| Social Transfers |
|
Merdeka Generation Package (MGP) – (MOF)
|
The MGP was introduced as a gesture of appreciation for the Merdeka Generation, and to care for them in their silver years.
|
Introduced in 2019
|
$6.1 billion set aside in Fund.
With the interest accumulated over time, the Government expects that the sum of money will meet the full projected cost of the MGP (over $8 billion, in nominal terms, over the MG’s lifetimes).
|
Singaporeans who were born between 1 Jan 1950 and 31 Dec 1959, and who became Singapore citizens on or before 31 Dec 1996; Singaporeans who were born on or before 31 Dec 1949, who became Singapore citizens on or before 31 Dec 1996, and who did not receive the Pioneer Generation Package
|
Will benefit about 500,000 Singaporeans, to support the Merdeka Generation’s aspirations to stay active and healthy. The benefits are as follows:
- One-time $100 Passion Silver Card Top-up
- MediSave Top-Ups of $200 every year, from 2019 to 2023
- Outpatient Care Subsidies at Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Clinics, Polyclinics, and public Specialist Outpatient Clinics.
- Additional 5% subsidy for annual MediShield Life premiums, which increased to 10% when an MG turns 75 years old
- Additional $1,500 participation incentive for MGs who decide to join CareShield Life when it becomes available in 2021
|
|
5-Year MediSave Top-Ups – (MOF)
|
Annual MediSave top-ups for older Singaporeans of $100 a year for five years, from 2019 to 2023
|
Introduced in 2019
|
$570 million in 2019
|
Singaporeans born on or before 31 December 1969 and who do not receive PGP or MGP
|
-
|
|
Bicentennial Bonus – (MOF)
|
Announced in Budget 2019 to commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial and to support individuals who need more help. The Bicentennial Bonus has five components:
- GST Voucher – Cash (Bicentennial Payment)
- Workfare Bicentennial Bonus
- CPF Top-up
- Edusave Account and Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) Top-ups
- Personal Income Tax Rebate
|
Given in 2019
|
$1.1 billion in 2019
|
Individuals who need more help, including youth, working adults and older Singaporeans
|
-
|
|
SG Bonus – (MOF)
|
A one-off cash payout announced in Budget 2018 to share the fruits of Singapore’s development with all adult Singaporeans
|
Given in 2018
|
$700 million in 2018
|
All adult Singaporeans aged 21 years and above
|
-
|
|
GST Voucher (GSTV) Scheme – (MOF)
|
The permanent GSTV scheme helps lower- and middle-income Singaporeans offset some of their GST expenses. The GSTV comprises three components – Cash, MediSave and U-Save.
|
Introduced in 2012
|
About $6 billion set aside in Fund for FY12 to FY20; $1.5 billion top-up in FY17
|
Lower- and middle-income Singaporean households
|
Recent enhancements and special payments:
Budget 2019:
Up to $300 in the GSTV– Cash (Bicentennial Payment)
Budget 2018:
Additional $20 per year for GSTV - U-Save from 2019 to 2021 for eligible HDB households to cover expected average increase in electricity and gas expenses arising from the introduction of the carbon tax
Budget 2017:
Permanent increase in GSTV – U-Save quantum by up to $120, and a one-off GSTV - Cash (Special Payment) of up to $200
|
|
ComCare Long Term Assistance/ Public Assistance (PA) – (MSF)
|
Provides a basic monthly cash allowance to those who are permanently unable to work and have little family support.
These individuals and their families also receive various forms of help, such as free social services and medical treatments from Government, as well as financial assistance and food deliveries from community-based organisation and grassroots volunteers.
|
2007
PA rates are reviewed and updated every 3 years.
|
-
|
Individuals who are unable to work and have little family support
|
Budget 2019: PA rates increased to between $600 and $2,150, from between $500 and $1,770. Cash rates depend on household size.
|
|
Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Rebate – (MOF)
|
The S&CC rebate directly offsets S&CC payments by households. In 2019, eligible Singaporean HDB households will receive up to 3.5 months of S&CC rebate.
|
Generally given out annually since 1992
|
$132 million in FY 2019
|
Eligible Singaporean HDB households
|
Budget 2017:
All eligible HDB households to receive additional S&CC rebate of 0.5 month, up from 1 to 3 months’ worth.
|
| Support for Seniors |
|
Community Network for Seniors – (MOH)
|
CNS brings together Government agencies, and community partners to bring ABC to seniors – Active Ageing, Befriending, and Care and Support.
|
Pilot started in 2016; To expand nationwide by 2020
|
NA
|
All seniors
|
Integrates resources and efforts of government agencies, VWOs and local volunteers.
