The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced today that from 19 Apr 2021, recipients of the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) can apply for an additional tranche of three months of CRG support if they need further support and continue to meet the requirements.
2 On 18 Jan 2021, MSF launched the CRG to support lower- to middle-income employees and self-employed persons (SEPs) who are financially impacted by COVID-19. As of 22 Mar 2021, MSF has supported over 10,000 individuals on the CRG, and disbursed about $10 million in total.
3 The ongoing pandemic and its economic impact continue to affect some Singaporeans’ financial and employment prospects. CRG recipients can apply for another tranche of support if they still meet the CRG eligibility criteria, including active participation in job-search and training. In total, individuals can receive a maximum of two tranches of support from the CRG amounting to six months of assistance.
Individuals can receive up to total of two tranches of support from the CRG
4 Individuals who have lost their jobs, placed on involuntary No-Pay Leave (NPL) or sustained significant income loss due to the economic impact of COVID-19 can apply for the CRG.1 The financial support provided by each tranche of CRG is as follows
a. Up to $700 per month for three months to employees who are
- Unemployed due to retrenchment or involuntary contract termination; or
- Placed on involuntary no-pay leave (NPL) for at least three consecutive months.
b. Up to $500 per month for three months to
- Employees who are facing salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%; or
- SEPs who are facing net trade income (NTI) loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50% at the point of application, compared to their average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020.
5 CRG applicants should continue to demonstrate efforts in applying for jobs or training programmes found through Government-linked touchpoints (Please find the CRG eligibility criteria in Annex A, and the list of Government-linked touchpoints in Annex B).
6 It is important for SEPs to continue playing a role in their healthcare adequacy through saving for their healthcare needs2. Hence, to qualify for renewal of CRG support, SEPs must not have any outstanding MediSave contributions at the point of application, or be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan.
CRG recipients can apply for a second tranche of CRG support from 19 Apr 2021
7 Individuals can apply for the CRG online via go.gov.sg/CRG from 9am to 10pm till 18 Apr 2021, including weekends and public holidays. From 19 Apr to 31 Dec 2021, the online application portal will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
8 CRG recipients who wish to apply for a second tranche of CRG support may do so from 19 Apr 20213 if they are in final month of assistance or the assistance has already ended. For example, if an applicant receives CRG for Feb, Mar, and Apr 2021 and requires additional assistance, they can apply again for a renewal of their CRG earliest in the month of Apr 2021. First time applicants may also apply.
9 Applicants should prepare their supporting documents in advance for a smooth application process (please see Annex C for examples of supporting documents).
10 Those who need help completing the online application form can call the ComCare Call hotline (1800-222-0000) or email Ask_SSO@msf.gov.sg. Those who are unable to apply online can visit their nearest Social Service Office for assistance.
1 The job loss, involuntary NPL, or income loss should have occurred after 23 January 2020 – when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Singapore – and must still be present at the point of application.
2 SEPs may visit cpf.gov.sg/SEPHome to check their outstanding MediSave contributions and make payment arrangements.
3 CRG recipients can either apply for a second tranche of CRG support in their last month of CRG payouts or after their CRG payouts have ended.
ANNEX B LIST OF GOVERNMENT-LINKED TOUCHPOINTS
ANNEX C LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
ANNEX D FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| Employees | SEPs | |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | Unemployed due to retrenchment or involuntary contract termination Salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%. | Net trade income (NTI) loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%, compared to their average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020. |
| Age | Aged 21 years old and above | |
| Citizenship | Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) | |
| Annual Value (AV) of Property | Living in a property with AV not more than $21,000. Applicants should not own more than one property. | |
| Prior household income | Prior to job or income loss or involuntary NPL, household income of not more than $7,800 or per capita household income of not more than $2,600. | |
| Economically active | Employees should have worked for at least six months cumulatively between January 2019 and December 2020. | SEPs should have declared* annual NTI in either 2019 or 2020 and have no outstanding MediSave contributions at the point of application, or be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan4. Additionally, SEPs should provide supporting documents on their line of work. *SEPs may retroactively declare their NTI in past years to IRAS via mytax.iras.gov.sgif they had received a Form B from IRAS. If they did not receive a Form B from IRAS, they may declare their NTI to CPF Board at go.gov.sg/income-declaration.  |
| Job search or training requirement | Applicants must have actively participated in job search or training, and show proof of any of the following activities in the two months prior to application
Notes
| |
| Exclusion criteria | Applicants should not be concurrently receiving support from any of the following Government schemes when applying for the CRG
Applicants who are Full-time National Servicemen at the point of application are not eligible. | |
4 SEPs may visit cpf.gov.sg/SEPHome to check their outstanding MediSave contributions and make payment arrangements.
5 ComCare beneficiaries whose circumstances have changed during the COVID-19 situation may approach SSOs for a review of their current ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance.
ANNEX B LIST OF GOVERNMENT-LINKED TOUCHPOINTS
| Government-linked touchpoint | Services that constitute job search or training under CRG | How to apply? |
| WSG’s Careers Connect, WSG-appointed Career Matching Providers and NTUC-e2i’s Career Centres | Career Coaching |
Contact Hotline
NTUC’s e2i centres
|
| MyCareersFuture.gov.sg | Applications for jobs, traineeships and attachments, including Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) |
Contact Hotline
|
| MySkillsFuture.gov.sg | Course listing consisting of SSG-funded and supported training programmes |
 |
ANNEX C LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
The following list provides examples of supporting documents required for CRG applications
- Documents on bank account details for fund disbursement.
