A man who became disabled after a surgery has faulted the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) for failing to extend financial support to him once he was able to draw down on the Dependants’ Protection Scheme (DPS). Facebook user Raymond Tan writing on MSF’s post on Foster Parents said that the Ministry gave him $300 in financial assistance once he was certified as permanently disabled, but that this assistance stopped when he drew out his DPS.

The DPS is an opt-out term insurance scheme which is automatically extended to eligible CPF members. DPS covers insured members for a maximum sum assured of $46,000 up to 60 years old. The DPS benefit will be paid out to insured members and their families should the insured members pass away or suffer from Terminal Illness or Total Permanent Disability. Mr Tan asked if a person with permanent disability can survive on the DPS payout forever.

When a commenter on his post suggested that Mr Tan consider seeking help from the medical social workers at the hospital he is being treated at, he replied saying he was already seeing them and that deductions were being made from his Medishield Life for such treatments.

MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan, administered by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, which helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. MediShield Life premiums are deducted from a policyholder’s Medisave account. Those with serious pre-existing conditions may have to pay Additional Premiums for 10 years.

Mr Tan who also faulted a doctor who operated on him lamented that there was not much available for persons with total permanent disability in Singapore.