SINGAPORE – Caregivers of elderly, ill or disabled family members living in the Marine Parade cluster can now get one-time support of up to $1,600 in cash, Grab vouchers and respite care with the introduction of a new fund.
Separately, a new career exposure programme will provide youth living in the area with hands-on career exploration and internship opportunities to prepare them for the workforce.
The two schemes were announced by Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong, both Marine Parade GRC MPs, on April 6 at an SG60 event for the cluster, held at Kampong Ubi Community Club.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was also at the event. Having grown up in Marine Parade, PM Wong said the area has transformed significantly.
“There is a lot we should be grateful for and cherish. When things can be better, let us work together to make them better,” he said.
“And we know there are real concerns on the ground, for example, with cost of living, with other issues, and the Government will try our very best to address these concerns.”
He said he was glad to see that national schemes to help with the cost of living, such as the CDC vouchers and upcoming SG60 vouchers, are being complemented by local initiatives.
“We know the world is in a very challenging position now. (We) look around us and we know that there are dark clouds over the horizon, but just as we have overcome previous challenges all these last 60 years and more recently, tackling Covid-19 together, let us also draw strength from what we have been through together,” PM Wong said.
“So whether it is at the government level, whether it is at the constituency level, let us continue to work together, overcoming our challenges and charting our new way forward.”
The Marine Parade cluster consists of Braddell Heights, Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat, Kembangan-Chai Chee, Marine Parade, MacPherson and Mountbatten.
Up to 2,800 families can benefit from the Caregiver Support Fund, the first such fund for the cluster.
Depending on their household income, they will receive cash relief of up to $700, up to $300 in Grab vouchers to cover transport costs incurred as part of medical visits or commuting, and up to $600 in reimbursement for respite care.
The amount of cash relief, for instance, will be $700 for blue Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) card holders, $500 for orange Chas card holders, and $200 for other eligible caregivers.
Respite care offers caregivers a break from their caregiving duties and helps reduce their stress.
Enhancements to a national scheme, the Home Caregiving Grant, will take effect in April 2026. This will give caregivers of individuals with permanent moderate disabilities up to $600 a month – up from the current $400 – to help with caregiving expenses, such as care services or hiring a migrant domestic worker.
Until then, Marine Parade’s Caregiver Support Fund will provide interim support between April 2025 and January 2026.
To qualify for this fund, the caregiver must be looking after a Singaporean family member residing within the Marine Parade cluster and who requires help due to disability, mental illness or chronic illness.
The grant will be disbursed from April 6 till Jan 31, 2026, with applications taking about four weeks to process.
Dr Tan said on April 6: “This takes really into consideration our support and acknowledgement of the very important role played by caregivers. They are our unsung heroes.”
He riefed the media on the initiatives on April 3, alongside other incumbent MPs of Marine Parade GRC – Mr Tong (Joo Chiat) and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng (Braddell Heights).
They were joined by MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling, and Minister of State for Home Affairs as well as National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who is an MP for Nee Soon GRC.
Also on the panel chairing the briefing was Dr Choo Pei Ling, an assistant professor with the Singapore Institute of Technology’s health and social sciences cluster and second adviser to grassroots organisations in Kembangan-Chai Chee.
Dr Tan said that while running the constituency’s Caregiver Support Network over the past five years, he realised caregivers need time to take their minds off the burden of caring for their loved ones.
He also wanted to provide them with support when an incident happens, such as when a loved one suddenly suffers a stroke or fractures a hip in a fall. “It can be quite traumatic for them.”
Cash relief and wheelchair-accessible transport, for instance, will help them continue to follow up at polyclinics and specialist outpatient centres and with physiotherapy, Dr Tan said.
He said the funds are derived mostly from donations by well-wishers.
Mr Winson Low, a delivery driver who cares for his 76-year-old father who has diabetes, said the cash relief will help with his father’s medical bills.
His father had all the toes on his left foot amputated, along with two toes on his right foot and part of his ankle. He uses a wheelchair and needs help to get around.
Meanwhile, the Industry Immersive Programme for young residents aged between 16 and 25 in the Marine Parade cluster will facilitate work placements in different sectors. These internships will range from two weeks to three months.
Mr Tong said he has come across young people on his house visits who do well in school but do not get exposure to jobs and industries.
The programme aims to enable learning beyond school-based skills, give young people a “first-hand feel” of an industry, and to allow them to meet mentors to guide them on their career choices, he said.
The 26 partner companies currently include technology company Huawei, consulting firm Deloitte, education group MindChamps and social service agency Montfort Care. Others are in sectors including hospitality, and banking and finance.
Mr Tong said on April 6 that the team is looking to bring more companies from other industries on board.
The number of young people who will benefit from the programme depends on the number of companies that come on board.
Ms Xiang Yan Ting, who lives in Braddell Heights, is keen to apply for the Industry Immersive Programme. The ITE College East graduate, who studied chemical process technology studies, is waiting to enrol in a polytechnic in April.
“After I went for internships, I gained experiences from mentors who taught me slowly, and I learnt to adapt to work life,” the 19-year-old said.
Mr Tong also gave the assurance that the two new schemes will continue for Joo Chiat residents after the upcoming general election, when the ward will fall under East Coast GRC.
Meanwhile, two new community gathering spaces are in the pipeline. A new aquatic-themed play space near Marine Terrace MRT station will feature a water play area, a “flying fox” zip line and a new playground.
A new fitness and event space at Block 54 Marine Terrace will have exercise equipment, outdoor swings and a pavilion for fitness classes.
On March 30, Dr Faishal was spotted at a walkabout at Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre with Marine Parade MPs, sparking speculation that he could be fielded in the newly renamed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
A four-term MP, he entered politics in 2006 as part of the team for Marine Parade GRC, before joining Nee Soon GRC in 2011.
Asked about his involvement in the April 3 briefing, Dr Faishal said that as lead adviser to Wisma Geylang Serai, the cultural heritage integrated hub that falls within Marine Parade GRC, he spends considerable time in the area. He said he also works closely with the GRC’s MPs, including Geylang Serai MP Fahmi Aliman.
“So in essence, I know many of the residents here, and sometimes, they raise issues (to) me,” said Dr Faishal.
“And when Minister Tan asked me to come back and see how we can continue to work together to help the residents, I thought it was an opportunity to help.”
Another potential new face, business development director Diana Pang, was also spotted at the media briefing on April 3.
Ms Pang, 51, was introduced to ST by Dr Tan during the March 30 walkabout. She chairs the Fengshan Women’s Executive Committee and the People’s Association Women’s Integration Network Council.
Dr Faishal and Ms Pang were also at the April 6 launch of the Marine Parade initiatives.
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