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NTUC U Care Fund has revised its income eligibility criteria for its two core assistance programmes – U Stretch Voucher and U Care Back to School (BTS) Voucher – to benefit more union members this year.
Eligible union members with dependents in the same household and having a total monthly gross household income (GHI) of $3,400 and below or per capita income (PCI) of $850 and below may apply for the U Stretch Vouchers and U Care Back To School Vouchers starting from 15 June 2017. Previously, the GHI and PCI were capped at $3,000 and $750 respectively. For members without dependents staying in the same household in Singapore, the monthly gross personal income ceiling for U Stretch Vouchers is adjusted upwards from $1,450 to $1,500.
This year, the Labour Movement has set aside a total of $2.675 million worth of U Stretch Vouchers and $3.8 million worth of U Care BTS Vouchers to help union members and their families lessen their financial burden.
In 2016, more than 21,000 union members and 24,000 school-going children benefitted from the U Stretch Vouchers and U Care BTS Vouchers programmes respectively. This year, the U Stretch Vouchers can potentially help 31,500 members defray their daily living expenses, while the U Care BTS Vouchers can potentially benefit 30,400 members’ school-going children.
Members can use their U Stretch Vouchers at participating NTUC Social Enterprises including NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, NTUC Foodfare food courts and coffee shops as well as NTUC Unity pharmacies and Denticare clinics. U Care BTS Vouchers are valid for purchase of school-related items from participating partners including authorised school bookshops and BATA shoe stores.
Mr Zainal Sapari, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Care and Share Department, said, “To stay relevant to changing needs, we regularly review our programmes and initiatives. The U Stretch and U Care Back to School vouchers have remained a mainstay of our U Care assistance programmes, which help in easing the cost of buying daily necessities and school materials. With the upward adjustment of the income criteria this year, we hope to be able to help more union members-in-need lighten their financial load. This is made possible with the generosity of our donors, whose contributions enable us to continue our efforts to make a difference to the lives of our beneficiaries.”
NTUC U Care Fund’s donors include the Singapore Labour Foundation, NTUC FairPrice Foundation, NTUC’s Social Enterprises, NTUC affiliated unions and associations, tripartite partners as well as corporate and individual donors.
Joint Application Process
Eligible union members may apply for both U Stretch and U Care Back To School Vouchers from 15 June to 15 July 2017.
Union members may submit their joint application online at
www.ntuc.org.sg/ucare/apply or obtain an application form from their unions. General Branch members may obtain the form from NTUC Members’ Hub located at NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, Level 9, Room 902. For further enquiries, please call the NTUC membership hotline at 6213 8008.
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