Mr. Chairman, Singapore is becoming a nation of caregivers. Our ageing society means more Singaporeans will spend a significant part of our lives caring for a spouse, sibling, parent or grandparent who becomes frail, disabled or chronically ill.
Support exists, but caregivers still experience it as fragmented. Many repeat their story across hospitals and agencies, with no common way to be recognised as a caregiver, and no simple “front door” that follows them across settings.
Unpaid caregiving is not a small matter. A Duke-NUS study estimated the monetary value of informal caregiving time for seniors aged 75 and above who require human assistance at about S$1.28 billion a year. As it focuses on 75+ seniors needing assistance, it likely understates the wider burden.
Caregiving also affects seniors themselves. SMU research highlights that about 1 in 7 older adults are caregivers, many juggling work and their own health needs.
This is why early identification matters. Local integrated-care research found that distressed caregivers at baseline had about a 1 in 4 chance of remaining distressed 12 months later, and highlighted the importance of assessing and supporting caregivers early, including during hospital discharge planning.
Budget 2026 strengthens long-term care financing, including a $400 million top-up to the Long-Term Care Support Fund to fund additional subsidies from CareShield Life enhancements. But financing alone will not solve the recognition and navigation problem.
So I ask the Minister to study and pilot a simple tool used in parts of the UK: a Carer Passport. Once a person is verified as a caregiver, they receive a physical and digital credential that enables recognition across touchpoints and triggers practical support.
What I have in mind is a Singapore-adapted Caregiver Passport that would offer some discounts at supermarkets, pharmacies, and other care-giving related outlets. More importantly, the Caregiver Passport should also allow caregivers to be involved in discharge and care planning, speed up linkage to respite and training, enable structured workplace flexibility conversations, and support daily-life participation through community partners.
I propose starting with 2 to 3 precinct pilots for 6 to 9 months, enrolling about 100 caregivers per pilot, followed by an evaluation to measure take-up, navigation outcomes, and changes to caregiver strain.
I have four questions for the Minister. First, will MOH seed a Caregiver Recognition Pilot Fund to support these pilots, including evaluation, so we can scale what works?
Second, will MOH support a low-burden verification model during pilots, such as self-declaration with validation through healthcare or social service touchpoints?
Third, will MOH fund the minimum operating pieces - coordination, simple QR infrastructure, partner onboarding, and modest activation support - so that pilots produce evidence for national adoption?
Mr Speaker, recognising caregivers is about strengthening our social infrastructure, so that we can relieve the burden on our caregivers and make support consistent and easy to access for all.