Ambassadors under the Pioneer Generation Ambassadors Programme will guide seniors in health screening exercises, join group exercises and provide more information on active ageing and befriending services.
Government is reviewing our processes to achieve better integration of health and social services for seniors. Programme will be extended to other constituencies.
|
|
Silver Support Scheme – (MOM/CPF)
|
The Silver Support Scheme provides assistance to elderly who had low incomes through life, and now have little or no family support.
|
Introduced in 2016
|
About $1 billion since the scheme was launched in 2016
|
170,000 seniors
|
Three sets of criteria used in combination to determine eligibility: Total CPF Contributions, housing type, level of household support.
|
| Healthcare |
|
CareShield Life and ElderFund – (MOH)
|
New long-term care insurance scheme (CareShield Life) and discretionary assistance scheme (ElderFund) to provide lifetime cash payouts to the severely disabled.
|
Introduced in 2019
|
$5.1 billion set aside in Long-Term Care Support Fund in 2019
|
Eligible Singaporeans
|
- To provide greater healthcare assurance that Government will strengthen financial protection for long-term care
|
|
Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) – (MOH)
|
CHAS enables all Singapore Citizens, including Pioneer Generation (PG) and Merdeka Generation (MG) cardholders, to receive subsidies for medical and/or dental care at participating General Practitioner (GP) and dental clinics
|
Introduced in 2012; Enhanced in 2019
|
More than $200 million a year in CHAS subsidies
|
All Singapore Citizens, but CHAS benefits tiered according to household monthly income per person or the Annual Value of the home.
|
- Extended to all Singaporeans with chronic conditions, regardless of income
- Extend subsidies for common illnesses to citizens with CHAS Orange card
- Increased subsidies for complex chronic conditions
|
|
Community Mental Health Masterplan – (MOH)
|
The Community Mental Health (CMH) Masterplan is a 5-year masterplan to strengthen our community mental health services and better support persons with mental health conditions in the community. CMH will enable early identification of mental health symptoms, expansion of mental health services in polyclinics, and strengthening of integrated health and social care services in the community.
|
First 5-year CMH Masterplan was launched in 2012, with the second launched in 2017
|
The second CMH Masterplan will cost an additional $160 million from FY17 to FY21
|
Persons with mental health conditions
|
- Initiatives include establishing more Dementia-Friendly Communities, providing mental health and dementia services within polyclinics, and expanding the number of community outreach teams and allied health community intervention teams
|
| Housing |
|
Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for new and resale flats – (HDB)
|
A grant of up to $80,000 to help make HDB flats more affordable for first-timer homebuyers.
The grant is applicable to all flat types and estates.
Together with the CPF Housing Grant (up to $50,000) and Proximity Housing Grant (up to $30,000), eligible first-timer families buying a resale flat can now enjoy up to $160,000 in housing grants, up from $120,000 previously
|
Introduced in 1994; Enhanced in 2019
|
-
|
First-timer households that are lower- to middle- income
|
This replaces the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG). The SHG was previously restricted to BTO flats which were 4-room or smaller in non-mature estates.
|
|
Proximity Housing Grant for resale flats – (HDB)
|
A grant of up to $30,000 for those who purchase a resale flat to live with or near their parents.
|
Introduced in 2015; Enhanced in 2018
|
-
|
Family or singles buying a resale flat to live with or near their parents.
|
The grant was increased from $20,000 to $30,000 for families buying a resale flat to live with their parents or children, and from $10,000 to $15,000 for singles buying a flat to live with their parents.
The definition of near has been extended from 2km to 4km.
|
|
CPF Housing Grant for resale flats – (HDB)
|
A grant of up to $50,000 to help make HDB resale flats more affordable for first-timer homebuyers.
|
Enhanced in 2017
|
-
|
First-timer households buying a HDB resale flat
|
The grant was increased from $30,000 to $50,000 (for households who purchase 4-room or smaller resale flats) and $40,000 (for households who purchase 5-room or bigger resale flats).
|
| Education |
|
Financial Assistance Scheme – (MOE)
|
Provides financial assistance to needy Singapore Citizen students so they can benefit from the best opportunities in Education.
|
Enhanced in 2019
|
-
|
Eligible Singaporean students
|
In Budget 2018, the annual bursary quantum for pre-university students under the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme was increased from $750 to $900.
