SINGAPORE - The number of seniors seeking official intervention to get financial support from their children fell to a 10-year low last year.
The Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP), Mr Khoo Oon Soo, attended to 98 seniors last year - down from 143 the year before and almost a third of the 286 in 2011.
This comes as more of the younger seniors are "financially able" and better prepared for retirement through the use of their Central Provident Fund and personal savings, a Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman said. The CMP is under the MSF's purview.
The elderly also get more support from the Government via schemes like the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation packages, which offer additional subsidies for outpatient medical care and MediSave top-ups.
The Maintenance of Parents Act allows seniors who are unable to provide for themselves to claim maintenance from their children who are capable of supporting them but are not doing so.
The MSF spokesman said: "At the heart of most cases are poor family relations. This could be caused by deep-rooted conflict in the family or a lack of filial piety, as well as irresponsible parenting."
Last year, about six in 10 applicants were men.
Fifty per cent of applicants were divorced, 24 per cent were widowed, 20 per cent were married and the rest were separated.
And 42 per cent lived in a one- or two-room Housing Board flat, 40 per cent lived in a three-, four- or five-room HDB flat, and 9 per cent lived in a nursing or sheltered home for seniors. The rest lived in other housing, from private property to renting a room on the open market, or were homeless.
Since 2011, mediation by the CMP - instead of going to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents, which serves as a court - is the first course of action when seniors seek maintenance from their children.
Mr Khoo or his staff would bring the parent and his children together to discuss maintenance and related issues, with the hope that all agree to a monthly sum.
About nine in 10 of the cases in the past five years were settled this way. If mediation fails, the parent can take the dispute to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents.
In many of the cases where the conciliatory approach fails, family ties are very strained. "The family history and dynamics for our cases are often complex and can be longstanding," the spokesman said.
In some instances, some children felt "uncomfortable" that their parent remarried, said the MSF spokesman, and this was among reasons for them not supporting their parents financially.
Among those who sought the commissioner's help last year was a 68-year-old man who had lost contact with his only son for about 10 years. While he had CPF savings and Silver Support payouts, among other things, it was insufficient for him to get by.
The CMP located his son, who said his father did not support him when he was young. Still, the son decided to give his father $200 a month. He also did not resent his father for his past failings and was open to keeping in touch with him.
Lions Befrienders chairman Anthony Tay said an adult child may resent a parent who abandoned, neglected or failed to support him due to a gambling habit, additions or extramarital affairs.
A spokesman for the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) said another reason is that the children are struggling financially and cannot support their parents.
Social workers noted that seniors turn to the CMP as the last resort, as going to the authorities may worsen ties with their children.
Mr Tay said: "It is just not in the nature of most parents to take legal action against their children, unless they have no other means to survive and they can live with the risk of severed ties.
"They may not want to lose face and wash dirty linen in public."
He said more seniors are working into their twilight years and are more financially independent now, which could account for why fewer of them are going to the CMP.
The MWS spokesman added that the Government has given more support to seniors in recent years, such as through the Silver Support Scheme. This scheme, introduced in 2016, gives quarterly payments to low-income seniors.
The elderly are also more aware of help available, due to extensive outreach efforts by Silver Generation Ambassadors. This could also be why fewer are turning to the CMP, said the MWS spokesman.
Cases seen by the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents
1. Daughter gives estranged dad $300 a month
Mr Tan, 61, used to work as a dish washer, earning about $1,000 a month, until he hurt himself in a fall.
He approached the Social Service Office (SSO), which gave him short-term ComCare financial aid. ComCare is a key social safety net for low-income Singaporeans.
At the same time, Mr Tan (not his real name) sought maintenance from his daughter through the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP).
He and his wife divorced more than 30 years ago. His daughter, their only child, had left home due to arguments over various issues and they had been estranged for over 10 years.
Mr Tan told The Straits Times: "At that time, I was still working and did not need my daughter's support. I felt that there was also nothing I could do if she wanted to move out."
He now gets $300 a month from his daughter and other support given by the Government.
Mr Tan, who has since remarried, declined to say anything else about his daughter or situation.
He said: "I'm happy she is giving me money now."
2. Son refused to support dad he hadn't seen in 30 years
John (not his real name) was shocked when his father, whom he had never known, sought financial support from him.
John, who is now in his 30s, claimed that his father abandoned him when he was two years old, and they have not had contact in the past 30 years. His parents' divorce was finalised when he was six.
In fact, when he received a letter from the CMP to attend a mediation session, John had no idea who the person asking for maintenance was and had to ask his mother.
His father, 58, suffers from neurological issues and is medically certified to be permanently unfit to work.
He received financial aid from the SSO, but was advised to seek maintenance from his son.
The man told the CMP that his former wife did not allow him to visit John after the divorce.
The CMP found that the father did not meet the reciprocity of care criteria under the Maintenance of Parents Act, such as having supported John when he was young, to justify his son giving him maintenance.
Hence, the CMP referred the father to be assessed for help under the ComCare Long-Term Assistance scheme, which gives money each month to destitute people who cannot work permanently and have little or no family support.
3. Kids agree to maintenance, but not ready to forgive dad
By his own admission, Mr Choo (not his real name) had neglected and abandoned his family in the past.
So the 74-year-old was initially apprehensive about seeking maintenance from his five children, as he had no contact with them since his divorce more than 20 years ago.
But Mr Choo also hoped to connect with them.
Following mediation with the CMP, his five children agreed to give him $450 a month in total, but were not ready to forgive him or re-establish contact.
