Budget 2018: A single mum's wishlist

Ms Shree Gopal, 44, a polytechnic lecturer, was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 26.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that manifests itself as thick, red patches that can be itchy, scaly and can peel.

Besides dealing with her skin condition, Ms Gopal has to care for her family as a single parent, which is not easy.

Although her monthly income is above $5,000, she has to support her elderly mother, a 15-year-old son who will be entering higher education in a few years and a domestic helper.

"If the domestic helper isn't there, I cannot go to work. Her help is necessary to care for my aged and diabetic mother," Ms Gopal said.

Her hope is that single parents such as herself can get more support from the government and society.

"Single parents like me should not be seen as a burden on society or as social outcasts. We are also educated, working and contributing to society," she said.

Ms Gopal has lectured for more than a decade and she also does community service, such as telling stories to children in the library.

Her wish for Budget 2018 is that government support can be more tailored to an individual's needs, instead of excluding those who fall through the cracks.

"There is a lot of financial support for children who have both parents, but much less for those with single parents," she told The New Paper.

One of the problems she faced was in buying a house when she was in her late 20s to early 30s.

"I needed my mother to sell her own house and be named as the occupant of my house so that I could get it," she explained.

As such, Ms Gopal hopes that housing for single parents could be more attainable, since they have children to shelter.

In September last year, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Louis Ng submitted a petition on behalf of single parents who faced "difficulties securing their basic needs, in particular with regard to public housing".

The petition was turned down in November.

INELIGIBLE

Furthermore, Ms Gopal's son was awarded a bursary in school for good academic performance but was subsequently made ineligible because of her income.

"The thing is, I am a single mother and the sole breadwinner of a young child and elderly mother. I understand the cap on family income but for me I am a single earner," she said.

"Although I am earning above the income cap, you have to consider who I am supporting."

In addition to having three dependents - her child, her mother and the domestic helper - Ms Gopal has to pay for treatment for her psoriasis.

The condition can flare up suddenly, requiring the patient to apply creams or even go for injections that can cost $5,000 a round.

"I hope that there is more medical subsidy and support for people with specific conditions.

"There is the Medisave cap for spending on chronic disease treatments, which does not work for psoriasis because of the inconsistent nature of the condition," Ms Gopal said.

Unlike chronic illnesses such as diabetes, psoriasis has periods of activity when the patient has to spend a lot on treatment, before subsiding again.

"I just think that such issues have to be looked at on a case by case basis. Things aren't black or white, so I just hope we can be seen as individuals with specific issues," she said.