Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Social and Family Development since the extension of the foreign domestic worker levy concession and Home Caregiving Grant to families with adult members suffering from cognitive impairments (a) how many families have benefitted from these schemes; and (b) what steps have been or are being taken to increase awareness of these schemes.
Answer
1. The Government offers the Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) levy concession to families of persons who require assistance with at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL) . As of 31 March 2021, there were more than 3,000 families who benefitted from the FDW levy concession under this criterion. The levy concession allows caregivers to pay the FDW levy at a concessionary rate of $60 a month, instead of $300 for the first FDW.
2. The Government also offers the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) to provide additional support for long-term caregiving needs. The HCG provides a monthly $200 cash payout to eligible persons who require assistance with at least three ADLs, and can be used flexibly to defray caregiving expenses. As of 31 March 2021, more than 31,000 beneficiaries have received the HCG.
3. Individuals can qualify for either or both schemes if they require assistance with ADLs, regardless of whether the assistance is required due to physical or cognitive impairment. The Government does not collect data on whether beneficiaries of the FDW levy concession and HCG have cognitive impairments, as the qualifying criterion for these schemes is functional impairment. Information on both schemes are available on the websites of the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower, SG Enable and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). Social Service Agencies in the disability sector also help to share information on these two schemes with their clients. Families can apply for both schemes through the AIC.