S’pore Workers Who Lose Jobs Due To Covid-19 To Get $800/Month For 3 Months: DPM Heng

Singapore Low & Middle-Income Workers Who Lose Jobs Due To Covid-19 Will Get Help

As the Covid-19 outbreak intensifies, many companies in Singapore are suffering massive losses. Companies in the travel and hotel sectors are among some of the worst hit.

As a result, some employees may see themselves getting retrenched in the coming weeks and months.

To support these newly-unemployed workers, the government will be issuing these employees a grant of up to $800 per month for up to 3 months as they look for new jobs or go for training.

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Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced additional measures to keep Singapore afloat during these difficult times, under a new supplementary budget called Resilience Budget.

As the impact of Covid-19 on our economy deepens, some workers will lose their jobs or see their income significantly reduced. We will help them.

He said this in Parliament today (26 Mar).

$145 million set aside for schemes & increased flexibility

In additional to the grants mentioned above, Minister Heng also announced that the government will be exercising more flexibility when it comes to ComCare applications.

The ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme aims to help the elderly and their loved ones who are facing extreme financial difficulties.

There’ll also be a new Temporary Relief Fund set in place to grant to help families tide over these difficult times while waiting for new measures to kick in.

Around $145 million will be set aside for these schemes and increased flexibility to ComCare.

Govt insistent on keeping all jobs safe

The Covid-19 pandemic is, without a doubt, the most serious crisis the world has faced in modern times. It has put countries to test on all fronts, especially economic and social.

It’s heartening to see the Singaporean government working efficiently in response to the crisis, by reaching out to all whose livelihoods are deeply affected.

Hopefully, measures from the supplementary Resilience Budget, will help ease their burden.

Featured image adapted from Channel NewsAsia.