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The Singapore economy and labour market continue to be impacted by challenges brought on by COVID-19. As a gesture of continued care and support for our workers, NTUC is re-opening applications for the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) with expanded eligibility criteria so as to provide cash relief of up to $300 for impacted union members to tide over such difficult times.
Enhancing eligibility criteria to help more members in need
Some 65,000 union members stand to benefit from the enhanced NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19). This comprises new applicants who meet the enhanced eligibility criteria, as well as successful applicants of the previous exercise which ran from 25 March to 30 September 2020.
The first NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) exercise has already supported some 30,000 union members with a total payout of around $8 million. With the enhanced criteria, NTUC expects to utilise another $17 million, which makes up the remainder of the total $25 million budget that was previously earmarked for the programme.
The enhanced NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) is applicable to union members whose last drawn salary did not exceed:
• [Those with dependants staying in the same household in Singapore] $4,500 Gross Monthly Personal Income (GPI), OR
• [Those without dependants staying in the same household in Singapore] $1,600 GPI
And who find themselves in one of these following situations:
i. Have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 related retrenchment or termination/non-renewal of employment contract, OR
ii. Are suffering from an income drop of at least 30 per cent due to COVID-19, OR
iii. Are self-employed persons whose earnings have been affected due to COVID-19 related job or event cancellations
Eligible union members will receive between $50 to $300 of one-off cash relief, as follows:
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Union members with dependants staying in the same household in Singapore
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Union members without dependants staying in the same household in Singapore
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Existing union members
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$300
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$100
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New union members *Sign-ups after 1 October 2020
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$200
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$50
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Union members who previously did not qualify for the first round of NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19), but who fulfill the above new qualifying criteria, can apply for the enhanced NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) at www.ntuc.org.sg/carefundcovid from 23 November 2020 to 28 February 2021. Successful applicants from the first exercise are eligible for a second payout provided their union membership is still valid. They will be notified via SMS and will receive their second round of payouts by early December 2020.
Stretching the dollar on children’s school needs
The NTUC Back to School Fair will return this year to help NTUC union members stretch the dollar on their children’s needs for the new school year. A range of exclusive promotions and discounts on school-related items will be made available to members during the fair.
This year, the Fair will take place virtually over a period of one month, providing members with ample opportunities to make their online purchases at their convenience:
• 7 December 2020 to 13 December 2020: Open to beneficiaries of NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) – with special offers and promotions
• 14 December 2020 to 7 January 2021: Open to all NTUC union members as well as NTUC FairPrice Share-A-Textbook priority letter holders
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “NTUC aims to provide holistic care and support for our union members. In particular, we want to help those whose incomes have been impacted by COVID-19 by providing them with some cash relief to tide over their daily expenses. This is why we are enhancing the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) so that more members can receive the help that they need especially during this year end period. We are also bringing back the NTUC Back to School Fair, to extend further assistance for families by helping them stretch their dollar on their children’s needs for the new school year. Together with job and employment support that we continue to offer members, I am certain we can all emerge stronger out of this crisis, towards the new normal.”
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