SINGAPORE: Starting Tuesday (15 April), Singaporeans who are involuntarily unemployed can apply for temporary financial assistance through the newly launched SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme.
The scheme offers monthly payouts of up to S$6,000 over six months, aimed at lower- and middle-income individuals committed to actively seeking employment each month.
First introduced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the 2024 National Day Rally, the scheme reflects the government’s broader effort to strengthen support for displaced workers.
The Ministry of Manpower estimates that about 60,000 Singapore residents could qualify annually, covering more than 60 percent of all involuntarily unemployed individuals.
The government has committed to spending over S$200 million each year to sustain the initiative.
Eligibility and Concession Period
To be eligible, applicants must be Singapore citizens aged 21 and above, with a previous average monthly income of S$5,000 or less.
Their place of residence must have an annual value of S$31,000 or below, and they must have worked for at least six months in the 12 months prior to applying.
Applicants must also have been unemployed for at least one month and must not have received payouts under the scheme in the past three years.
A one-time concession is available for those who lost their jobs on or after 1 April 2024, but do not meet the six-month work requirement.
This concession applies to applications submitted by 15 June. Permanent Residents will become eligible for the scheme starting in the first quarter of 2026.
Applicants must provide documentary evidence of involuntary job loss, including retrenchment, business closure, dismissal, or termination on medical grounds.
Documents such as termination letters or medical certificates must be submitted. The Workforce Singapore (WSG) agency said that applications will be processed within ten working days.
Points System and Monthly Payouts
Once approved, jobseekers must engage in job search activities to earn points each month in order to qualify for payouts.
There are 13 recognised activities under the scheme, including attending job interviews, career coaching, industry networking, updating résumés online, and taking courses listed under SkillsFuture.
Each activity carries a different point value, with some activities capped in frequency per month.
The first activity period begins on the day the application is approved. To receive the first month’s payout of S$1,500, jobseekers must earn at least ten points.
The maximum payout in the second month is S$1,250, followed by S$1,000 in the third month, and S$750 for the last three months.
If a jobseeker’s previous average income was lower than these amounts, payouts will be capped accordingly.
Jobseekers are required to upload evidence of completed activities, such as screenshots or appointment details, via an online portal. WSG will carry out random checks to verify submissions.
Points that fall short of the monthly threshold can be carried forward to the following month. For example, if a jobseeker earns eight points in the third month, they will not receive a payout but will begin the fourth month with those eight points carried forward.
Surplus points can also be rolled over. For example, a jobseeker who earns 16 points in the first month will start the second month with six points.
However, as the scheme lasts only six months, failing to meet point targets in later stages could result in missing out on payouts altogether.
Monthly declarations of unemployment are required. Once point targets are met, disbursements will be made within three to four weeks via PayNow linked to the jobseeker’s NRIC, GIRO, or GovCash.
WSG’s Assistant Chief Executive of Careers Connect Group, Lynn Ng, said the scheme is designed to encourage active job searching while offering financial relief.
She acknowledged the emotional and financial difficulty of involuntary job loss and hoped the support would provide relief to lower- and middle-income jobseekers during their job search.
Ng also highlighted the flexibility of the points-based approach. She explained that WSG did not want a rigid structure where jobseekers must complete a fixed set of activities, as individuals have varying needs and circumstances.
While the scheme is not intended to fully cover household expenses, WSG noted that early and active participation improves chances of re-employment, which is considered the most meaningful form of long-term support.
“Too Complicated to Claim”: Netizens Say Scheme May Deter Those Most in Need
Public reactions on CNA and The Straits Times Facebook pages were mostly critical, with many feeling that the scheme’s complexity and requirements might discourage those who need it the most.
One netizen questioned why individuals with disabilities or who have been unemployed for long periods must still register for courses, especially when they are financially stretched.
They commented that the scheme seems to “give with one hand and take back with the other.”
Another netizen voiced scepticism about the scheme’s timing and motive, saying they hoped it was not introduced just to make the incumbent government look good ahead of the General Election.
Others argued that the government should focus on addressing root issues like job availability or fair wages, rather than introducing yet another financial handout.
Netizens Call Out PAP for Rolling Out Opposition-Proposed Scheme
Several netizens and opposition politicians pointed out that similar unemployment support schemes had been proposed by alternative parties in the past, only to be rejected at the time.
Some commenters also highlighted what they saw as a double standard: when such ideas are introduced by the Opposition, critics often question where the funding will come from, yet when the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) rolls out a similar policy, those concerns appear to fade away.
In September 2024, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan and Workers’ Party MP Associate Professor Jamus Lim both criticised the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme, claiming it resembled proposals their parties had previously made.
Dr Chee recalled that the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme closely mirrors the Restart proposal he introduced during the 2016 Bukit Batok by-election, which would have provided retrenched workers with 50% of their last drawn salary for up to 18 months, capped at the median wage.
Dr Chee noted that then-Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had labelled these SDP policies as populist.
Yet, nine years later, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled a similar initiative as part of the PAP’s official agenda.
Assoc Prof Lim described the initiative as the PAP’s version of unemployment insurance.
He pointed out that the Workers’ Party had first proposed a redundancy insurance scheme as early as 2006, with detailed policy papers released in 2016.
Assoc Prof Lim rejected the PAP’s claim that the scheme is not unemployment insurance, stating that distinctions such as the funding source or job-seeking requirements were ultimately minor.
He argued that since all tax revenue is pooled together, the scheme is still publicly funded, thus meeting the definition of unemployment insurance.
He also raised concerns that the PAP’s approach might be less equitable, as non-workers could end up subsidising workers through general revenue.
In contrast, the Workers’ Party model was based on shared responsibility among employers, employees, and the state.
He added that the conditionality of job search activities is a standard component of unemployment schemes globally.
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