- [For employees] Relevant documents indicating involuntary loss of job, placement on involuntary no-pay leave (NPL) or salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%, including
- A letter of retrenchment/termination of contract; or
- A letter from employer stating placement on involuntary NPL for at least three consecutive months; or
- A letter from employer indicating salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%; or
- Payslip(s) or CPF contribution statement(s) showing last drawn monthly salary before and after the job loss, placement on involuntary NPL or salary loss.
- A letter of retrenchment/termination of contract; or
- [For self-employed persons] Relevant documents indicating that you are currently working as a self-employed person e.g. valid trade license(s), contracts for service, income statements, tax invoices billed to service buyers, receipts issued for services, or list of client engagements.
- Supporting documents indicating your active participation in job search or training e.g. confirmation of application for job or training via Government touchpoints. The documents should minimally indicate
- Your name; and
- Date of application; and
- The name of the company/employer that you applied or interviewed at, or the training provider and course title of the training that you attended.
- Self-employed persons may submit relevant supporting evidence of your attempts to reach out to clients/businesses in lieu of job search or training (e.g. pivoting business to cater to wider target audience, actors attending auditions, putting up advertisements to solicit for business) in the 2 months before your application.
- Your name; and
ANNEX D FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How many tranches of CRG assistance are applicants eligible for?
- With this new announcement, each applicant can now receive a maximum of two tranches of CRG, i.e. six months of assistance in total. A successful CRG applicant receives three months of assistance per tranche.
- Existing CRG recipients who continue to meet the eligibility criteria can apply for a renewal of their CRG assistance with further supporting documents.
2. Can a person apply for the second tranche of CRG while he/she is still receiving their pay outs from the first tranche of CRG? When can they start applying for a renewal of their assistance?
- Yes. Existing CRG recipients can apply for a renewal of their support for an additional three months from 12.00 am on 19 Apr 2021, if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Existing CRG recipients can only apply for a renewal of CRG support from their final month of assistance, i.e. if an applicant receives CRG for Feb, Mar and Apr 2021 and requires additional assistance, they can apply again for a renewal of their CRG earliest in the month of Apr 2021.
- Applications for the CRG will remain open until 11.59 pm, 31 Dec 2021.
3. Do applicants need to submit another application for the CRG if they wish to renew their application, although they had previously successfully applied for the grant?
- Yes. All applicants who are applying for a renewal of their CRG are required to submit a new application reflecting their current status. Applicants must also continue to fulfil the CRG eligibility criteria at the point of application.
4. For 2nd timer applicants on no-pay leave (NPL) or experiencing income loss, can the period of assessment for the first CRG application overlap with the period of assessment for the second application?
- No. The second CRG application must be supported by a further three consecutive months of NPL or income loss, with no overlaps with the period of NPL or income loss from the first application.
5. What is the amount of assistance provided under the second tranche of CRG?
- There is no change in the quantum of assistance provided under the second tranche of CRG.
- For applicants who have lost their job(s) or are placed on involuntary NPL, i.e. have no work income, the amount of grant is up to $700 per month for three months.
- For applicants who experienced income loss, the amount of grant is up to $500 per month for three months
- The actual amount of support provided will depend on the income loss that applicants have experienced, subject to the payout caps stated above.
- For applicants who have lost their job(s) or are placed on involuntary NPL, i.e. have no work income, the amount of grant is up to $700 per month for three months.
6. How can households seek help if they need further financial assistance even after receiving the second tranche of CRG?
- Households that need financial assistance for their basic living expenses can contact the Social Service Offices (SSOs).
7. What are the changes to the eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)? Who are affected?
- There are no changes to the eligibility criteria for first-time applicants of CRG.
- To qualify for the second tranche of CRG support, Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) must not have any outstanding MediSave contributions at the point of application, or be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan.
8. Why must SEPs not have any outstanding MediSave contributions or be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan to qualify for a second tranche of CRG assistance? Why was this not required for the first tranche of CRG?
- In recognition of the extraordinary impact of COVID on the livelihood of SEPs, the requirement not to have any outstanding MediSave contributions at the point of application, or to be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan was waived for the first tranche of CRG to allow eligible SEPs to receive timely assistance.
- However, regular contribution to their MediSave account ensures that SEPs can better meet their healthcare needs, especially during old age and post-retirement.
- Hence, SEPs must not have any outstanding MediSave contributions at the point of application, or be committed to making contributions via a GIRO plan to receive a second tranche of CRG assistance.
9. How can SEPs find out if they have any outstanding MediSave contributions?
- SEPs may retrieve information on their outstanding MediSave contributions payable and make payment arrangements via ‘My SEP Home’ at cpf.gov.sg/SEPHome after logging in with their SingPass.
10. How can SEPs make their MediSave contributions?
- There are several ways SEPs can contribute to their MediSave. The most convenient way is via GIRO, which allows SEPs to make monthly and hassle-free contributions over 12 months.
- If the SEP’s bank account is with DBS/POSB or OCBC, he/she can submit the
- "Apply/Change GIRO for Mandatory MediSave Contributions and Voluntary Contributions by Self-Employed Person " through ‘my cpf Online Services – My Requests’ after logging in with his/her Singpass.
- If the SEP wishes to use an account from other banks, he/she can download and mail the “Apply for GIRO for Mandatory Contributions or Voluntary Contributions” (FORM GIRO SE/VC) form to CPF Board.
- After his/her GIRO application is approved, CPF Board will inform him/her about his/her monthly instalment amounts and deduction dates of his/her instalment plan. He/she may also view his/her GIRO instalment plan details via ‘My Self-Employed Home’ at cpf.gov.sg/SEPHome after logging in with his/her Singpass.
- For more information on the MediSave contribution modes, please visit cpf.gov.sg/member/faq/growing-your-savings/self-employed-scheme
- SEPs who are unable to make their outstanding MediSave contributions in one full payment should ensure that payment arrangements have been made before applying for the second tranche of CRG support.