Mr Tan Wei Meng*, 69, was in a loving marriage with his wife of 20 years, and had a stepson he loved as his own. Unfortunately, the passing of his wife in July 2018 changed everything. As Mrs Tan had nominated Mr Tan as her sole beneficiary under the Dependents’ Protection Scheme (DPS), his stepson asked to have a fair share of the proceeds under the Intestate Succession Act. When Mr Tan refused, he was locked out of the flat in January 2019.

With nowhere to go, Mr Tan took to sleeping in the delivery van that he uses for work as a courier. The unconducive living conditions and sleeping problems affected his work.

Mr Tan first came to MWS Covenant Family Service Centre – Hougang in December 2018 after being referred by a social service organisation for his housing issue. Since then, social worker Chew Hock Beng has been overseeing Mr Tan’s case. Knowing he could count on Hock Beng’s support, Mr Tan was able to think through more clearly in handling difficult decisions.

Subsequently, he gave his stepson a share of the DPS proceeds. Resolving this issue enabled him to focus on securing a home for himself. With Hock Beng liaising with HDB and appealing on his behalf, Mr Tan is now in a better frame of mind at work.

“Hock Beng has been more than a social worker to me,” said Mr Tan, “Over the last few months, he has become a friend, and I know that no matter what the problem is, I can trust him to do the best he can to solve my issues.” 

Hock Beng said, “Mr Tan is in a very complex and debilitating situation, but he is determined to overcome his circumstances, and is resourceful in making full use of the assets he has. Although he feels depressed at times, he never gave up and this perseverance allowed him to carry on working with me to resolve his challenges. I am happy for each small step he takes towards realising his goals.”