• More than 35,000 applications have been approved for Covid-19 Support Grant
• More than 150,000 people supported under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme
• Financial issues are coming to the forefront, impacting not just low-income group but also middle-income households

SINGAPORE — The National Care Hotline has received calls from some 23,000 people, Mr Desmond Lee said as he addressed the various financial and psychological schemes that have been offered by the Government as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 35,000 applications have been approved for the Covid-19 Support Grant and more than 150,000 people have been supported under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (Sirs), Mr Lee said at a People’s Action Party (PAP) press conference on Wednesday (July 8). He was the Minister of Social and Family Development before Parliament was dissolved on June 23.

Financial and psychological stresses, Mr Lee said, have to be addressed so that the Government “can pull Singaporeans through and ensure that we remain resilient through this period”.

“We see financial issues coming to the forefront and impacting not just the low-income and vulnerable families, but also middle-income households.

“We see emotional and psychological stresses and strains coming to the fore, largely brought about either by the circuit breaker… or as a result of financial and job-related stresses and, of course, social and family tensions.”

The top concerns expressed by the 23,000 callers were related to mental health, marital and family issues, as well as a lack of emotional support and financial worries, he said.

On April 10, Mr Lee announced on Facebook that the 24-hour National Care Hotline had begun operations and would be manned by more than 300 psychologists, counsellors, social workers, psychiatrists and public officers trained in psychological first aid.

On Wednesday, he said that some 770 people are manning the round-the-clock hotline, which is available to those who have anxiety, stress, depression or mental health strains.

Meanwhile, the Child Protective Service and Adult Protective Services received 416 enquiries in March.

After the circuit breaker started, the services saw a monthly average of 7 per cent more enquiries received over the months of April and May.

Post-circuit breaker, both services saw a 30 per cent increase in the average number of monthly enquiries.

“On the social issues that have been exacerbated by this crisis, we've seen family violence go up… and so, this issue continues to be very salient and we need to keep an eye on it,” Mr Lee said.

He also highlighted a new website called mindline.sg, which was launched on Tuesday and was developed by teams from the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the National Council of Social Service and the Institute of Mental Health.

“That is a place where you can find a collection of all the resources that will allow you access to various mental health resources and tools. And so, the portal allows users to remain anonymous,” Mr Lee said.

On the financial support front, as part of the national Fortitude Budget announced on May 26, Mr Heng Swee Keat said that S$800 million has been set aside for the Covid-19 Support Grant, which covers those who have lost their jobs, are placed on no-pay leave, or will see salaries significantly reduced due to Covid-19, on top of its previous commitment.

Individuals who are ineligible for the Covid-19 Support Grant but require more support may apply for ComCare assistance, which provides monthly cash assistance to low-income households to help cover daily living expenses, household bills and medical expenses.

However, those who are receiving ComCare assistance are not eligible for the Covid-19 Support Grant.

For lower-income households who need more support, Mr Lee said that the Government has made the ComCare assistance schemes “more responsive” to enhance the amount of support that is provided.

He noted that new applications have increased by about 30 per cent, compared to the same period last year. An average of about 4,000 new ComCare applications have been approved each month over the last few months.