Are you having difficulties caring for your elderly parents and pondering whether you should engage a helper to assist you in household matters and care-giving duties? The main worry of engaging a foreign domestic worker is often the cost.

Do you know that you can apply for foreign domestic worker (FDW) grant to care for your elderly parents?

Foreign Domestic Worker Grant

Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant

Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant is a support provided by the Ministry of Health to help families caring for an elderly member or a member with disability (moderate to severe disabilities). According to Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), each eligible family can apply for the Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant and get up to $120 monthly, for each household. Families can apply up to a maximum of two Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant if they are caring for two individuals that need the support.

To be eligible for Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant,

  • The recipient must be a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • The recipient must be at least 65-year-old, or have a disability (assessed by a doctor).
  • Applicant must get an assessment by a doctor registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).
  • Household must be within the per capita monthly income of up to $2,600
  • Send their foreign domestic worker for relevant training in care giving that is approved by Agency for Integrated Care (AIC)*.

* Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) was formed as an independent corporate entity under MOH Holdings (MOHH) in 2009 to look into the enhancement and integration of Long-Term Care sector.

Training Courses Available For Foreign Domestic WorkerDomestic helper at home

It is mandatory to get your foreign domestic worker to attend the relevant training courses. There are a wide variety of courses available and you can choose courses base on the topic or the needs of the care recipient. These courses are meant to equip the workers with the right knowledge and skills of these workers so that they can better care for the recipients. Some of these courses are conducted online while others are conducted in the classroom. There are also different languages provided. Some of these course topics include,

  • Basic Home Care Skills
  • Caring for Persons with Dementia
  • Tracheostomy Care, Suctioning and Oxygen Therapy
  • Mobility Transfers and Movements
  • Home Based Education – Bowel Care, Catheter Management
  • Home Based Education Personal Hygiene
  • Caregivers’ Training (Foreign Domestic Workers caring for elderly)
  • Home Based Education – Nasogastric Tube Feeding

Caregivers’ Training Grant

According to Singapore Silver Pages (SSP)*, to apply for the Foreign Domestic Worker grant, your worker must attend AIC approved training. The good news is that, you are able to use the Caregivers Training Grant to pay for the training.

Employers of foreign domestic workers can apply for a Caregivers’ Training Grant to subsidise the cost of courses attended. The subsidy is capped at $200 per annual for each recipient.

* Singapore Silver Pages (SSP) is a one-stop resource on Community Care information to help you make informed care choices by making it easier to find the information you need. It integrates social care, healthcare, mental health and care-giving resources under one roof for seniors, caregivers and care decision-makers.

Levy Concession for Foreign Domestic Worker

On top of the Foreign Domestic Worker Grant, you can also apply for a levy concession of $60 per month to care for your elderly family member (65-year-old and above), a family member with disability or for a young child (Singaporean and below 16-year-old) that is living under the same roof as you. More information on levy concession can be found here.




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This article is contributed by Imtidad.

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