From 1 July 2016, MSF will enhance the assistance package to households on ComCare Long Term Assistance by raising the cash assistance rates. A one- person household will now receive $500 per month, an increase of $50 from the previous rate of $450 per month. Larger households will also receive more cash assistance.
The ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme provides a package of support for persons who are unable to work and support themselves, and have limited family support. The support given includes monthly cash assistance, free medical treatment in polyclinics and government/restructured hospitals and access to government-funded social services such as Senior Activity Centres and befriending services. Recipients may also receive additional assistance for recurring healthcare or hygiene needs, or one-off purchases of essential items.
The increase in cash assistance is part of MSF’s regular review to ensure that the package of assistance continues to meet the basic needs of households on Long Term Assistance. The increased assistance rates will benefit some 3,800 households. The majority of these households are elderly. Details of the enhancements can be found in Annex A.
ComCare Long Term Assistance Scheme
Eligibility for ComCare Long Term Assistance (LTA)
The ComCare LTA scheme provides financial help for Singaporeans who are permanently unable to work due to old age, illness or disability, have limited or no means of income, and little or no family support.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be a Singapore citizen (SC) or Permanent Resident (PR)
- Applicant is unable to work, e.g. due to old age, illness or disability
- Applicant has no/little means of income and no/little family support
- Elderly persons whose children are low income themselves (with household income of $1,700 per month or less, or per capita income of $550 or less) and unable to support their parents
- Elderly persons who receive only a small monthly payout (lower than prevailing LTA rates) from CPF Minimum Sum/ CPF Life, Pension, Eldershield and Lease Buyback Scheme
Assistance Rendered
Cash Allowance Rates (Primary Tier)
A monthly cash grant is provided to all LTA households to support their daily living expenses. With effect from 1 July 2016, there will be an increase in the amount of monthly cash assistance for all LTA recipients. The new rate ranges from $500 per month for a one-person household, to $1,450 for a household with 4 persons.
| Household Type |
Current Rates |
New Cash Rates (from 1 July 2016) |
| 1 Eligible Person |
$450 |
$500 |
| 2 Eligible Persons |
$790 |
$870 |
| 3 Eligible Persons |
$990 |
$1,130 |
| 4 Eligible Persons |
$1,180 |
$1,450 |
Note: Families with schooling children will also continue to receive an additional allowance of $150 per child per month.
Secondary Tier
ComCare LTA recipients with recurring specialised needs, such as healthcare (e.g. milk supplements) or hygiene (e.g. diapers) consumables, will receive additional help depending on their individual requirements.
Discretionary Tier
These are provided to ComCare LTA recipients with once-off needs such as wheelchair, hearing aids or essential household appliances.
Free Medical Treatment
ComCare LTA recipients also receive free medical treatment in polyclinics and government/restructured hospitals.
Supplementary Community Support
Those on the ComCare LTA scheme can access a range of social services including home help and senior activity centres funded by the government. They also receive supplementary assistance in cash or in kind from other community-based agencies (e.g. food rations and vouchers)
Applications for ComCare LTA
Applications can be made at the nearest Social Service Office (SSO). Potential applicants can find the closest SSO to their address, and the full list of SSOs at
www.msf.gov.sg/ssolocator.
