A Guide to Financial Assistance Schemes for Persons with Disabilities

Over the years, financial assistance schemes like MediSave, MediShield and MediFund have helped to ease the financial burden that comes with quality healthcare. However, persons with disabilities usually face greater care expenses than most Singaporeans because they need to pay for both hospital care and long-term care.

What is long-term care?

Long-term care is the continued care needed by individuals who are dependent on others for their daily needs. An example of long-term care is caregiving services which involves a care aide or trained nurse attending to the patient and assisting them with their daily activities.

In order to help persons with disabilities cope with the cost of long-term care, various financial assistance schemes are made available to them. However, it can be difficult to determine which financial assistance scheme is most suitable for you and your loved one. This guide will compare the financial assistance schemes which a person with disabilities can tap on so that you and your loved one can make a more informed decision before making a claim.

Who is considered a person with disabilities?

A person with disabilities is a person who needs assistance to complete various Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

After undergoing a severe disability assessment by an MOH-accredited disability assessor, the individual will be deemed either mildly disabled, moderately disabled or severely disabled. This is determined by the number of activities of daily living which need assistance and the amount of assistance needed.

The severe disability assessment is a compulsory step because the results of the severe disability assessment affects which financial assistance schemes are made available to you and/or your loved one.

Depending on the financial assistance scheme, you and/or your loved one may need to go for annual reassessment to make sure that you are still eligible.

Which grants and schemes are available?

Financial assistance schemes which are one-off applications:

After undergoing a severe disability assessment, if you or your loved one is deemed mildly to moderately disabled, you may be eligible for the following financial assistance schemes. For these financial assistance schemes, an annual reassessment is not needed.

1. Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession for Persons with Disabilities (FDWLC(PWD))

The Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession for Persons with Disabilities scheme allows families of persons with mild disabilities to pay $60 instead of $300 for the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy. Under the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession for Persons with Disabilities scheme, a household can hire up to 2 foreign domestic workers at the same time.

For the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concessions for Persons with Disabilities scheme, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

2. Home Caregiving Grant (HCG)

This scheme was launched in October 2019 and it replaces the Foreign Domestic Worker Grant.

Under the Home Caregiving Grant, persons with moderate permanent disabilities are entitled to monthly payouts of up to $200. The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

 

For the Home Caregiving Grant, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

Financial assistance schemes which are longer term schemes:

After undergoing a severe disability assessment, if you and/or your loved one is deemed to be moderately to severely disabled, you may be eligible for the following financial assistance schemes. For these financial assistance schemes, an annual reassessment may needed.

1. MediSave Withdrawal for Long-Term Care / MediSave Care

The MediSave Withdrawal for Long-Term Care / MediSave Care scheme was launched on 1 October 2020. With MediSave Care Singapore citizens and permanent residents with severe disabilities can withdraw up to $200 from both their MediSave account and their spouse’s MediSave account** every month*. The withdrawals can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

*Note: There must always be $5,000 in both MediSave accounts at any point in time. This is to cover other medical expenses, like hospitalisation fees, should the care recipient and/or their spouse require such attention. The monthly MediSave balance also determines how much can be withdrawn under MediSave Care.

**Note: The care recipient can only tap on their spouse’s MediSave account if he/she is unable to withdraw the total amount of $200 from their own MediSave account. The total amount withdrawn from both MediSave accounts cannot add up to more than $200.

For the MediSave Withdrawal for Long-Term Care / MediSave Care scheme, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

2. CareShield Life

CareShield Life was launched on 1 October 2020. It entitles persons who develop severe disabilities to monthly payouts of at least $600 for the rest of their life. This amount increases yearly until the care recipient reaches the age of 67 or when they make a successful claim, whichever is earlier. The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

Do take note that CareShield recipients need to pay premiums until they turn 67, either through MediSave or in cash.

For CareShield Life, you will not need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

For a step-by-step guide on applying for CareShield Life, please click here.

3. ElderShield

ElderShield provides insurance for persons with severe disabilities. For those who joined ElderShield before September 2007, they are entitled to monthly payouts amounting to $300 for a maximum of 60 months and for those who joined ElderShield after September 2007, they are entitled to monthly payouts amounting to $400 for a maximum of 72 months.* The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

*Note: Singapore citizens and PRs with MediSave accounts will automatically join ElderShield as soon as they turn 40 years of age. However, they can choose to opt out of the scheme.

ElderShield recipients need to pay premiums until they turn 65, either through MediSave or in cash. The ElderShield premium amount is determined at the age of entry and does not increase over the years.

 

For ElderShield, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

4. Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (IDAPE)

This scheme provides financial assistance to seniors who are not covered by Eldershield because they were either too old or had pre-existing disabilities.

Under the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly, seniors with severe disabilities are entitled to monthly payouts of either $150 or $250* depending on their financial situation. The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

*Note: The recipient of the payouts can either be the senior himself, their caregiver (he/she must be at least 21 years old) or the nursing home which the senior lives at.

For the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

5. ElderFund

ElderFund was launched on 31 January 2020. It is a discretionary assistance scheme which is reserved for persons with severe disabilities who have little income, low MediSave balances and are unable to make claims under CareShield Life, ElderShield and Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (IDAPE). The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

Under ElderFund, persons with severe disabilities are entitled to monthly payouts of up to $250.

For ElderFund, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

Financial assistance schemes which will be phased out:

After undergoing a severe disability assessment, if you or your loved one is deemed moderately to severely disabilities, you may be eligible for the following financial assistance schemes. For these financial assistance schemes, an annual reassessment is not needed, however, these financial assistance schemes will eventually be discontinued or replaced by newer financial assistance schemes.

1. Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme (PioneerDAS)

The Pioneer Generation Disability Scheme is part of the Pioneer Generation Package which is made available to all Singaporeans who have obtained Pioneer status.

Under the Pioneer Generation Disability Scheme, pioneers with moderate disabilities are entitled to monthly payouts of up to $100. The payouts can be used to cover the care recipient’s expenses.

However, if your loved one is a pioneer who is already under another financial assistance scheme for moderate to severe disabilities, like the Home Caregiving Grant, MediSave Withdrawal for Long-Term Care, Interim Disability Assistance, ElderFund and ElderShield, they will automatically qualify for the Pioneer Generation Disability Scheme.

For the Pioneer Generation Disability Scheme, you will need to pay $250 upfront for the first severe disability assessment.

Summarised Comparison

If you and/or your loved ones want to apply for any of the above financial assistance schemes for long-term care but have not had a severe disability assessment yet, click here to book a home-based severe disability assessment with Jaga-Me.

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