Latest news with #EarlyChildhoodDevelopmentAgency
Business Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH
[SINGAPORE] About 20,000 people received the wrong subsidies and grants owing to a processing issue in a government means-testing system. The Ministry of Health (MOH), which manages the Household Means Eligibility System (Homes), said on Jul 21 that corrections to the subsidy and grant levels of those affected are in progress. The ministry added that it has completed a reassessment of the affected individuals' subsidy tiers. The majority of those affected received more subsidies and grants than they were entitled to, said the ministry. They will not have to return the excess subsidy or grant amounts that have already been paid out. Those who received less than they were entitled to will have the difference topped up by government agencies, said MOH. They will receive the reimbursement payments by November. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up MOH said it will adjust the means-test and subsidy tiers of affected individuals to the intended levels from Jul 21. Homes uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to means-test individuals with business income. It provides means-testing results for selected subsidy schemes across the government. Explaining the processing issue, MOH said that, in January, Homes could not appropriately account for the business income of some people after changes to data processing timelines. This caused miscalculations in the means-test results of these individuals and members of their households between Jan 1 and 27, said MOH. It added that the roughly 20,000 affected people represent less than 3 per cent of all individuals means-tested during this period. MOH said about 19,000 people were affected for schemes under MOH, while around 1,000 individuals were affected for other schemes under the Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Education and Infocomm Media Development Authority. The MOH schemes affected by the processing issue are: Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Subsidies for CareShield Life or MediShield Life premiums and Additional Premium Support Subsidies for long-term care services Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund Equipment Rental Scheme Home Caregiving Grant ElderFund Subsidies at public healthcare institutions for day surgery, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs/vaccines and community hospital services Schemes by other government agencies affected by the processing issue are: Early Childhood Development Agency's pre-school subsidies and early intervention schemes Infocomm Media Development Authority's DigitalAccess@Home Scheme Ministry of Education's Higher Education Bursaries and Kindergarten Care Additional Subsidies Ministry of Social and Family Development's Enabling Transport Subsidy, Taxi Subsidy Scheme and Assistive Technology Fund Agencies will reach out to inform those impacted by the processing issue progressively. These individuals do not have to take any action on their part, said MOH. In a similar incident in 2019, about 7,700 people who applied for and renewed their Chas cards in September and October 2018 received inaccurate subsidies after a computer system miscalculated their means-test results. The Straits Times has contacted MOH for more information. THE STRAITS TIMES
AsiaOne
22-07-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH, Singapore News
About 20,000 people received the wrong subsidies and grants owing to a processing issue in a government means-testing system. The Ministry of Health (MOH), which manages the Household Means Eligibility System (Homes), said on July 21 that corrections to the subsidy and grant levels of those affected are in progress. The ministry added that it has completed a reassessment of the affected individuals' subsidy tiers. The majority of those affected received more subsidies and grants than they were entitled to, said the ministry. They will not have to return the excess subsidy or grant amounts that have already been paid out. Those who received less than they were entitled to will have the difference topped up by government agencies, said MOH. They will receive the reimbursement payments by November. MOH said it will adjust the means-test and subsidy tiers of affected individuals to the intended levels from July 21. Homes uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to means-test individuals with business income. It provides means-testing results for selected subsidy schemes across the Government. Explaining the processing issue, MOH said that, in January, Homes could not appropriately account for the business income of some people after changes to data processing timelines. This caused miscalculations in the means-test results of these individuals and members of their households between Jan 1 and 27, said MOH. It added that the roughly 20,000 affected people represent less than 3 per cent of all individuals means-tested during this period. MOH said about 19,000 people were affected for schemes under MOH, while around 1,000 individuals were affected for other schemes under the Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Education