Care And Support Package

CARE AND SUPPORT PACKAGE

As announced on 26 March 2020, the Government will enhance the Care and Support Package that was first announced during Budget 2020. This will provide more assurance and support to Singaporeans who are concerned about coping with their household expenses during this period of extraordinary economic uncertainty. All adult Singaporeans will benefit, with more help given to the less well-off.

With the enhancements the Care and Support Package will cost a total of about $4.6 billion.

1) Care and Support – Cash [Enhanced]

With the enhancements announced on 26 March 2020, all Singaporeans aged 21 years and above in 2020 will receive a one-off Care and Support – Cash payout of $900, $600 or $300, depending on their income (see Table 1). Those who own more than one property will receive $300, regardless of their income. Parents, with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 years and below in 2020, will each receive an additional $300 in cash.

As announced on 6 April 2020, $300 of the Care and Support – Cash will be brought forward to be paid out as part of the Solidarity Payment for all adult Singaporeans.

Singaporeans aged 50 years and above in 2020 will also receive their $100 PAssion Card top-up in cash, together with their Care and Support – Cash payout. See details in next section.

2) PAssion Card Top-up [Changed]

As part of Budget 2020, Singaporeans aged 50 years and above in 2020 will receive a $100 PAssion Card Top-up. This includes Merdeka Generation seniors who received a $100 top-up under the Merdeka Generation Package in 2019, as well as Pioneers.

In view of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing in this period, it was announced on 26 March 2020 that the $100 PAssion Card Top-up will be given in cash instead. This will eliminate the need for physical redemption in person, and eligible Singaporeans will receive the $100 directly in their designated bank account together with their Care and Support – Cash payout.

Table 1: Care and Support – Cash, PAssion Card Top-up and Solidarity Payment

Assessable Income for Year of Assessment 2019

$0 to $28,000

$28,001 to $100,000

More than $100,000, or owns more than one property

Payment timeline
For all Singaporeans aged 21 and above in 2020
Enhanced Care and Support – Cash
$900
$600
$300
-
Solidarity Payment
$6001
April 2020
Remaining Enhanced Care and Support – Cash
$600
$300
$0
June 2020
For parents2
Additional Enhanced Care and Support – Cash
$300
For all Singaporeans aged 50 and above in 2020
PAssion Card Top-up3
(now given in cash)
$100
1 Solidarity Payment comprises $300 brought forward from the enhanced Care and Support – Cash, and an additional $300.
2 Refers to Singaporean parents with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 and below in 2020. Each eligible parent will receive the additional $300.
3 The $100 PAssion Card Top-up that was announced at Budget 2020 will be provided in cash instead.

3) Workfare Special Payment [Enhanced]

As announced at Budget 2020, all Singaporean employees and self-employed persons who received Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payments in Work Year 2019 will receive a Workfare Special Payment (WSP) in 2020.

The WSP will be enhanced to provide a cash payout of $3,000 for all eligible Singaporeans, up from the quantum announced previously[1]. Eligible employees and Self-Employed Persons will receive the same amount of $3,000, which will be paid over two equal payments of $1,500 each, in July and October 2020.

The enhanced WSP will provide additional support for low-wage workers aged 35 and above in 2019[2].

[1] The WSP announced at Budget 2020 was an additional 20% of total annual WIS payments received for work done in 2019, with a minimum payment of $100. The highest WSP payout would have been $720.
[2] Persons with disabilities aged below 35 years in 2019, who meet the WIS eligibility criteria, will also receive the WSP if they had received WIS payments for work done in 2019.

4) Grocery Vouchers [Enhanced]

All Singaporeans aged 21 years and above, who live in 1-room and 2-room HDB flats and do not own more than one property, will receive an additional $200 of Grocery Vouchers in 2020.

In total, they will receive $300 in Grocery Vouchers this year, and $100 in 2021. Grocery Vouchers can be used at participating supermarkets. To date, NTUC FairPrice, Giant and Sheng Siong have agreed to accept these vouchers.

Eligible citizens will be given the 2020 Grocery Vouchers in 4Q2020. More details will be announced at a later date.

5) Additional GST Voucher – U-Save

All eligible HDB households will receive double their regular GST Voucher (GSTV) – U-Save in Financial Year (FY) 2020 (April 2020 to March 2021) through a one-off GSTV – U-Save Special Payment. Eligible households with five or more members will receive an additional GSTV – U-Save rebate in FY2020, and will thus receive a total of 2.5 times their regular GSTV – U-Save in FY2020 (see Table 3).

Table 3: GST Voucher – U-Save for FY2020

HDB Flat Type

Regular GSTV – U-Save

GSTV – U-Save Special Payment

Additional GSTV – U-Save rebate

Total GSTV – U-Save for FY2020

For all eligible households
For eligible larger households
1- and 2-room
$400
+$400
+$200
$800 or $1,000
3-room
$360
+$360
+$180
$720 or $900
4-room
$320
+$320
+$160
$640 or $800
5-room
$280
+$280
+$140
$560 or $700
Executive / Multi-Generation
$240
+$240
+$120
$480 or $600
Notes:
  1. Households whose members own more than one property are not eligible for GSTV – U-Save.
  2. Eligible households will receive their regular GSTV – U-Save over four quarters in April 2020, July 2020, October 2020 and January 2021.
  3. On top of the regular GSTV – U-Save, eligible households will receive their GSTV – U-Save Special Payment over two quarters in April 2020 and July 2020, and eligible larger households with five or more members will receive their additional GSTV – U-Save rebate over two quarters in October 2020 and January 2021.
  4. Household members refer to individuals living at the same residence (as reflected on their NRICs), and who are related by blood, marriage or legal adoption (e.g. spouse, parents, children, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws). Domestic helpers, unrelated tenants, god-parents, and friends are not considered household members.

6) Grants to Self-Help Groups and Community Development Councils [Enhanced]

The Government will provide an additional grant of $10 million over two years to Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and an additional grant of $55 million to Community Development Councils (CDCs) in FY2020. This will provide further help to scale up local assistance schemes to support vulnerable households.

Together with the support announced at Budget 2020, the total grant to SHGs is $20 million over FY2020 and FY2021, and the total grant to CDCs is $75 million in FY2020.

7) Service and Conservancy Charges Rebate

Eligible Singaporean households living in HDB flats will receive rebates to offset between 1.5 and 3.5 months of Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) over FY2020 (see Table 4).

Table 4: S&CC Rebate for FY2020

HDB Flat Type
No. of months of S&CC Rebate in FY2020
April 2020
July 2020
October 2020
January 2021
Total for FY2020
1- and 2-room
1
1
1
0.5
3.5
3- and 4-room
1
0.5
0.5
0.5
2.5
5-room
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
2.0
Executive / Multi-Generation
0.5
0.5
0.5
-
1.5
Note:
  1. Eligible households will receive their S&CC Rebate over four quarters in April 2020, July 2020, October 2020 and January 2021.
  2. Households with a member owning or having any interest in a private property, or have rented out the entire flat, are not eligible for the S&CC Rebate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find out more about the Care and Support Package here.

More Information

Scheme
More information / Contact Details
Solidarity Payment
1800-2222-888
Care and Support – Cash
Please refer to FAQs above.
Workfare Special Payment
PAssion Card Top-up
Visit: www.passioncard.sg
6225 5322
Grocery Vouchers
Please refer to FAQs above.
GST Voucher – U-Save
GST Voucher
(general enquiries)
S&CC Rebate
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