Chermaine 10s416/ To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?

The government may be responsible for taking care of the elderly when they need financial support. Elderly, mainly those who have retired will not have any income as they are no longer able to work. Therefore they might need financial aids to provide for their needs. Hence, the government may need to step in to aid these elderly to meet their financial needs by providing subsidies for them. Government can provides health subsidies to elderly when they seek health treatment from government clinics like the Singapore polyclinic. The elderly are required to pay less with the subsidy given by the government. Hence, It may be necessary for government to provide these healthcare subsidies to the elderly who are more prone to illnesses and a large proportion of their money might be needed to be spent on it, therefore easing their burden. However, the elderly themselves should take the responsibility to provide for their own retirement fund. It is important for the elderly to be the one to be responsible for their own financial needs. They need to be independent. Therefore, when they are working, they should ensure that they save up money to meet their future retirement needs. One of the ways is to ensure regular contribution to their Central Provident Fund, whereby the money contributed can be used to pay for their health care needs in the future. Upon reaching the age of 62, if their Central Provident Fund account still has the minimum sum required, a sum of money will be given to the account monthly which can be used to provide for healthcare needs. Hence, they can be independent in providing for their own needs and save the trouble of seeking help from others. Therefore, It is important for the elderly themselves to take charge for providing for their own retirement fund.