and Infocomm Media Development Authority. The MOH schemes affected by the processing issue are: Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Subsidies for CareShield Life or MediShield Life premiums and Additional Premium Support Subsidies for long-term care services Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund Equipment Rental Scheme Home Caregiving Grant ElderFund Subsidies at public healthcare institutions for day surgery, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs/vaccines and community hospital services Schemes by other government agencies affected by the processing issue are: Early Childhood Development Agency's pre-school subsidies and early intervention schemes Infocomm Media Development Authority's DigitalAccess@Home Scheme Ministry of Education's Higher Education Bursaries and Kindergarten Care Additional Subsidies Ministry of Social and Family Development's Enabling Transport Subsidy, Taxi Subsidy Scheme and Assistive Technology Fund Agencies will reach out to inform those impacted by the processing issue progressively. These individuals do not have to take any action on their part, said MOH. In a similar incident in 2019, about 7,700 people who applied for and renewed their Chas cards in September and October 2018 received inaccurate subsidies after a computer system miscalculated their means-test results. about 7,700 people who applied for and renewed their Chas cards in September and October 2018 received inaccurate subsidies The Straits Times has contacted MOH for more information. This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
AsiaOne
14-07-2025
- Health
- AsiaOne
'They downplayed the whole situation': Mum blames Ang Mo Kio pre-school after daughter's fall leads to surgery, Singapore News
Renny Rahman first received a call from her daughter's form teacher, informing her that her one-year-old had been injured while playing at her pre-school. The bleeding had stopped and little Lisa was no longer crying, the mother was allegedly told by the staff at the Ang Mo Kio pre-school on Thursday (July 3). But what was described as a "minor injury" turned out to be far more serious - her daughter required painful surgery on the same day to close a deep laceration on her tongue. In a series of Instagram stories, Rahman, 35, who declined to give her occupation, said she has several questions for the school. Among them, why her daughter was put to sleep for nap time after the incident, instead of being taken to a clinic immediately after the accident. "They are not medical professionals, so it's not up to them what is serious and what is not," she added. "And the fact they downplayed the whole situation about the fall. They didn't even mention how deep the cut was." 12 sutures on tongue Rahman said on social media that Lisa's form teacher first called to informed her about the accident at 12.43pm. Her daughter was "playing independently" when she fell. Assuming from the minute-long call that the injury was not severe, the mother only picked her daughter up from the pre-school nearly two hours later. Rahman, a mother of four, said she then sent Lisa to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where she was placed under general anaesthesia and given 12 sutures on her tongue. In a message to the principal on her Instagram stories, Rahman said: "The lack of urgency and the reassurance given to us gave a completely false impression, and this could have serious consequences. "The attending surgeon also expressed concern how the injury occurred and how a fall, reportedly on her buttocks, could result in such a deep laceration to the middle of her tongue. "We find this confusing and would appreciate if the CCTV footage could be reviewed and a clear, detailed timeline of events provided." 'She kept crying and pointing to her mouth' Speaking to AsiaOne on Monday (July 7), Rahman said that her daughter has since been discharged a day after the surgery. "She's doing okay, but on the day of the accident, she kept crying and pointing to her mouth and said, 'mama, mama'," she said, adding that she is in contact with the pre-school in her search for answers. "I'm not even blaming them that Lisa had a fall in school because kids injure themselves even when with me," she added. "I'm just angry at how the school handled after the fall occurred." In another Instagram story on Tuesday (July 8), Rahman said that the school has issued an apology, and that the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will be looking into the matter. In the meantime, she is weighing up all options for Lisa - including transferring her to another pre-school. "I'll be keeping Lisa at home until things are settled or until I can manage the anxiety," said Rahman. "I feel nauseous just thinking about sending her back." Responding to AsiaOne's queries, ECDA confirmed that it is investigating the incident. " If our investigations reveal that any early childhood development centre regulations have been breached, appropriate actions will be taken against the preschool operator and staff responsible for the breach," its spokesperson said. AsiaOne has reached out to the pre-school for comments. [[nid:645887]] chingshijie@
