SINGAPORE – The new Foreign and Domestic Worker Grant (FDWG) will start on October 1, 2012.

Provided by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and administered by the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL), a monthly grant of $120 will be given to recipients starting from November this year.

The FDWG provides further support to families who employ foreign domestic workers to care for disabled family members or elderly with moderate to severe disabilities.

This is on top of the existing foreign domestic worker levy concession.

More than 6,000 households are expected to benefit from the FDWG over the next five years.

Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Madam Halimah Yacob visited one of the families that will benefit from this new grant on Thursday.

Madam Halimah visited 86-year-old Mr Abdul Rahim Bin Karim who has been suffering from dementia for 18 years.

He lives with his wife, daughter and grand-daughter in a 4-room HDB flat in Balam Road.

His 52-year-old daughter, Mdm Rozia Binte Abdul Rahim cares for him and his wife, with the help of the family’s Indonesian foreign domestic worker.

The grant given to her next month would help her defray a significant part of the FDW levy, allowing her to use the money saved to better care for her father.

“The Foreign Domestic Worker Grant supports such families so their loved one can be well-cared for in a familiar environment,” said Madam Halimah.

Families interested in receiving this grant would need to contact an appointed GP to arrange for a medical assessment for their loved ones.

Medical assessments vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

They would then need to send their domestic helper for an approved caregiver training course.

Families can apply to offset part or all of the course fees with another grant that CEL administers, known as the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG).

Families can receive up to $200 annually under the CTG for each dependent under their care.

The list of appointed GPs and training providers can be found at CEL’s website at www.cel.sg.

“I urge families who are eligible for this grant to apply for it,” Madam Halimah added.

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120927-374118.html