(Editor's note): This article has been updated to reflect MSF's own update of their Facebook post, clarifying ComCare's support of the family in addition to giving S$1,200 a month.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) clarified claims that a family of six was left with only S$200 till their next ComCare payout in May.

Clarification of ST article

This comes after The Sunday Times (ST) published an article on April 19 about 37-year-old "Sam" (not his real name), who was struggling to provide for his wife and four children in the month of April 2020.

The article said that the family only had S$200 to last three weeks until their next ComCare payout.

Many readers voiced their concerns to MSF, with some even volunteering to offer assistance to the family.

On April 23, MSF put out a Facebook post stating that "along with community partners, schools and grassroots organisations", they have been helping Sam and his family "before the Circuit Breaker period and will continue to do so".

Additionally, they listed the support Sam and his family have been receiving.

ComCare and financial assistance

The ST article reported that Sam and his family "once stayed on beaches for three years before they had moved into their current home in 2009, and his son has gone through multiple operations to correct birth defects."

According to MSF, Sam and his family was first assisted with ComCare in September 2010.

Since March 2020, they have been receiving ComCare assistance of S$1,200 in cash every month.

ComCare separately covers their HDB rent, utilities, service & conservancy charges and medical expenses.

The family most recently received ComCare assistance on April 3 to support their daily needs, including food and groceries.

Additional assistance

As Sam had lost his job since he was last assessed by the Social Service Office (SSO), he and his family will receive S$2300 in monthly ComCare assistance from May 4 for 6 months.

To support the family before the increased ComCare in May, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has also provided them with Zakat Emergency Assistance of S$300 cash and S$120 in vouchers.

On April 14, husband and wife received S$1, 200 in Solidarity Payments from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

Community partners, Mendaki and Al-Muttaqin Mosque, are also supporting the family.

They had reached out to the family before the closure of mosques, and the mosque continues to check in on the family.

Children under MOE Financial Assistance Scheme

MSF also stated that the family’s four children are recipients of the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme.

This means that they do not need to pay school fees and receive full subsidies for standard miscellaneous fees. Their meals in school are also covered.

Sam said that the closure of schools during the Circuit Breaker period means that "he has to provide meals for his children that would have been subsidised under financial assistance at school."

However, MSF has clarified that his children will be supported by MOE’s extended school meal subsidies (S$60 for each primary school student and S$120 for each secondary school student) and additional subsidies of S$20 from public donations for each primary school-going child during the Circuit Breaker period.

Additionally, they will receive top-ups to their School Smartcard which the family can use to purchase food and essential groceries at some hawker centres, food courts, minimarts, convenience stores and supermarkets.

Each of Sam's primary school-going children will also receive S$60 monthly from The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Food and meals for the family

Other community partners, such as Ang Mo Kio Family Services Centre (AMK FSC) and Food from the Heart, provide monthly food rations to the family.

[email protected] Mo Kio ([email protected]) is also linking the family up with the Community Development Council (CDC) to place the family on the Student Meals scheme, which provides meal vouchers.

In addition, Kebun Baru Grassroots is working on providing halal dinners for the family, and have offered them food delivery if they require it.

Laptops for home-based learning

The ST article mentioned that Sam's two children in primary school and two children in secondary school share one laptop.

This is because he is "afraid of getting a device from MOE as the terms of the loan state that he has to pay if something happens to it, and he would not be able to afford it."

MSF has clarified that the children’s schools and several community partners, including AMK FSC, have offered to support the children’s home-based learning (HBL) by providing them with laptops/tablets.

The family previously turned down the schools’ offer and recently collected a tablet from AMK FSC.

[email protected] is also coordinating with the schools, FSC and Mendaki on the provision of laptops for the family.

Employment assistance and counselling

In the ST article, Sam said that he had gone for three job interviews, but none of them got back to him.

MSF has clarified that [email protected] had earlier arranged for him to meet with the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) for employment assistance in February 2020.

However, he did not turn up for the appointment.

[email protected] will continue to reach out to the family to provide guidance and support on employment, along with AMK FSC and WE CARE Community Services with counselling support and study programmes.

You can view MSF's full post here:

Top image via Joel Chan/The Straits Times and MSF on Facebook