Skip to main content
About us

Response to Adjournment Motion on MDWs at Parliament

SPS Shawn Huang, Parliament

Foreign manpower

I thank the Member for raising this important topic on the role of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in the caregiving landscape in Singapore, and suggestions to better support employers in this regard.

2. In my response, I will cover three key aspects of how the Government is addressing these issues:

  1. First, measures to support MDWs in performing their caregiving duties such as training and alternative care options by the Government;
  2. Second, measures to support MDW employers in accessing affordable care services; and
  3. Third, measures to strengthen MDW employers’ working relationships with their MDWs.

3. Between 2011 and 2025, the MDW population grew by around 3% per year on average to about 300,000 today. This is driven by various factors including demographic, social and economic changes: more elderly Singaporeans requiring care, as well as more dual-income families with less extended family support.

Supporting MDWs to provide care

4. I share the member’s view that MDWs play an important role in supporting households with different caregiving needs. Their dedication to caring for the young and elderly in our homes are invaluable to many families in Singapore. Hence, we had introduced various measures in the last five years to support MDWs’ well-being, such as having mandatory rest days, as well as interviews in the first year of employment to check that they are settling in well. These measures demonstrate our commitment towards improving employment conditions for MDWs in line with international standards.

5. With increasing numbers of MDWs providing care to the elderly, we agree with the Member that training is important to enable them to provide quality care on a sustained basis.

  1. Both family caregivers and their MDWs may tap on the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) to offset the costs of attending caregiver training courses run by approved providers. The CTG was enhanced from 1 Apr 2024, increasing from $200 to $400 per year per care recipient.
  2. To support caregivers’ training needs, AIC offers over 240 courses covering a range of caregiving training skills, which address the caregiving needs cited by the MP, namely dementia, elder, disability, and post-hospitalisation care. Home-based training is also available for caregivers to learn how to provide home-based care for their care recipients.
  3. We agree with the Member that language skills by caregivers are important to communicate effectively with care recipients, especially for MDWs. As mentioned by the Member, Employers or MDWs can tap on courses offered by the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy and The Salvation Army for basic conversational Hokkien and Cantonese courses respectively. Non-profit organisations such as the ACMI, Brahm Centre and AIDHA also conduct English and Mandarin courses for MDWs.

6. I also agree with the Member that it is important to support the mental health of MDWs. Employers must provide at least one rest day per month that cannot be compensated away to allow MDWs to form support networks outside the household. MOM has a dedicated helpline with native speakers for MDWs in distress. We also partner with CDE, Alliance of Domestic Employees Outreach and Brahm Centre to provide psychological first aid training, counselling and recreational activities for MDWs to improve their mental health.

7. Even as we strengthen MDW caregivers’ support on training and mental health, we should recognize that care needs and family circumstances are diverse. As the Member has rightly pointed out in her speech, live-in MDWs may not be the best care option for every household, and we need to provide more alternatives that are better fit-for-purpose.

8. Therefore, the Government has been working with the industry to offer a wider range of full-time and part-time eldercare and domestic services that are accessible and affordable for our seniors.

9. In lieu of relying on a live-in MDW,

  1. Alternative care options such as the recently mainstreamed Shared Stay-in Senior Caregiving Services, and the upcoming Home Personal Care enhancements, can help to support seniors with their activities of daily living.
  2. Households that only require part-time or ad hoc help with household chores can consider engaging companies on the Household Services Scheme (HSS) instead of hiring an MDW. Since formalising the HSS as a permanent scheme in 2021, the number of HSS companies has increased from around 80 to 240 today.

Supporting MDW affordability for employers with care needs

10. The Member also highlighted affordability challenges that MDW employers may face. Let me share about the financial support and protection that the Government provides today:

  1. First, we have the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) that currently provides cash payouts of up to $400 per month to support those who are being cared for at home and require permanent assistance with at least three activities of daily living. MOH has announced that it will enhance HCG by (i) increasing the monthly payout from up to $400 per month to up to $600 per month; and (ii) raising the per capita household income (PCHI) eligibility threshold from $3,600 to $4,800. The enhancements to HCG will take effect from Apr 2026.
  2. Second, to support families with greater need for MDWs, local households with caregiving needs enjoy a concessionary levy rate of $60 per month instead of $300.Currently, around 72% of households hiring MDWs already benefit from the levy concession as they have either:
    1. a child below 16 years old; or
    2. an elderly person at least 67 years old; or
    3. a person with disabilities living in the household.

