Written Answer to PQ on MDW Sponsorship Scheme

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2459 OF 2023 FOR THE SITTING ON 9 JANUARY 2024
QUESTION NO. 5317 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong

To ask the Minister for Manpower in each of the last five years for Work Permit applications under the Sponsorship Scheme for a migrant domestic worker (a) how many seniors aged above 65 have tried applying for a Work Permit but have no qualified family members to sponsor their application; (b) how many are rejected; and (c) how many have had to move to a nursing home due to the rejection.

Answer:

1. For the 5-year period from 2018 to 2022, less than 1% of the MDW applications under the Sponsorship Scheme, or fewer than 150 applications annually, were rejected due to a lack of eligible sponsors.

2. MOM does not collect data on the number of seniors who move to nursing homes because they were unable to hire an MDW.