Amidst the rising cost of living brought about by global headwinds and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is introducing a new one-off assistance programme to help lower-income NTUC union members ease their burden from higher daily expenses. Announced at the Singapore Industrial & Services Employees’ Union (SISEU) Education Awards Ceremony 2022 on 20 August, the NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) programme, worth $3.66 million in total, will offer eligible members up to $150 in cash assistance for daily essentials like groceries.
The NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) programme applies to union members with family members staying in the same household, with Monthly Gross Household Income of $3,400 and below or Per Capita Income of not more than $850. Those without family members staying in the same household would need to earn a Monthly Gross Personal Income of $1,500 or less, to qualify. Around 28,000 members stand to benefit from this new programme.
For union members who meet the eligibility criteria, the application period for
NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) will be from
22 August to 30 September 2022 via the new OneCare (One-stop system for U Care) at
ucare.ntuc.org.sg/assistance. To ensure that timely assistance is provided to our lower-income members, successful applicants will receive cash payouts via bank transfer. All cash payouts, including those made through appeals, will be disbursed within 30 days of application.
Mr Ranger Lim Thong Joo, 64, a union member of Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union and father of three children, shared, “Cost of necessities are on the rise, and I am experiencing an increase in household expenses. If I am successful in my application, this additional support will be helpful in offsetting some of these higher costs.”
Ms Ismalinda Bte Mohamed Sidik, 46, a union member of SISEU and mother of three children, shared, “The cost of supporting my family has increased ― we have three school-going children and have to manage their education expenses on top of the rising cost of living. If I can receive this additional assistance to support them, it will help to lighten my burden.”
NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Tan, said, “The NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) provides an additional layer of support for lower-income NTUC union members to cope with the higher cost of living. The cash payout allows greater flexibility for members to use it for immediate needs. NTUC will continue stepping up during times of need to help our workers tide over challenging times and look into their welfare.”
Additional Support Amidst Higher Cost of Living
The NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) will supplement the existing NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) programme launched in July 2020, which provides up to $100 worth of assistance for daily essentials and schools supplies, with an additional $100 for each eligible school-going child. Details will be shared later. As high cost of living remains a perennial challenge, NTUC will continue to look after the welfare of our members in this difficult time.
Annex A: Factsheet on NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance)
Annex B: Stories of NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) beneficiaries
