SINGAPORE: A couple who live in a rental housing estate rely on part-time jobs to earn a meagre income to raise their four young children. The family gave up hope and said they would never break out of their financial crisis and own their own home.
The couple’s inability to work full-time has limited their combined monthly income to around $1,200, sometimes even dipping below $1,000. This financial strain forces them to prioritize immediate needs, hindering their ability to plan for the future or save money as they grapple with monthly debt repayments.
62-year-old Mr Chen (transliterated from Mandarin) and his 41-year-old wife have four children: two daughters aged 10 and 8, and two sons aged 5 and 4 months. The family of six have been living in a rental flat along Henderson Road for the past 12 years. Due to the narrow space in the flat, the whole family sleeps in the same room. The children have to share a desk in the living room for their school work, and daily necessities are typically piled up throughout the house due to the lack of space.
The couple are unable to work full-time jobs as they have young children. Mr Chen works as a private hire driver, while his wife works as a part-time cleaner. Mr Chen told Channel 8 news: “It is difficult to work full-time because I have children. The hours of full-time work are limited. I work as a part-time driver. When I have a job, I do it. When I don’t have a job, I stay at home to watch the children.”
Joining the ComLink programme in March helped ease the family’s struggles. ComLink befrienders regularly visit the family, bringing with them daily necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gel, milk powder, and diapers for the newborn baby.
Asserting that the aid has relieved a lot of his burden, Mr Chen said that the greatest help brought by the ComLink scheme is in his children’s education. He said the children’s school fees, books, uniforms and other expenses are subsidized under the Ministry of Education’s financial aid scheme. Children will also receive a daily meal subsidy of $2.60.
With their two daughters in Primary 4 and Primary 2, it is difficult for the couple to help their girls with their studies. Thankfully, ComLink tutors and volunteers have visited them twice weekly to help with homework and explain school exercises.
Despite the improvements, the family faces a significant hurdle – existing debt. Mr Chen admitted that he gave up the idea of owning a home because of his debt.
He revealed that when he was young, he owed a lot of debt due to gambling and even had debt collectors chasing him. Fortunately, he recovered from his mistakes and gave up his gambling addiction. He consolidated his debts but currently still has several thousand dollars to repay. He told Channel 8 news that he currently has no way to save money, and the remaining money he earns is used to pay off his debts
To help the Chen family strengthen their financial resilience, volunteers taught the family about finance, budgeting and saving. The family is set to receive even more assistance with the enhancements to the ComLink scheme, which will come into effect in the second half of 2024.
As part of the enhancements, eligible families who enrol their children in preschool with regular attendance will be rewarded top-ups for the Child Development Account.
Stable employment comes with its own set of benefits, as eligible families will receive cash and Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-ups.
Families demonstrating efforts to settle “verifiable” debt will receive matching repayments.
The government has also pledged to match voluntary CPF contributions, supporting ComLink+ families in their quest to save for home ownership. Eligible beneficiaries can receive up to $30,000 in total payouts if they maintain stable and voluntary CPF contributions, demonstrating that they are saving to buy their own homes.
These enhancements aim to further empower families like the Chens, providing a beacon of hope on their journey toward stability and the dream of homeownership.