CPF rejects application of 56-year old heart patient to withdraw from his CPF account, saying he is 'not physically incapacitated'

[JohnTan]

There is always two sides to a coin. We have to be in that person's shoes to understand the situation. I am sure there are help but, it is frustrasting to be lik e"oliver" in Singapore, you run into many red tapes & walls. CPF is where you deposit your blood sweat & tears money, where it becomes OUR MONEY instead of yOUR MONEY. They keep changing the 'goal post' , there is nobody stopping them, for LHL once had said, nobody protested...not counting CSJ sister.

They have the every right under the many layers of legistation to keep you a far distance from your money. It is sad to get into some illness , needs a large sum of money to recover, look at your CPF Statement & feel RICH...but you can't even touch. You will get that money, but must book appointment at Mandai first.

Ask these people..whom did the vote?

Sinkies are allowed to wthdraw all of their cpf in excess of the Minimum Sum. It's not the PAP's fault if some sinkies fuck up such a good scheme.

 

[countryman]

If they allow him to withdraw his cpf, all hell will break lose! There will be a long long queue of people wanting to take their $ out with health issues.
Anyway 18k also can't do much for him here in Sg. Would have spent it all easily in less than a year..

 

[bobby]

 

[halsey02]

Sinkies are allowed to wthdraw all of their cpf in excess of the Minimum Sum. It's not the PAP's fault if some sinkies fuck up such a good scheme.

Yah...all right! all are so stupid right? the don't even know?

 

[horny]

must self declare siao lang to get all money back

 

[batman1]

Look ! He is sick and dying now already and u PAP/CPF/Government still want to hold back his CPF money to pay for his medical fees ? Ridiculous !

 

[shittypore]

CPF vaults are emptied, ask Ho or CAQ?

 

[halsey02]

Stupid has been voting for PAP all these while and when it came his time to ask for what is rightfully his, he is shoved aside.

He actually has a disease worse than his heart. He is stupid. For that, there is no cure.

Maybe he can use this stupid disease to get his CPF back. After all they promised to return it at 55.......

The promise to return your CPF at 55 years old, soon it will move higher, certain conditions must be met, like the minimum sum. which will be 181, 000 by 2020. They always tell you, its for your own good. But, you mustn't fall into illness that needs money for your medical cost, rehabilitation etc. The promise, ha ha ha, we can't complain, we voted for the PAP. PAP is the best.

 

[rotiprata]

If they allow him to withdraw his cpf, all hell will break lose! There will be a long long queue of people wanting to take their $ out with health issues.
Anyway 18k also can't do much for him here in Sg. Would have spent it all easily in less than a year..

why the fuc .. they started medisave, medshield, medicare..?.

 

[pocoyo]

CPF rejects application of 56-year old heart patient to withdraw from his CPF account, saying he is 'not physically incapacitated'
www.theonlinecitizen.com

“I didn’t ask for government welfare. I just want to take out my own money and save myself. I feel so helpless. What happened to the Singapore government?”

Mr Sim Kay Chuan, a 56-year-old Singaporean who suffered from heart problems in 2015 had an operation two years ago, leaving his heart’s left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 37% performance. The normal LVEF for a person ranges from 55% to 70%.

This condition left Mr Sim weak. On top of that, the medicine that he has to take also lowers his blood pressure, making him susceptible to fainting spells even when walking.

Mr Sim has since exhausted his savings as he is unable to work due to his medical condition for the past two years. That’s why he applied to withdraw his CPF to ease his family expenses.

However, the authorities refused his application on the grounds that he did not qualify, citing four conditions.

According to the official website of the CPF Board, in order to apply to withdraw some of your CPF savings on medical grounds, they need to certify that you:

1. are physically or mentally incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment; or
2. have a severely impaired life expectancy; or
3. lack capacity within the meaning of Section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the lack of capacity is likely to be permanent; or
4. are terminally ill.

According to Mr Sim, he started to experience physical health problems since 2014. It was only until when he almost fainted after crossing an overbridge that he visited a Chinese traditional physician and was advised to seek treatment in hospital.

After examination in a hospital, Mr Sim was told that his heart is failing and he needed surgery.

Mr Sim underwent the surgery as advised. He was then told by the attending doctor that he is not to carry any weight more than 5kg and that he would not able to work for a long time.

In the two years since his operation, Mr Sim has tried applying for work but failed to secure any employment due to his medical condition. He could not take up jobs such as private hire driver either because of his tendency to feel giddy and possibly lose consciousness.

Currently, his wife is the sole breadwinner. She works as a welfare coordinator and earns a take-home pay of S$1,800. According to Mr Sim, their savings have been exhausted due to his medical treatments and medicines to lower his blood cholesterol.

Considered divorce to ease his wife’s burden

He is worried about the family’s current financial conditions and even thought about divorce to avoid burdening his wife further. His wife refused to do so and believes that they should cherish and take care of each other.

Mr Sim’s wife has to wake up as early as 5am, spend three hours on commute and work for nine hours each day. Besides paying the monthly expenses, she also gives her husband S$20-30 as daily pocket money.

