Social Welfare in Singapore: Rediscovering Poverty, Reshaping Policy

Abstract

After three decades of spectacular economic growth, poverty was thought to have disappeared by the 1990s in Singapore. However, in the last decade, increasing inequality and stagnation of wages of bottom earners have resulted in an expansion of social welfare policies. This article discusses the evolvement of social welfare policies in Singapore in light of its socio-economic trends, its welfare philosophy and structure, and the role of social work.

Keywords:

• poverty
• inequality
• Singapore
• social welfare
• social work