The income eligibility criteria was also updated to benefit more students.
|
|
Edusave – (MOE)
|
The Edusave Account is meant to provide children at primary and secondary levels with funds to help them pay for approved enrichment programmes or fees.
|
Enhanced in 2019
|
-
|
All Singaporean students aged 7 to 16 years old
|
In Budget 2018, the annual Edusave contributions provided by the Government was increased from $200 to $230 for each primary school student, and from $240 to $290 for each secondary school student.
|
|
Bursaries for Post-Secondary Education Institutes (PSEIs) – (MOE)
|
To further support Singaporean students in publicly-funded PSEIs
|
Enhanced in 2019
|
-
|
Eligible Singaporean students
|
From Academic Year 2020, Government bursaries for eligible full-time Singaporean undergraduates and diploma students will be enhanced.
In Budget 2017, the income eligibility criteria was revised.
|
| Support Employment of Older Workers/ Persons with Disabilities |
|
Special Employment Credit (SEC) – (MOM)
|
The SEC encourages employers to hire Singaporeans aged 55 and above, and earning up to $4,000 a month by offering wage offsets of up to 8% of the employee’s monthly wages.
The Additional Special Employment Credit (ASEC) of up to 3% of an employee’s monthly wages was introduced to provide additional wage offsets to employers hiring older Singaporean workers above the re-employment age earning up to $4,000 a month.
|
Introduced in 2012; Extended to end-2020
|
$1.1 billion over 2017 to 2019
|
The extended SEC will cover about 340,000 workers, or about three in four older Singaporean workers
|
The Government has introduced several measures to support the continued employment of older workers. Other measures include re-employment legislation, higher CPF contributions for older workers, WorkPro and initiatives under the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices.
|
| Support for Workers |
|
Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) – (MOM)
|
Supplements incomes and retirement savings of the bottom 20% of workers, with some support also provided to those up to the 30th income percentile
|
Introduced in 2007; regular subsequent enhancements, with latest enhancements in 2020
|
$6.8 billion paid to about 860,000 recipients
|
860,000 Singaporean workers
|
From Jan 2020, qualifying income ceiling increased from $2,000/month to $2,300/ month, and higher WIS payouts of up to $4,000 per year.
|
| Support for Persons with Disabilities |
|
Enabling Masterplan 3 – (MSF)
|
The Enabling Masterplan is five-year roadmap that guides the building of a more inclusive society.
Enabling Masterplan 3 (2017-2021) focuses on recommendations to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, support for caregivers, and build a caring and inclusive community.
|
Enabling Masterplan 3: 2017 to 2021
2nd Enabling Masterplan: 2012 to 2016
1st Enabling Masterplan: 2007 to 2011
|
$400 million per year on initiatives for persons with disabilities and their caregivers
|
Persons with disabilities and their caregivers
|
Initiatives include the School-to-Work Transition Programme, setting up a new Disability Caregiver Support Centre, and enhancements to the Taxi Subsidy Scheme.
|
| Support for Families |
|
KidSTART – (ECDA)
|
KidSTART is a new pilot system of support which draws together Government and community resources to enable low-income and vulnerable children to have a good start in life.
|
Pilot introduced in 2016.
KidSTART expansion to be implemented in 2020.
|
The initial 3-year pilot costed more than $20 million.
|
1,000 children benefitted from the first 3-year pilot.
Another 5,000 children to benefit from KidSTART.
|
KiSTART comprises three components - Regular home visits, weekly community-based sessions and enhanced pre-school support
KidSTART pilot was introduced in the following sites – Kreta Ayer, Bukit Merah, Taman Jurong, Boon Lay, and Geylang Serai.
KidSTART will be expanded to more regions. Monthly income ceiling for KidSTART eligibility raised from $1,900 to $2,500.
|
|
Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Levy Framework – (MOM)
|
Some families enjoy a monthly concessionary FDW levy of $60, recognising the caregiving needs of Singaporean families with young children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities.
|
Enhanced in 2019
|
-
|
Eligible FDW employers
|
In Budget 2018, the qualifying age for the levy concession under the aged person scheme was raised from 65 to 67 years.
|