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LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS

Lower-income Singaporean households that need urgent and temporary financial relief for their daily living expenses currently receive aid under the ComCare Interim Assistance scheme.

At present, the amount of monthly support for each eligible household is sized based on the household’s needs.

Currently, to qualify for ComCare Interim Assistance, households cannot earn more than S$800 a month on a per capita basis.

Mr Siow said the government will increase payouts for ComCare Interim Assistance to at least S$250 per month for up to three months “with more provided to those with greater needs”.

“We will also be more flexible on the eligibility for ComCare Interim Assistance, so more households can qualify for support.”

These enhancements will take effect from Aug 17 to Dec 31, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

ComCare Interim Assistance is disbursed on an ad hoc basis and constitutes about 1 per cent of overall ComCare payments, MSF has previously said.

MSF said it will also raise payouts under the ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) scheme by at least 5 per cent or S$50 a month, whichever is higher, for up to three months.

ComCare SMTA is for lower-income Singaporean households whose members are temporarily unable to work, looking for a job or earning a low income and in need of assistance.

In 2024, close to 21,000 households benefited from ComCare SMTA. The median monthly amount disbursed under the scheme was S$380 per beneficiary in an assisted household.