Boost pension for the low-income

• Clivebenss

  25 Mar 11, 10:39

  Mar 25, 2011 - Straits Times

  I AGREE with Mr Tan Kwong Moh about the plight and hardship of low-income pensioners like me ("Pensioners need a raise, schemes need a tweak"; Tuesday).

  I retired several years ago from the Singapore Police Force and currently receive about $109 as my pension and $240 in Singapore Allowance. I am now 72 years old, with no other income and no financial support from my children, and I have to support my wife and take care of our daily expenses.

  The Government should review the pension scheme and grant a balanced increment in line with the current rise in living standards. The grants and benefits for low-income pensioners are long outdated and not in line with the present economic situation. After all, such pensioners have also made sacrifices and contributed to what Singapore is today.

  M. Jeyaraj

• Junyang700

  25 Mar 11, 11:57

  Go back to work. Be a toilet cleaner. $349 still not enough?
  Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?
  And you can always bring your children to court, ask them to give you allowances.
  =)

• Hitman Version 191

  25 Mar 11, 12:31

  ???$349 is not a pension!!!!its like a token sum....pension scheme was overhauled  n done away in 80s or so.

• Junyang700

  25 Mar 11, 12:33

  Anyway, CPF has been in place for very long, this guy should use his CPF savings. And he has children somemore, children dun want feed him, then expect taxpayers' and govt to feed him. Plus his monthly allowances...
  
  Seriously, WTF.

• Rock^Star

  25 Mar 11, 13:06

  so why this fella never save when younger?

• Mr Hitman Backupofbackup

  25 Mar 11, 13:21

  .....when yunger his pay was barely enough

• Rock^Star

  25 Mar 11, 13:52

  I think this guy dunno what pension is about.....pension never factor in inflation. Anyway, give him benefit of the doubt. He or his wife could have blew a bomb on some major illness which he didn't say.

• Clivebenss

  26 Mar 11, 17:43

  many elderly are not that well prepared for the complicated and high cost living today.

  living back then were much simpler.

• Rock^Star

  26 Mar 11, 18:22

  now we're developed country....so cant be helped. Last time when developing status, one bowl of roadside wonton mee is 20 cents.

• Clivebenss

  27 Mar 11, 00:04

  Originally posted by Rock^Star:

  now we're developed country....so cant be helped. Last time when developing status, one bowl of roadside wonton mee is 20 cents.

  You cannot imagine a house back in the even the 70s to cost $mil but it did. So maybe $100 mil when you retired.

  Such is the value of inflation.

  

• likeyou

  27 Mar 11, 06:46

  To TS, eat healthy and stay healthy, rec yr pension every month is better than those pple withdraw all his cpf and no money to spend.

  The longer you live, govt will need to pay you pension every mth. You still want  to more pension?