Additional $2,000 in cash credits for NSMen, new make-up pay system: Mindef
SINGAPORE — From 1 April, national servicemen will receive an additional $2,000 in cash credits for completing different milestones in their NS cycle, under the NS HOME awards scheme, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in a press release on Thursday (3 March).
They will receive $1,000 after completing full-time NS, and $500 each, at the mid-point and completion of the Operationally Ready NS (ORNS) cycle. The new policy will benefit 54,000 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Home Team servicemen every year.
This means that NSmen will now receive at least $6,000 in total at the end of their full-time NS, and at least $5,500 in total, at the mid-point milestone and at the completion of their ORNS milestones.
The NS HOME awards seek to recognise national servicemen for their sustained commitment to national defence. It is paid out in three phases: at the end of full-time NS, the mid-point of ORNS, and completion of ORNS.
These will be disbursed to NSmen via the LifeSG mobile application and can be used at a wide range of physical and online merchants.
At each milestone, servicemen are given at least $5,000, credited directly into their Post-Secondary Education or CPF-Ordinary accounts, and their CPF-Medisave accounts.
Since 2014, more than 300,000 national servicemen have received NS HOME award payments.
New make up pay system
Separately, more than 100,000 NSmen and 25,000 employers will benefit as Make-Up Pay (MUP) claims are automated from the second half of 2022. This means that NSmen and their employers will no longer need to submit claims and supporting documents for ORNS activities such as In-Camp Training.
Data will be drawn from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and the Central Provident Fund Board to automatically compute the MUP amounts they should receive.
NSmen and employers will be asked to review the computed amounts before these sums are paid out. If they do not indicate any objection by a stipulated date, the computed amounts will be paid out automatically. They can submit additional documents for a recalculation if they object to the amount.
"This will greatly reduce the administrative burden placed on employers and NSmen to submit claims," said Mindef.
A base NS pay will also be implemented to compensate NSmen whose income from informal employment and foregone training allowances may not be fully reflected in data from IRAS and the CPF Board.
All NSmen will receive at least $1,600 for every month of ICT they attend. For ICTs of shorter durations, pay will be pro-rated
More details on the automated MUP claims process and base NS Pay will be announced separately.
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