SINGAPORE: On Friday (Mar 7), Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) underlined that caregiving is part of essential labour in Singapore. As such, there should be due compensation for it, including allowances and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.
During the Committee of Supply debate for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Giam called for “a fundamental shift in recognising family caregiving as essential work that deserves proper compensation, not just relief.”
He added that the burden of caregiving, especially in light of Singapore’s ageing population, should be shared between individuals, families, and society and that its costs should be socialised, at least in part, rather than having caregivers mainly foot the bill.
“Family caregivers provide unpaid care, often at great personal cost. Many sacrifice their careers, drain their savings, and push through exhaustion and sometimes even abuse to care for their loved ones, often at the expense of their own well-being. Without them, the healthcare burden on the state would be far greater,” he said.
He noted that informal care for seniors aged 75 and above is estimated to cost $1.28 billion each year, equivalent to 11% of government healthcare expenditure, based on a study by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School.
Mr Giam acknowledged that the Home Caregiving Grant is rising to $600 monthly but added that “the current system still assumes that caregiving is a private responsibility, with the government only coming in to provide relief.”
He went on to propose a tiered caregiver payment for individuals who reduce their work hours or leave employment to care for a family member, as long as they meet a minimum caregiving threshold, adding that they should also receive CPF contributions for their long-term financial security.
The Aljnuied MP added that in recognition of caregiving as skilled work, there should also be a national certification framework to provide formal training and better employment opportunities for caregivers, especially after they return to the workforce.
“Caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system. If we truly value their contributions, we must compensate them fairly. This is not just about doing more, but doing things differently to prepare Singapore for an ageing society,” he said.
Mr Giam also wrote in a Facebook post on Monday morning (Mar 10), “MOS Sun Xueling said it is difficult to put a monetary value on love. I agree, but this is about easing caregivers’ financial strain, not paying people to love their parents.”
Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai (Progress Singapore Party) also proposed during the Budget debate that a S$1,250 allowance be given to parents or grandparents who are full-time caregivers for children under seven.
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