SINGAPORE - The number of seniors seeking official intervention to get financial support from their children fell to a 10-year low last year.
The Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP), Mr Khoo Oon Soo, attended to 98 seniors last year - down from 143 the year before and almost a third of the 286 in 2011.
This comes as more of the younger seniors are "financially able" and better prepared for retirement through the use of their Central Provident Fund and personal savings, a Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokesman said. The CMP is under the MSF's purview.
The elderly also get more support from the Government via schemes like the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation packages, which offer additional subsidies for outpatient medical care and MediSave top-ups.
The Maintenance of Parents Act allows seniors who are unable to provide for themselves to claim maintenance from their children who are capable of supporting them but are not doing so.
The MSF spokesman said: "At the heart of most cases are poor family relations. This could be caused by deep-rooted conflict in the family or a lack of filial piety, as well as irresponsible parenting."
Last year, about six in 10 applicants were men.
Fifty per cent of applicants were divorced, 24 per cent were widowed, 20 per cent were married and the rest were separated.
And 42 per cent lived in a one- or two-room Housing Board flat, 40 per cent lived in a three-, four- or five-room HDB flat, and 9 per cent lived in a nursing or sheltered home for seniors. The rest lived in other housing, from private property to renting a room on the open market, or were homeless.
Since 2011, mediation by the CMP - instead of going to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents, which serves as a court - is the first course of action when seniors seek maintenance from their children.
Mr Khoo or his staff would bring the parent and his children together to discuss maintenance and related issues, with the hope that all agree to a monthly sum.
About nine in 10 of the cases in the past five years were settled this way. If mediation fails, the parent can take the dispute to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents.
In many of the cases where the conciliatory approach fails, family ties are very strained. "The family history and dynamics for our cases are often complex and can be longstanding," the spokesman said.
In some instances, some children felt "uncomfortable" that their parent remarried, said the MSF spokesman, and this was among reasons for them not supporting their parents financially.
Among those who sought the commissioner's help last year was a 68-year-old man who had lost contact with his only son for about 10 years. While he had CPF savings and Silver Support payouts, among other things, it was insufficient for him to get by.
The CMP located his son, who said his father did not support him when he was young. Still, the son decided to give his father $200 a month. He also did not resent his father for his past failings and was open to keeping in touch with him.
Lions Befrienders chairman Anthony Tay said an adult child may resent a parent who abandoned, neglected or failed to support him due to a gambling habit, additions or extramarital affairs.
A spokesman for the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) said another reason is that the children are struggling financially and cannot support their parents.
Social workers noted that seniors turn to the CMP as the last resort, as going to the authorities may worsen ties with their children.
Mr Tay said: "It is just not in the nature of most parents to take legal action against their children, unless they have no other means to survive and they can live with the risk of severed ties.
"They may not want to lose face and wash dirty linen in public."
He said more seniors are working into their twilight years and are more financially independent now, which could account for why fewer of them are going to the CMP.
The MWS spokesman added that the Government has given more support to seniors in recent years, such as through the Silver Support Scheme. This scheme, introduced in 2016, gives quarterly payments to low-income seniors.
The elderly are also more aware of help available, due to extensive outreach efforts by Silver Generation Ambassadors. This could also be why fewer are turning to the CMP, said the MWS spokesman.
Cases seen by the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents
1. Daughter gives estranged dad $300 a month
Mr Tan, 61, used to work as a dish washer, earning about $1,000 a month, until he hurt himself in a fall.
He approached the Social Service Office (SSO), which gave him short-term ComCare financial aid. ComCare is a key social safety net for low-income Singaporeans.
At the same time, Mr Tan (not his real name) sought maintenance from his daughter through the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents (CMP).
He and his wife divorced more than 30 years ago. His daughter, their only child, had left home due to arguments over various issues and they had been estranged for over 10 years.
Mr Tan told The Straits Times: "At that time, I was still working and did not need my daughter's support. I felt that there was also nothing I could do if she wanted to move out."
He now gets $300 a month from his daughter and other support given by the Government.
Mr Tan, who has since remarried, declined to say anything else about his daughter or situation.
He said: "I'm happy she is giving me money now."
2. Son refused to support dad he hadn't seen in 30 years
John (not his real name) was shocked when his father, whom he had never known, sought financial support from him.
John, who is now in his 30s, claimed that his father abandoned him when he was two years old, and they have not had contact in the past 30 years. His parents' divorce was finalised when he was six.
In fact, when he received a letter from the CMP to attend a mediation session, John had no idea who the person asking for maintenance was and had to ask his mother.
His father, 58, suffers from neurological issues and is medically certified to be permanently unfit to work.
He received financial aid from the SSO, but was advised to seek maintenance from his son.
The man told the CMP that his former wife did not allow him to visit John after the divorce.
The CMP found that the father did not meet the reciprocity of care criteria under the Maintenance of Parents Act, such as having supported John when he was young, to justify his son giving him maintenance.
Hence, the CMP referred the father to be assessed for help under the ComCare Long-Term Assistance scheme, which gives money each month to destitute people who cannot work permanently and have little or no family support.
3. Kids agree to maintenance, but not ready to forgive dad
By his own admission, Mr Choo (not his real name) had neglected and abandoned his family in the past.
So the 74-year-old was initially apprehensive about seeking maintenance from his five children, as he had no contact with them since his divorce more than 20 years ago.
But Mr Choo also hoped to connect with them.
Following mediation with the CMP, his five children agreed to give him $450 a month in total, but were not ready to forgive him or re-establish contact.