1 The latest assistance programme rolled out under NTUC U Care Fund – U Care Back to School vouchers, will see $5 million being set aside to assist 40,000 school-going children of low-income union members with school-related expenses. In line with the its focus this year to help low-income union members cope with the rising cost of living, the eligibility criteria and validity period of the Back to School vouchers were revised in order to reach out to more low-income union members.
Back to School programme reviewed to benefit more union members
2 Union members can apply for the programme for all school-going children within their family if they fulfil the eligibility criteria. The easing of the eligibility criteria for union members involves the raise in income ceiling set for the programme. Union members with a gross household income of $2,200 and below or a per capita income of $600 and below are now eligible for the programme. This is a marked increase from having a gross household income of $1,800 and below or a per capita income of $500 and below set in previous years.
3 Each eligible school-going child will receive $125 worth of vouchers, which are valid for use from 15 November 2011 till 31 March 2012. Taking into consideration feedback gathered from the union members, the validity period of the vouchers has also been extended beyond the usual three months to four and a half months this year.
4 Mr Rosley Bin Abdul Karim, aged 38 from the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) who is now eligible for the programme under the new income criteria said, “Being the sole breadwinner of the family and with two children, it can be difficult to cope with all the household expenses. Especially now that living costs are on the rise, the Back to School vouchers come in really handy in relieving expenses relating to my children’s new school term. I am really pleased that I can now qualify for the programme too.”
5 Alike previous years, the U Care Back to School vouchers can be used to purchase textbooks, school shoes, uniforms and other school-related items from bookshops and authorised suppliers at 337 Government and Government-Aided schools, 12 Junior Colleges and one Centralised Institute under the Ministry Of Education. This year, there are seven participating retailers which will also accept these vouchers, offering merchandise such as assessment books, stationery, spectacles, haircut and others.
6 The vouchers can also be used at the Back to School Fair that will take place from 9 to 11 December later this year. Held yearly to complement the voucher programme, the fair offers exclusive deals and special promotions for the Back to School voucher holders as well as to all union members.
Continuous strong support from the Labour Movement family
7 The conclusion of the Labour Movement’s fundraising for the year on 14 July 2011 had resulted in contributions of $10.6 million towards the NTUC U Care Fund, surpassing its $10 million target for the year. It is also with continuous and strong support from our major donors in the family - Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF), NTUC FairPrice Foundation, NTUC Income and NTUC Choice Homes, that the U Care Fund has been able to continue its Back to School initiative since 2005.
8 The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)’s Care and Share Director, Mr Zainudin Nordin said, “With concerns like rising cost of living falling on the shoulders of our workers, we need to constantly review and improve our assistance programmes so as to provide relevant help to our low-income members. In the case of our Back to School vouchers, we hope that the revised criteria are timely, and that the programme will continue to reach out to more of our union members to help them with their children’s educational expenses.”
Application Period
9 The application period for the vouchers will commence now till 7 October 2011. Ordinary Branch union members can apply directly with the respective unions they belong to. For General Branch union members, they can download the application form from http://www.ntuc.org.sg/backtoschool or obtain the application form from the NTUC Member Services Centre located at NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, #B1-01, One Marina Boulevard S(018989). Further enquires may be directed to the NTUC Hotline at 6213 8008.
