Under The Angsana Tree: Elderly in Singapore need S$1,379 a month

Update 9 Oct 2021: S$2,906 a ‘reasonable’ starting point for a living wage in Singapore

The “reasonable starting point” for a living wage in Singapore is S$2,906 a month, according to a study by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. This figure is based on the average budget for a couple with two children, assuming both parents are employed full-time. The figure is also adjusted for taxes and all universal and major means-tested benefits.

“The median work income among all workers in 2020 exceeded this amount by 50 per cent, but the current PWM (Progressive Wage Model) wages fall significantly below,” said the school in a media release on Friday (Oct 8). The Progressive Wage Model aims to lift the salaries of workers by various sectors through upgrading their skills and improving productivity.

The study found that the costs of education and care “dominated” the budgets for children’s needs. “While some costs associated with children decline with age, others increase sharply. As current measures supporting education and care taper off for older children, parents are likely to face greater financial strain as their children grow up.” Researchers also found that current public housing policies "effectively double” housing costs for single parents who have never married, compared to partnered, widowed or divorced parents.

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Elderly in Singapore need S$1,379 a month for basic needs: Study

An older person above 65 years old needs S$1,379 a month to meet his or her basic needs, according to a team of researchers from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYPP).

This precise figure came from a study by the team led by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe from LKYPP, National University of Singapore (NUS). They revealed their findings in a media release on Wednesday (May 22).

The household budgets necessary to meet basic needs were S$1,379 per month for single elderly households, S$2,351 per month for elderly couples, and S$1,721 per month for a person aged 55 to 64 years old, the study said.

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MP defends govt saying help schemes available for elderly getting less than $1,379 a mth

A recent study by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYPP) at National University of Singapore reveals that a minimum of $1,379 a month may be required for an elderly aged 65 and above to live decently in Singapore.

Yesterday, the Sunday Times published an article to delve into the issue further (‘$1,379 a month for retirement in Singapore: Too much or too little?‘, 2 Jun).

It featured an odd-job labourer Chow Yit Keong, 66, who began experiencing heart problems two years ago that made it hard for him to work. He soon found himself in dire straits. He has no children to look after him and exhausted what little savings he had. As a laborer, he only earned about $1,000. His savings were all gone for looking after his own father who died a few years ago.

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$1,379 a month for retirement in Singapore: Too much or too little?

Mr Chow Yit Keong, 66, outside his one-room rental flat. The retired odd-job worker gets by on about $500 a month. A study out last month suggests that he may need more money if he wants to be able to thrive in his golden years, rather than just survive. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Recent study's suggestion that at least $1,379 a month is needed by seniors raises questions.

Surviving your golden years on a pittance is one thing but being able to thrive and have an enjoyable retirement is a far bigger challenge, as former odd-job labourer Chow Yit Keong knows all too well.

Mr Chow, 66, began experiencing heart problems two years ago that made it hard for him to lift and carry heavy objects, forcing him to quit his job.

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LKYSPP’s data shows CPF Basic Retirement Sum can’t meet $1,379 a month needed by elderly

71-year-old cleaner Mary Lim. Source: Reuters TV

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at National University of Singapore published a survey findings yesterday (22 May), revealing for the first time that an older Singaporean above 65 years old would need $1,379 a month to meet his or her basic needs.

The household budgets necessary to meet basic needs were $1,379 per month for single elderly households, $2,351 per month for elderly couples.

For those aged aged 55 to 64 years old, they would need a minimum of $1,721 per month for a person to live in Singapore.

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Elderly Singaporeans not having enough to live off

The secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Chee Soon Juan has released a video criticising the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) ministers’ high salaries in light of findings by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore, which suggested that retirees need at least S$1,380 monthly to get by in Singapore.

In reference to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s election campaign speech in 2015, Dr Chee said: “When we say money is tight for us, he tells us to tighten our belts. Buy cheaper milk powder, eat S$3 economic rice. But while he asks us to eat and live cheaply, he increases his and the ministers’ salaries.”

Dr Chee highlighted that Mr Lee earns a monthly salary S$200,000 as Prime Minister, while other ministers earn around S$150,000 per month.

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Chee Soon Juan 徐顺全 28 May at 22:44

You die your business

#SDPNOW #TheWayForward

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Singaporeans reveal that the Government has failed its duties to look after seniors

On Sunday (26 May), the People’s Voice Party (PVP) visited the Choa Chu Kang GRC and Pioneer SMC in order to get in touch with voters in the area while distributing bread to them, as part of their “Bread for All” program.

