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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/in-your-opinion-podcast-does-a-family-of-4-in-spore-really-need-6426-a-month-for-a-basic-standard-of-living-pt-1 In Your Opinion Podcast: Does a family of 4 in S'pore need $6,426 a month for basic living standard? Synopsis: The Straits Times' opinion editor Grace Ho takes a hard look at political and social issues of the day with her expert guests. In this episode, the first of two parts, she looks at whether a family of four in Singapore needs $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living. In the studio to explain the study and its methodology are Associate Professor Teo You Yenn of the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University; and Dr Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:41: Is there a household budget that captures the lived realities of Singaporeans? What is the Minimum Income Standard? 04:55: Addressing criticisms of the study and its methodology 10:00 How is the Minimum Income Standard applied in the United Kingdom, and how does the UK decide what is a living wage? https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/thinking-aloud-6426-a-month-for-basic-standard-of-living-study-on-family-budgets-must-be Does a family of 4 really need $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living? It depends It is about what people feel they need to be socially accepted, not just what they can afford For a few years, money at home was tight. I did not go on overseas field trips or to the cinema, and made excuses to skip class gatherings at restaurants. Each missed activity meant one less shared experience and common talking point - and one step closer to feeling as if I did not belong. This is where the minimum income standard (MIS) approach, which relies on public consensus and not just expert opinion, comes in.

http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-island-country-club-offers-poverty-simulation-programme-members BY FRANCIS LAW [email protected] PUBLISHED: 8:24 PM, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 UPDATED: 10:50 PM, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 SINGAPORE — At one of Singapore’s most prestigious country clubs, members will have a chance to see life from the perspective of those living on the poverty line, through a workshop conducted by a voluntary welfare organisation (VWO). Called a poverty simulation exercise, the workshop was advertised in the Singapore Island Country Club’s (SICC) members magazine, and is set to be held next month. Typically conducted for schools and volunteers, it is the first time Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) is holding the workshop for a country club. Participants will be called upon to role-play and manage challenging scenarios, like supporting a family and making ends meet on a meagre income while juggling health issues. An MWS spokesperson, responding to queries, said the programme aims to stir compassion and nudge participants towards doing more for the community. “Based on real-life family profiles, the poverty simulation exercise helps participants to be aware of situations and the consequent hard decisions that people living in poverty have to face every day,” the spokesperson said. SICC members TODAY spoke to had mixed reactions, calling it a good effort on the part of the club, but pointed out the club could go further and organise more community service activities, for example. One member, Mr Joseph Ng, 54, the chief executive officer of a company in the energy sector, said he hoped the workshop was not a “stunt” and would serve its purpose. “Hopefully somebody (will be) touched, but I’m not so sure about that,” he said. He suggested that club members spend more time on volunteer work instead. “When you go to the homes you actually see the state they are in, you actually see the situation, the circumstances and the environment that they live in, and how people actually live,” he said. Another member, Mr Frankie Lim, 65, felt it was “a worthy cause” that could “highlight the concerns of the poor and to create awareness among members of the public”. “It’s good to start off this kind of thing, so maybe other organisations can follow. They might say ‘hey, since SICC is doing it, why not we do it too’,” he said. Adding that he would consider signing up, Mr Lim said: “For me, I grew up in poverty. We had to give up our bus fares and walk to school just to buy simple luxuries, so I think it will be good to experience what it’s like to be poor now.” Contacted by TODAY on why it decided to hold the workshop, the SICC would only say: “The club organises various programmes and activities to cater to the wide interest of our members.” MWS has been conducting the programme since 2011 for its church members, other VWOs, and schools. Participants are given roles, such as a single parent, or a person living alone. They then go through “four weeks” of the person’s life — spending 15 minutes on each “week” during the exercise on various scenarios that crop up, such as getting their children to school, seeking medical attention and keeping up with bills. For example, they could be “Casey”, a 45-year-old technician working in a small company who has to pay S$200 a week to cover his renovation loan from a bank, while providing for his hearing-impaired wife and two children. The MWS spokesperson said participants who took part in such workshops generally came away with a better understanding of poverty. “They are able to better understand and empathise with the challenges and frustrations faced by people in need,” he said.