We thank Ms Preethi Devi for her letter (“Look into giving more direct financial support to caregivers”, Oct 10).

Caregivers play a key role in helping our seniors age in place in the company of their loved ones. The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the Caregiver Support Action Plan earlier this year to strengthen support for senior caregiving, covering areas such as care navigation, financial assistance, respite options and socio-emotional support for caregivers.

To improve financial support for caregiving needs, MOH introduced the new Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) on Oct 1. The grant of S$200 a month is available to eligible care recipients with permanent moderate disability regardless of age.

In addition to the enhanced payout quantum compared to the former Foreign Domestic Worker Grant, the HCG accords care recipients the flexibility in using the HCG payout to meet their caregiving needs in the community.

For example, those without a family caregiver can use the grant to hire a helper or pay for community care services, while those with a family caregiver can nominate the caregiver to receive the grant.

The HCG complements the suite of existing financial support available to seniors and their caregivers. For example, we provide subsidies for seniors who require day care or home care services.

Eligible care recipients with severe disability can also apply for additional disability payouts under the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme, the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly, as well as the upcoming CareShield Life, MediSave Withdrawals for Long-Term Care and ElderFund schemes.

This suite of financial support measures goes hand-in-hand with community support, personal savings and family support, to better enable Singaporeans to afford their long-term care costs.

Families of caregivers can support their retirement adequacy by making Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-ups or transfers to their CPF accounts.

A whole of community effort is needed to address the diverse needs of our caregivers. Together with stakeholders and the community, MOH will continue to look at ways to better support seniors and their caregivers.

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