SINGAPORE — Once every week, 67-year-old Yap Nyuk Yin attends a modelling class at the Teck Ghee Community Club to learn how to catwalk, dance and pose for pictures with her friends.

Madam Yap forks out about S$40 every three months for the course but soon, she would be able to pay for the lessons using her PAssion Silver Concession Card issued by the People’s Association, because all seniors born in the 1950s and classified under the “Merdeka Generation” will be receiving a S$100 top-up to their cards this year.

This benefit is among the five key goodies in the Merdeka Generation Package announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Monday (Feb 18).

The others include yearly top-ups of S$200 into their Medisave accounts under the Central Provident Fund (CPF) until 2023, higher subsidies under the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) for common illness, chronic conditions and dental procedures, and an extra 25 per cent discount on their bills at polyclinics and specialist outpatient clinics, on top of prevailing subsidies.

Mdm Yap said that these subsidies and discounts will be greatly beneficial for her because she has osteoporosis and she taps her husband’s Medisave account to foot some of her bills at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

“Sometimes my bill can go up to S$700 for one appointment, because of certain injections and medications,” Mdm Yap said in Mandarin.

“Now with the S$200, I might not need to use my husband’s account. Even if I do, the amount I pay will be less.”

Mdm Yap and her husband, Mr Khoo Wee Nam, 67, who are both retirees, said that the Medisave top-ups and the enhanced Chas subsidies “will go some way” in easing their healthcare costs in the future. 

Mr Khoo said in Mandarin: “We are both very healthy now, but with more money in our Medisave account, definitely it will be beneficial for us should anything happen in the future.”

However, Mr Khoo noted that if they were to be stricken with a “very serious” medical condition, “the S$200 might not be enough”. 

TAKES A BIT OF LOAD OFF THE CHILDREN

Their children, Mdm Eileen Khoo, 38 and her husband, Mr Wong Hung Shane, 41, said that more healthcare subsidies for seniors will help to lessen the burden on caregivers.

Mr Wong, who works in development and planning in the horticulture attractions industry, said: “For this year’s Budget… the Government has given quite a fair bit to the older generation and it goes a long way for us because we also help (our parents with their) finances.

“Overall, it helps not just the elderly, but the family members who support them, too.”

As parents themselves, Mr Wong said that while this year’s Budget had limited benefits to them, the rebates for the Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) that homeowners pay and top-ups to the CPF Edusave accounts that are used for children’s education expenses were announcements that stood out for them.

Like Mr Wong, Mdm Khoo, who is a part-time administrator in the interior design industry, said that the S&CC rebates will help somewhat in bringing down household expenses, which can be close to S$6,000 a month for them.

Mr Wong said: “With four kids, every dollar counts. While we don’t spend much, we are basically more or less a single-income family, so every saving you have, it goes towards the kids.”

Their seven-year old daughter — the oldest among four children — will be entitled to a S$150 top-up in her Edusave account.

“The Edusave top-up of S$150 is a sizeable amount,” Mdm Khoo noted.

“(While) Edusave is money that is locked up and not something that you can take out and use immediately, at least we know (this extra sum) can be used to pay for whatever activities or expenses incurred in school.”

She and her husband said that the income tax rebate announced in this year’s Budget will not apply to them because they can claim for the parent tax relief. 

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Mdm Khoo’s parents were hoping for increased dental subsidies in support of seniors’ healthcare needs, but that did not come.

While subsidies under Chas cover dental procedures and aids such as dentures, crowning and implants, the scheme provides between S$11 and S$256.50 of subsidy for every procedure, depending on what is administered and the subsidy tier for the patient.

Mr Khoo said: “Good teeth are important for good overall health. Many seniors don’t have teeth to chew and because of that, they cannot eat well and keep healthy.”

Mdm Yap agreed: “If there are more dental subsidies, maybe all the aunties will be pretty.”

She added that it was “heartening” the Government had kept in mind the “Merdeka Generation seniors”.

“When we heard about the Pioneer Generation Package (launched in 2014), we felt a little left out because we also had a part to play in building this nation,” she said. “But at least now, there are some benefits for us.”