Some families said the S$300 Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers that each household received in January, meant to help cushion the impact of additional Goods & Services Tax (GST), did not take into account family size and needs.
“The CDC vouchers are per household, and it is a limited amount. So in terms of a family of five, it goes away very quickly compared to a family of two or three,” said Mdm Sandra, a mother of three.
“I mean, it’s some help, and it’s appreciated, but if it’s a slightly bigger budget for bigger families, then I foresee it would help us much more.”
HOME PRICES
Newly-married couples and those looking to settle down are worried about home prices.
Property market cooling measures and rising interest rates have dampened demand but home prices are still expected to increase – albeit at a slower pace – by between 5 and 8 per cent this year.
“We just had a kid so I’m just starting my new phase as a father and family man,” said newly-married father Arshath Arif.
The 28-year-old, who has been in the workforce for about two years after graduating from school, is concerned about finding a home within his budget.
“I’m thinking of buying a house and I foresee that the housing prices will be quite expensive. I’ve seen a lot of Build-to-Order (BTO) projects coming in at prices of S$500,000, S$600,000. I’m worried about that.”
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Among concerns for parents are childcare and work-life balance as more employees return to the office post-pandemic.
Organisations working with families are calling for more resources to expand their programmes, and hope the upcoming Budget will address their concerns.