While speaking at the Keat Hong market in Choa Chu Kang GRC, party leader Lim Tean revealed some concerns raised by the seniors in the area after the party went around asking them what they think of the current living situation in Singapore.

“There’s a lot of anger. Most of them tell us that the Government has failed its duties to look after the seniors of the country,” said Mr Lim Tean.

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Lim Tean 25 May at 19:01

Peoples Voice In Choa Chu Kang GRC And Pioneer SMC This Sunday 26 May

Our Party Leader Lim Tean made this video a short while ago at Keat Hong market In Choa Chu Kang GRC .

The area’s minority MP Zaqy Mohammad was of course pulled over to Marsiling-Yew Tee to cover for Halimah Yacob when she was installed as President.

A real travesty of parliamentary democracy!

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S$1,379 per month is the amount the elderly in Singapore need for basic necessities—new study

For people 65 and older living alone, S$1,379 a month is the amount necessary to meet their basic needs. Researchers from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYPP) revealed this as a result of a new study.

The team, headed by assistant professor Ng Kok Hoe from LKYPP, National University of Singapore (NUS), published part of their results in a press release on May 22 (Wednesday).

Prof Ng and the team held focus group discussions with more than 100 participants from a varied range of backgrounds. They used a consensus-based methodology known as Minimum Income Standards (MIS) and came to an agreement concerning the ways in which Singaporeans perceive basic needs. They then determined the budgets necessary for elders to have those needs met.

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Singaporean Seniors Need S$1,379 A Month

S$1,379. That’s how much a Singaporean aged above 65 require to survive each month, according to a study by researchers from the National University Of Singapore (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYPP).

The amount was arrived at after focus group discussions involving 103 participants aged 55 and above, comprising from all walks of life, Channel News Asia reports.

The survey used a method called Minimum Income Standards, which had also been used in the UK, Japan and France to define the scope of items and services to be included as basic needs.

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Elderly Singaporeans need $1,379 each month for basic living needs

In a study done by researchers from NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, it was found that elderly Singaporeans above 65 required S$1,379 each month to meet their basic needs. With focus group discussions involving 103 participants aged 55 and above from all walks of life, the survey led by Assistant Professor Ng Kok Hoe centered on basic standards of living, and its findings were revealed in a media release yesterday.

Apart from the aforementioned figure for single elderly Singaporeans, other household monthly budgets determined included S$2,351 for couples and S$1,721 for individuals between 55 and 64 years old.

Using a method called Minimum Income Standards, which has been employed in the UK, Japan, and France, the study called for participants to come up with items and services commonly regarded, and justified, as a basic need.

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Single elderly Singaporeans need S$1,379 a month for basic living needs, which include everything from curtains to holidays

Elderly Singaporeans may need a larger budget than you might expect for their day-to-day living and it’s more than just paying for mere subsistence, a study has found.

According to findings from the study released by the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) on Wednesday (May 22), a single person aged 65 or above and living alone in 2018 required at least S$1,379 (US$999) a month to meet their basic needs.

Coupled elderly households need S$2,351 per month, while single persons aged 55 to 64 would require S$1,721 per month.

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Single elderly households in Singapore need S$1,379 a month for basic needs

A SINGLE elderly person aged 65 and above, who lived alone in Singapore last year without a chronic illness required S$1,379 a month to meet basic needs.

This is according to a study by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (LKYSPP), released on Wednesday.

The team of researchers, led by assistant professor Ng Kok Hoe from the LKYSPP, conducted focus group discussions involving over 100 participants from various backgrounds. Using a consensus-based methodology known as Minimum Income Standards (MIS), the groups came to agreement on how ordinary Singaporeans think about basic needs, and determined the household budgets necessary for older people to meet those needs.

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What older people need in Singapore

This study addresses the question: How much money do older people need to achieve a basic standard of living in Singapore today?

The study of household budgets is related to an extensive field of research on human needs and social inclusion.

In this study, we conducted focus group discussions to ascertain how ordinary Singaporeans think about what constitutes basic needs in Singapore today, and to determine the household budgets necessary to meet these needs.

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MP draws flak for comparing the Gov to a generous grandfather

Lee Bee Wah to S’poreans: You have such a good Ah Kong and you still don’t know “what is death”

At the recent Budget 2019 debate in Parliament, MP Lee Bee Wah paid tribute to the Budget 2019 drawn up by the PAP government.

Speaking in Mandarin, she told an “Ah Kong and Ah Seng” story to remind Singaporeans how generous and caring “Ah Kong” is to “Ah Seng”.

Her parliamentary performance was captured on video which was widely circulated on social media.

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