NTUC Care Appreciation Dinner 2026

~ NTUC raises income eligibility and expands caregiver support
to benefit more lower-income union members and families ~

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is raising the income eligibility for our NTUC Care assistance programmes and expanding support for caregivers to benefit more lower-income union members in 2026 by easing some of their financial and caregiving strains.

This announcement was made in conjunction with the NTUC Care Appreciation Dinner 2026, held at PARKROYAL on Beach Road today. The dinner brought together beneficiaries, union leaders, tripartite partners and community organisations to recognise the collective efforts in supporting lower-income union members and their families through the NTUC-U Care Fund. NTUC recognises these partnerships and shared commitment that underpin NTUC’s Care agenda, which aims to ensure lower-income union members and their families receive timely and targeted support amid rising cost of living pressures and growing caregiving responsibilities.

Strengthening Support for Caregivers and Lower-Income Union Members

The enhancements to NTUC Care assistance programmes’ income eligibility and caregiving coverage, reflect cost of living pressures and and the changing caregiving needs of lower-wage union members. The NTUC-U Care Fund provides a wide range of support, including financial relief through the Special Assistance Programme; education awards for children of lower-income union members; and caregiver support for single parents and families with special needs children. A full list of NTUC Care assistance programmes and their target beneficiaries can be found in Annex A below.

NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Ng Chee Meng, said: “Caregiving responsibilities are becoming more complex and demanding, especially for our lower-income union members. With support from our NTUC-U Care Fund, we are raising the income eligibility of our NTUC Care assistance programmes, and strengthening support for caregivers. This is so that we can help even more lower-income union members and families more effectively, allowing them to continue caring for their loved ones while staying in work.”

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the NTUC Care Division, Melvin Yong, said: “The NTUC Care Appreciation Dinner is a reminder of what we can achieve when we come together as one labour movement. With the strong support of our unions, partners and donors, our NTUC U-Care Fund continues to enhance and expand our assistance programmes to better support our lower-income union members, many of whom are also caregivers. This includes single caregivers and families caring for children with special needs. At the heart of our efforts are real families facing real challenges, and our commitment is to ensure they receive timely support and do not have to face these challenges alone.”

Expanding Income Eligibility and Caregiver Support to Better Support Lower-Income Union Members & Their Families

Summary of Key NTUC Care Enhancements in 2026

Against the backdrop of cost-of-living pressures and a growing number of union members balancing work with caregiving responsibilities, NTUC has raised the Gross Household Income (GHI) threshold for NTUC Care’s assistance programmes from $3,800 to $4,300, which is aligned to the 20th percentile GHI of resident households in 2024. This adjustment recognises that a growing group of lower-income union members and their families may face genuine financial strain despite previously falling just outside income eligibility threshold even as household income shift over time. By updating the threshold to reflect current income distribution realities, NTUC ensures that its support remains relevant and responsive. With this change, it is estimated that around 4,500 more lower-income union members and their families are expected to benefit from NTUC Care assistance programmes in 2026.

NTUC has also expanded caregiver support for single caregivers by extending coverage for younger dependants beyond those in secondary schools to include children pursuing post-secondary education in ITEs, polytechnics and universities. This enhancement recognises that caregiving responsibilities and financial commitments for single-income households often continue well into a child’s early adulthood, particularly during post-secondary years when education costs remain significant. With the revised criteria, around 350 more young dependants of lower-income union members are expected to qualify for support.

In addition, NTUC has enhanced support for lower-income union members who are caregivers of children with special needs. NTUC will continue to provide the $1,000 per child assistance for children enrolled in Special Education (SPED); and expand the eligibility and coverage to include those in Early Intervention Programme for Infants & Children (EIPIC) programmes as well. This expansion is expected to result in higher projected assistance to more caregivers in 2026; and responds to broader trends, such as earlier identification of developmental needs, increased uptake of early intervention programmes, and the need for sustained support across different stages of a child’s development. With this expansion, an estimated 500 additional children in EIPIC programmes are expected to benefit in 2026. While SPED schools support children from primary school age onwards, EIPIC focuses on early intervention for infants and preschools below the age of seven. By extending support to EIPIC programmes, NTUC Care is reaching children earlier in their developmental journey, enabling more families to receive assistance before formal schooling begins.

NTUC-U Care Fund Raises $7 million To Support Lower-Income Union Members

In 2025, the NTUC-U Care Fund raised close to $7 million, reflecting the continued strong support from unions, employers and partners, to assist lower-income union members. Last year, NTUC provided close to $5.5 million in assistance to over 47,000 beneficiaries through the NTUC-U Care Fund. The funds raised enable NTUC to provide timely and targeted assistance to lower-income union members and their families, particularly during periods of transition, unexpected hardship or caregiving stress.

Looking ahead, NTUC will continue to raise and strengthen support under its NTUC Care assistance programmes, with more details to be shared progressively as these programmes are rolled out over the course of the year. These forthcoming enhancements will build on existing measures to ensure that more lower-income union members and families continue to receive timely, relevant and inclusive support as their living and caregiving needs evolve.

Over the years, support from long-standing and new donors has been critical to NTUC’s ability to lend support for our lower-income union members and their families. NTUC is very appreciative of our donors’ compassion and generosity, whose strong and sustained support has helped to strengthen the reach and impact of the NTUC-U Care Fund towards our lower-income union members and families. The Platinum Donors in 2025 include NTUC Foundation, Income Insurance, FairPrice Foundation, Mercatus, NTUC Club, United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI), Singtel, and Wingtai Holdings Limited. Their contributions have enabled NTUC to enhance assistance for our caregivers, expand programme eligibility and provide more inclusive support for lower-income union members and their families.

The NTUC Care Appreciation Dinner today also honoured unions, employers and partners for their sustained contributions to the NTUC-U Care Fund, with certificates presented to them by NTUC President K. Thanaletchimi and Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who attended the event as special guests. Beneficiaries and their families were also invited to the event to recognise the collective impact of these efforts and highlight the real lives and communities supported through the NTUC Care assistance programmes.