    Regardless of age or impairment type, persons who require assistance permanently to perform at least one Activity of Daily Living, or ADL, would qualify for the Levy Concession. This includes persons with dementia or who have special needs, who may physically be able to perform the ADL, but require assistance or supervision to do so.

  3. To better protect employers from high unexpected medical bills, MOM regularly reviews the coverage of medical insurance policies for MDWs. The minimum annual claim limit was raised to $60,000 in 2023. This was a significant increase from $15,000 prior to 2023 and covers 99% of inpatient and day surgery bills incurred by MDWs in public healthcare institutions. Employers who prefer greater coverage can choose to purchase more comprehensive insurance plans.
  4. On the Member’s suggestion to extend the Primary Care Plan (PCP) to MDWs, I would like to highlight that the objective of the PCP is to provide Migrant Workers (MWs) with accessible primary healthcare, including setting up MW medical centres near dormitories, to strengthen public health resilience. The medical centres for PCP are thus largely located near MW dormitories, which are in areas generally not adequately served by existing medical facilities. Employers of MDWs who prefer cost predictability for primary care may consider purchasing more comprehensive insurance plans with outpatient coverage, on a voluntary basis.

Measures to better support MDW employers’ relationship with MDWs

11. I agree with the Member that Employment Agencies (EA) play an important role in the relationship between employers and MDW. Today, more than 80% of employers hire their MDWs with the help of an Employment Agency. Ensuring a good match between employers and MDWs can help to provide a good start to the working relationship. MOM has put in place process to regulate EAs and facilitate better matching of employers and MDWs.

  1. Firstly, EAs are required to comply with MOM’s regulations and guidelines to ensure that they are professional in their dealings with their clients, both the employers and the MDWs. For instance, EAs should not mislead or provide inaccurate information to their clients or apply undue pressure on their clients. EAs found to have breached these guidelines will be issued with demerit points, which may result in the eventual suspension or revocation of the EA licence.
  2. Secondly, we have adopted the approach of making information more transparent so that employers can better assess the suitability of prospective MDWs based on their household needs. Employers may use the FDW eService portal to access information about MDWs’ past work performance, length of each employment and reasons why MDW left their past employment.
  3. Thirdly, MOM provides an online EA directory to provide information to households looking to engage an EA’s service, including the EAs’ customer service ratings, years of experience, retention and transfer rates of the MDWs emplaced. The directory improves transparency by allowing employers to engage the EAs that best meet their needs.
  4. Lastly, MOM has education and outreach programmes for both employers and MDWs to align expectations. First-time employers are required to attend the Employers’ Orientation Programme which educates employers on their responsibilities of care towards their MDWs. MDWs in turn must go through the Settling-in Programme which educates them on avenues to seek help when needed, how to manage their own stress and communicate effectively with their employers. This further helps foster a harmonious relationship between employers and their MDWs.

MOM’s vision of fairness and harmony for both Employers and their MDWs

12. Mr Speaker, to wrap up:

  1. The caregiving landscape in Singapore will get more challenging with increasing demand for care services across different demographics.
  2. The Government has been expanding caregiving options and ensuring they remain accessible and affordable.
  3. We will continue to find ways to safeguard the interests of MDW employers while protecting the wellbeing of MDWs.
  4. It takes a many-hands approach to create an ecosystem of support for MDWs and their employers. Our Employment Agencies, AEAS, CDE, NTUC and NGOs play an important role in fostering harmonious relationships between MDWs and employers.
  5. Let us continue to work together to sustain this ecosystem of support for MDWs and employers and foster a culture of mutual understanding and respect within the community.

13. Thank you.