Written Answer by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Manpower and Minister for Social and Family Development, to Parliamentary Question on Statistics On Applications for CPF Withdrawals

Notice Paper No. 98 Of 2015 For The Sitting On 13 April 2015 Question No. 225 For Written Answer 

MP: Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song

To ask the Minister for Manpower for each year since 2005 (a) how many CPF members have successfully applied for CPF withdrawals on each of the following medical grounds: (i) permanently incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment (ii) terminally ill with a life expectancy of 12 months or less (iii) suffering from a severely shortened life expectancy (iv) mentally incapable of handling and receiving monies (v) other reasons; (b) what is the proportion of successful applications which have been granted a full CPF withdrawal; and (c) how many applications have been rejected.

Answer

1. CPF members with serious medical conditions can apply for an early withdrawal of CPF savings under the CPF Medical Grounds Scheme. The current scheme was introduced in July 2006, and there are four grounds for qualifying under the scheme. Members who wish to make withdrawals on any of these grounds will need to have their medical conditions certified by a doctor either from a public medical institution or the CPF Board’s panel. Members who are terminally ill will be able to withdraw their retirement savings in full. Members who are permanently incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment, suffer from an unsound mind or have a severely reduced lifespan will be able to withdraw their retirement savings after setting aside a reduced Retirement Sum at the point the application is granted.
2. The number of CPF members who have successfully applied for CPF withdrawals under the Medical Grounds Scheme since 2007 is as follows:



Year	Applications approved under the Medical Grounds Scheme for the following conditions
	Terminally Ill	Severely Impacted Life Expectancy	Permanently Incapacitated	Unsound Mind
2007	174	6	361	67
2008	149	7	321	65
2009	179	35	378	65
2010	161	55	358	44
2011	173	69	369	44
2012	243	75	493	25
2013	192	101	412	27
2014	243	143	545	45

3. About two-thirds of applications between 2007 and 2014 under the Medical Grounds Scheme were successful. The remaining applications were rejected as the applicants were unable to provide the required certification from the approved doctors.