NTUC Care Fund to re-open applications with new criteria to benefit more union members
SINGAPORE — The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is re-opening applications for its Care Fund (COVID-19), with new eligibility criteria to allow more union members to benefit amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The first payout exercise, from 25 March to 30 September, supported some 30,000 union members with a total payout of around $8 million.
NTUC said in a media release on Thursday (19 November) that with the enhanced eligibility criteria, it expects to utilise another $17 million to help some 65,000 union members this time around.
“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,” said NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng.
“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.”
New salary criteria to include more union members
For this second exercise, the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) is applicable to union members whose last drawn salary did not exceed:
$4,500 gross monthly personal income (GPI) for those with dependants staying in the same household in Singapore; or
$1,600 GPI for those without dependants staying in the same household in Singapore.
In the previous exercise, the salary criteria was $3,400 GPI for those with dependants and $1,500 for those without dependants.
Besides the salary criteria, union members will be eligible for the Care Fund if they meet either of the following three criteria:
They had lost their jobs due to COVID-19-related retrenchment or termination/non-renewal of employment contract;
They are suffering from an income drop of at least 30 per cent due to COVID-19; or
They 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:
Union members who previously did not qualify for the first round of NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19), but who fulfil the new qualifying criteria, can apply for the enhanced fund from Monday to 28 February next year.
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.
NTUC Back to School Fair to be month-long virtual event
NTUC also announced in its media release that its Back to School Fair will return this year to help its union members stretch the dollar on their children’s needs for the new school year, with a range of exclusive promotions and discounts on school-related items.
This year, the event will take place virtually over a period of one month, giving the union members ample opportunities to make their online purchases at their convenience:
7 to 13 December 2020: Open to beneficiaries of NTUC Care Fund (e-vouchers), with special offers and promotions;
14 December to 7 January: Open to all NTUC union members as well as NTUC FairPrice Share-A-Textbook priority letter holders
More details on the fair will be made available by 7 December.
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