Dear friends,
Budget 2026 promises more support for low-wage workers. That is a step in the right direction.
But many Singaporeans are asking a simple question: what about the sandwiched middle class?
These are everyday families working hard and paying taxes, while raising children and caring for their parents.
Yet they are quietly being stretched from both ends by higher bills while prices rise more than wages.
And after long work hours, they’re told to upgrade skills, spend quality time with family, and still manage caregiving.
There are only 24 hours in a day.
Many families we have spoken to are simply enduring. This is not how life should be.
SDA believes Singapore must do more for these families.
That’s why we proposed in 2025 a Family Care Account (FCA).
This is a simple, practical support system for sandwiched households.
Under the FCA:
-families receive monthly government support, scaled to household needs
-the funds can be used for caregiving and basic healthcare support
-it works alongside the existing Child Development Account, so support covers both the young and the old
This is not a one-off voucher. It is steady, reliable help — the kind that families can plan their finance around.
It also helps Singapore face a reality we can’t avoid: more elderly, more caregiving, more strain on families. And with proper support, families and seniors can transition into eldercare with dignity.
The government can spend billions on big-ticket priorities, and even mull increasing high defence spending.
Surely it can spend a fraction of that to improve the daily lives of Common Singaporean families who are holding up this country.
Give our sandwiched middle-class a fair chance by delivering real help that reaches the ground.
Desmond Lim
Chairman
Singapore Democratic Alliance
