Assistance for Lifelong Replacement of Aids for Persons with Special Needs

8 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry can further assist persons with special needs who require replacement for aids such as (i) motorised wheelchairs and (ii) cochlear implants and other hearing aids throughout their lives.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social and Family Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development): Mdm Speaker, the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) helps persons with disabilities defray the cost of assistive devices, such as motorised wheelchairs and hearing aids. It subsidises up to 90% of equipment cost for persons with disabilities. The scheme was enhanced in August 2015 in three main areas.

First, we broadened the criteria. Previously, only students and working adults with disabilities could tap on the fund. Persons with disabilities can use the fund for various purposes, ranging from education, employment to independent living.

Next, the lifetime cap for each person with disability was doubled from $20,000 to $40,000. We recognise that the needs for assistive technology may change as persons with disabilities transit into different life-stages or they may require several replacements of devices or aids over time. Depending on the level of customisation, usage and subsidies received, persons with disabilities can tap on the fund for at least four times for replacement of devices.

Lastly, we raised the per capita monthly income eligibility criteria from $1,500 to $1,800. We have also worked with the National Council of Social Service to provide additional funding to better support low-income families with their out-of-pocket payments for the devices through the Special Assistance Fund.

To enable ease of application by persons with disabilities, SG Enable which administers the scheme, has simplified the application process. SG Enable has also set up a TechAble centre at the Enabling Village to encourage and facilitate the adoption of assistive technology. Persons with disabilities can approach the centre to assess their needs and seek advice on different types of devices such as motorised wheelchairs. With such support, those with disabilities and their caregivers can make better informed decisions on assistive technology.

Since the enhancements, close to 1,200 persons with disabilities have benefited from the fund. This is more than a seven-fold increase in the take-up rate from 15 beneficiaries a month in 2014 prior to the enhancement, to about 110 beneficiaries a month after the enhancements. Twenty percent are for repeat beneficiaries. We will continue to monitor the needs of persons with disabilities and how the ATF supports them.

Mdm Speaker: Ms Denise Phua.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the response. SG Enable and the Agency for Integrated Care are doing quite good work here. I guess my request is really to look further into the assistive technology landscape to see if there are some more gaps and opportunities that can be leveraged upon.

Two ideas in particular. One, would the Ministry consider taking a deeper look into the total lifetime cost for the major disability groups? How much would it cost, including, for instance, wheelchairs, especially because our country is really on a very rapidly ageing trend? That is one, study the total lifetime cost of assistive devices.

The second one is, really, if there are more and more people, for example, using wheelchairs, including specialised or motorised wheelchairs, is there some opportunity that can be identified, so that persons who need to replace them, who need to use them on a very regular basis, can be helped further? We can study to see if there are more economies of scale and what more can be done. Currently, under this free market mechanism, there are more and more models of wheelchairs, more and more specialised, more complicated models. And every time you see that, when the average lower-income wheelchair user wants to replace their wheelchairs, they have a lot of problems because either the parts are not available or the vendors are simply not interested. I hope that the Ministry would be able to look into it, especially these two areas, study the total lifetime cost for the use of assistive devices and look into opportunities for more economies of scale.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Indeed, we will take note of the Member's suggestions. Our effort and purpose are to enhance the lives of fellow Singaporeans and we will do that.