Family Development Halimah Yacob also said, “One solution is for them to downgrade to a flat so that they can use the proceeds from the sale for their daily needs.”
“But this is not an easy option because some of them have lived there almost their entire life, and in their twilight years, it is not easy for them to adjust to HDB living.”
In another case, a sick elderly widow with a schizophrenic daughter living in a private property in Bukit Batok has also successfully obtained financial assistance with the help of Madam Halimah.
Madam Halimah said, “I have visited them a couple of times and I could see that although they live in a landed property, the house is quite run-down and it is very simple.”
At the moment, there are some ComCare programmes available for private estate residents. These include short- or medium-term monthly cash grants.
The “asset enhancement” policy started by the PAP Goh Chok Tong’s govt in the 90s actually fueled asset inflation sucking up huge pile of citizens’ CPF money into properties. This leaves little for retirement which is what CPF is for in the first place.
And if the property bubble bursts, these elderlies living in private properties will even have less to fall back to assuming they sell their properties.
Some private estate households in Geylang Serai area have approached grassroots organizations for help. They were seeking financial and job-related assistance this year, according to the Chairman of Geylang Serai’s citizens’ consultative committee (CCC), Mr Eric Wong.
“Five years ago, there were zero such cases,” said Mr Wong.
One reason could be the elderly people are unwilling to sell their private homes but require assistance and handouts from the Government.
One childless couple in their 70s had their electricity almost cut off because they owed SP more than $1,000. The wife is a stroke patient and requires expensive care. With the CCC’s help, SP has allowed them to pay by installments. The elderly couple has used up all their CPF to pay for their private property and left with little for their retirement.
Mr Wong said, “A permanent solution is to downgrade to a smaller place but the husband is currently not in the right mindset to sell the property. We will let him work through his sums and over time he will understand the situation.”
Some of the elderlies living in these private homes have no steady income or do not have enough coming in to keep up with the cost of living.
Minister of State for Social and Family Development Halimah Yacob also said, “One solution is for them to downgrade to a flat so that they can use the proceeds from the sale for their daily needs.”
“But this is not an easy option because some of them have lived there almost their entire life, and in their twilight years, it is not easy for them to adjust to HDB living.”
In another case, a sick elderly widow with a schizophrenic daughter living in a private property in Bukit Batok has also successfully obtained financial assistance with the help of Madam Halimah.
Madam Halimah said, “I have visited them a couple of times and I could see that although they live in a landed property, the house is quite run-down and it is very simple.”
At the moment, there are some ComCare programmes available for private estate residents. These include short- or medium-term monthly cash grants.
The “asset enhancement” policy started by the PAP Goh Chok Tong’s govt in the 90s actually fueled asset inflation sucking up huge pile of citizens’ CPF money into properties. This leaves little for retirement which is what CPF is for in the first place.
And if the property bubble bursts, these elderlies living in private properties will even have less to fall back to assuming they sell their properties.
