Budget 2025 Large Families Scheme not an incentive or reward: Indranee
The new Large Families Scheme announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget speech on Feb 18 is neither an incentive nor a reward, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah.
Rather, it provides financial support for parents who «would like three or more children», with the Government providing additional assistance.
«Incentive is like, 'if I give you money, out pops the kid',» said Indranee in a podcast with CNA shared on Monday (Feb 24). «It cannot work like that.»
And to think of the scheme as a «reward» is also the wrong kind of signal to send to Singaporeans, she added.
As part of new measures to encourage Singaporeans to have more children, parents will receive a $5,000 Large Family MediSave grant for each third and subsequent child born from Feb 18.
Parents will also receive $1,000 each year in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent child between the ages of one and six, or a total of $6,000 over six years.
Meanwhile, all third and subsequent Singapore citizen children born from Feb 18 will receive $10,000 in their Child Development Accounts (CDA) under the First Step grant.