At Mr Sim’s flat in Jurong, his wife showed TOC stacks of pawn tickets for jewellery which she had pawned, one by one for hundreds of dollars, in order to pay for medical bills and other expenses over the past two years.

Desperate in his current situation, Mr Sim resorted to applying for early withdrawal of his CPF monies which is now kept in the retirement account.

CPF states Mr Sim can still work and SSO states wife can provide for family

However, CPF Board in its letter to Mr Sim dated in August this year, said that after checking with the doctor, Mr Sim is “not physically incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment” (emphasis ours), and therefore they are unable to process his application to withdraw his CPF Retirement sum of around $18,000.

​

When Mr Sim visited Mr Patrick Tay, MP for West Coast GRC, other than writing an appeal to the CPF board, his case was also referred to the Social Service Office (SSO).

According to SSO’s letter from the Social Welfare Department dated 27 May 2019, his application for financial assistance was rejected on the basis that his wife was still working with a stable income. It wrote, “after careful consideration, we assessed that your family is able to support its basic living expenses.”

​

There was no follow-up letter from the CPF Board other than a phone call to Mr Sim to saying that they found nothing wrong with his medical condition, once again rejecting his application.

So right now, Mr Sim can only start drawing from his CPF retirement account in another nine years when he turns 65. And according to him, he will only be able to withdraw about S$250 each month.

Mr Sim’s story was reported on by local Chinese press Shin Min daily last month.

Regret going for his heart surgery

The rejection by the CPF Board and the SSO made Mr Sim feel helpless, leading him to question why his own money cannot be used when he needs it the most. This is especially since he has no idea how long he has left to live due to his heart condition.

“I regret going for the surgery,” said Mr Sim.

“Ended up spending so much money and now becoming a burden for my wife. A couple of my friends who are in similar situation as me, share my thoughts.”

He went on to state that he does not want to depend on the government for hand-outs. Instead, he just wants to get his hard-earned money so that he can live with dignity and not rely on his wife for hand-outs.

Mr Sim also voiced out against the government’s narrative that old men would go Batam and spend all their money there, “How can you use the stories of a few individuals as a reason to restrict the use of people’s money?”

Sold HDB seven years ago

TOC had written to CPF board for their comments on this story in September and October this year but has not received any acknowledgement or reply till date.

Just in case CPF decides to disclose private information about Mr Sim and his wife as they had in the past with other families, we have to note that the couple is currently living in a BTO which they purchased five years ago. Prior to that, they lived in a rental flat for around two years after selling their previous flat for around $200,000.

When asked what they did with the money, Mr Sim shared that he had tried to dabble in business but failed. Part of the money was used to pay off debts which wife had incurred when borrowing money to pay for her mother’s medical fees and also for the flat that they are currently staying in.

The couple have a daughter, but when asked about her, they said she has her own expenses and family to look after.

 

[FUNCHOI]

There is an option to withdraw your Cpf base on medical grounds.

We do not know what happen?

Perhaps he failed the medical board.?




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[rushifa666]

56 and yellow skin? 90% pap voter.

 

[JohnTan]

Yah...all right! all are so stupid right? the don't even know?

Most oppies are stupid or losers.

 

[halsey02]

Most oppies are stupid or losers.

Most people like you are retarded in some way, only science have not come out with a name for that kind of retardation. I am true blue PAP Supporter, you can't even recognise your own kind. That is why I say, PAP is the best. They are your PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE.

Why vote oppositions, you get the PAP all the time, PAP is the best.

 

[winnipegjets]

He should seek a dramatic end and bring along with him some PAP ministars.

 

[halsey02]

There is an option to withdraw your Cpf base on medical grounds.

We do not know what happen?

Perhaps he failed the medical board.?




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It is not easy to get CPF to get you to see their medical board, I have helped a relative on this, so I am quite familiar. It is easier for you to fix your mandai appoitment with NEA. Mind you, you are asking for your own money, to seek medical treatment to prolong your life. They become like limpets. Easier to die.

so sad... PAP is the best. Anyway we like the PAP, so live with them.

 

[AhMeng]

It is not easy to get CPF to get you to see their medical board, I have helped a relative on this, so I am quite familiar. It is easier for you to fix your mandai appoitment with NEA. Mind you, you are asking for your own money, to seek medical treatment to prolong your life. They become like limpets. Easier to die.

so sad... PAP is the best. Anyway we like the PAP, so live with them.

Peasants' life is cheap. PAP's elites life is more precious. Majullah PAP

 

[mojito]

Chao keng lah! Denied!

 

[shittypore]

The Medical Board and all the watch dogs there are for show, CPF Board run on Auto Pilot.

 

[halsey02]

The Medical Board and all the watch dogs there are for show, CPF Board run on Auto Pilot.

Look at it this way, you can't fault them for doing a good job, to ensure that, you do not abuse or use up all your savings. We have entrusted them with our money & like good guardians, protect it like it is yOUR MONEY. In other words, we voted for people whom, do not need much consultation to us, even there is, the decision is already, made. We asked for the PAP. It is easier to die than to chase after our money, to help us to prolong our lives. We ask for the PAP, we got them & it will continue. The people in CPF are doing a good job. PAP is the best.