Freelancers in Singapore should have received a notification on Wednesday, May 27 afternoon that they will be receiving S$3,000 from the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (Sirs).

More than 117,000 self-employed persons and freelancers have received or will be receiving their first payout of S$3,000 under Sirs from Wednesday.

Two more payouts of the same amount will be given in July and October this year.

The Ministry of Manpower and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said in a joint statement on Thursday that more than S$360 million will be disbursed in the first payment.

Those who qualify

The government announced the scheme in March as part of a supplementary support package of the national budget, to help self-employed individuals.

Those who qualify include taxi drivers, private hire car drivers and real estate agents who require help to tide over their loss of earnings during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Those who meet the criteria will automatically qualify for the payout.

The criteria includes earning a net trade income of no more than S$100,000 a year, and living in a property with an annual value of no more than S$21,000.

Those who miss out narrowly on the criteria may appeal.

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