Some 470,000 lower-income Singaporean workers on the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme will receive S$810 million in Workfare Special Payment (WSP) in October 2020.

The Ministry of Finance announced the payout on Oct. 23.

These lower-income Singaporean workers will receive their October payout of the WSP from Oct. 28.

The final payment of S$1,500 will be credited directly into their bank account on Oct. 28, or sent as a cheque mailed to their residential address by Nov. 15.

Most of them would have qualified for WSP earlier and received their first payment of S$1,500 in July, for their work done in 2019.

Those eligible will receive the WIS for their work done in 2020.

Background

Workfare is a permanent scheme to top up the salaries of lower-income Singaporean workers whose earnings are in the bottom 20 per cent of the workforce.

The WIS is paid in the form of CPF top-ups for retirement, as well as cash to supplement earned income.

It was introduced in 2007.

The WIS was enhanced from 2020.

The qualifying income cap was raised to S$2,300 per month, and the maximum annual WIS payout increased to S$4,000 per year.

Some S$6.8 billion in Workfare has been paid to about 890,000 recipients since then.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat had announced in his Ministerial Statement on Aug. 17 that WSP eligibility will be widened.

More than 70,000 additional workers will be included as they are not already receiving the WSP.

We deliver more stories to you on LinkedIn

Top photo via Wikipedia