Eligible members of NTUC-affiliated associations expected to benefit from short term bridging aid in the form of $250 NTUC FairPrice vouchers
NTUC and its affiliated associations, the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) and National Taxi Association (NTA), today announced the NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief) scheme to provide bridging aid to eligible freelance point-to-point (P2P) and delivery workers who encounter injuries while in the course of work.
With the new scheme, eligible workers who are members of the associations can stand to receive support in the form of $250 worth of NTUC FairPrice vouchers within 72 hours upon successful application.
A total of $120,000 has been committed by NTUC-U Care Fund (U Care Fund) and the associations for this scheme. Applications will open from 15 January 2024.
Providing crucial bridging aid for injured point-to-point and delivery workers
Currently, there are no financial assistance schemes that are specifically targeted for taxi drivers, private hire drivers and freelance delivery workers who encounter injury while performing their duties. The NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief) scheme aims to support injured members of NDCA, NPHVA and NTA with some form of immediate relief while they await the outcomes of their applications for other assistance programmes or insurance claims.
The NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief) scheme is open to affected members1 of:
• NDCA (e.g., freelance delivery rider/ driver/ walker)
• NPHVA (e.g., private hire car/ limousine/ combi bus driver)
• NTA (e.g., taxi hirer and relief drivers)
Eligible members will receive $250 NTUC FairPrice vouchers if he/she is prescribed medical or hospitalisation leave for a continuous period of five or more days. This is conditional on:
• Application to be submitted within two weeks from the issue date of medical or hospitalisation leave, or two weeks after member is discharged from the hospital;
• Issue date of medical leave or hospitalisation leave, must not be more than two weeks from the date of injury; and
• Submission of proof of work and earnings for period that accident occured
Affected members can apply for the NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief) scheme via their respective associations who will assess the applications. Upon successful application, the associations aim to disburse the voucher within 48 to 72 hours to the member or his/her designated family member .
Banding together to provide immediate relief for injured workers
In NTUC’s advocacy for the interests of platform workers as well as those who perform point-to-point or delivery work, workplace injury remains one of the top concerns. Due to the nature of their roles, such workers face inherent risks from being on the roads and may encounter unexpected accidents or injury with little control over such circumstances. This is further aggravated should the work be done in less-than-ideal conditions such as during heavy rain – and in such instances, the demand for certain services may be on a surge.
Currently, there are no financial assistance schemes that are specifically targeted for taxi drivers, private hire drivers and freelance delivery workers who encounter injury while performing their duties. Such workers are also not covered under the Workplace Injury Compensation Act. Personal accident insurance coverage may not be prevalent among such workers, and may not be comprehensive given the possible extent of injuries that are sustained while at work.
As such, these workers often have to dip into their savings to tide through this challenging period, of which they do not earn any income for the days that they are unable to work due to the injury sustained. Some may still need to continue to pay for work-related liabilities during the said period, such as providing for vehicle rental/leasing fees.
When accidents occur, these workers may turn to existing assistance programmes offered by the Government or community organisations, or proceed to make personal accident insurance claims, if any. The new NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief) scheme aims to provide crucial bridging relief for these workers as they await the outcomes of their applications for such government/community programmes or insurance claims.
As platform and delivery services continue to be in demand, NTUC and its affiliated associations have come together, taking action to offer help to affected members during such vulnerable times. NDCA, NPHVA and NTA each have contributed $20,000, with a one-to-one matching by U Care Fund. NTUC and the associations will review the programme in mid 2024, to ensure that injured PWs in need will continue to be supported via a second tranche.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng shared, “When freelance point-to-point and delivery workers come into hardship at work, their immediate concern is usually whether they are able to continue earning. For those who sustain injuries and find it difficult or unable to continue working, this becomes even more worrying. This is where NTUC has leveraged our collective strengths, pooling together a care fund that is specifically targeted for workers in such dire situations. Our affiliated associations will strive to disburse the relief within three days of applications, and we hope this will go some way in providing immediate relief to affected members while they focus on their recovery.”
[1] Minimum of three months continuous paid-up NDCA/ NPHVA/ NTA membership at the point of application.
[2] Other T&Cs and more details on the scheme are available in Annex B.
