Singapore Budget 2020: Low-income families to get grocery voucher worth $100 a year

The grocery voucher is for Singaporeans aged 21 and older who live in one- or two-room Housing Board flats and do not own more than one property. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Low-income Singaporeans will get extra help to cope with their daily living expenses.

In addition to the annual goods and services tax (GST) Vouchers, public transport vouchers, and Service and Conservancy Charges Rebates, they will receive a grocery voucher worth $100 a year for this year and next year.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said this on Tuesday (Feb 18) as he announced a comprehensive Care and Support Package for households, amounting to about $1.6 billion.

The voucher can be used at the major supermarkets, such as NTUC FairPrice, Giant and Sheng Siong.

The grocery voucher is for Singaporeans aged 21 and older who live in one- or two-room Housing Board flats and do not own more than one property.

To further help lower-wage workers, Singaporeans who received the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) in 2019 will also qualify for a new Workfare Special Payment this year.

This special payment - an additional 20 per cent of the total annual WIS payout the worker received last year - will be given in cash.

Workers with disabilities who are aged below 35 last year, and who meet the WIS criteria, will receive a Workfare Special Payment of between $100 and $300.

The WIS encourages eligible workers to work and build up their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings by supplementing their income and retirement savings through cash payments and CPF contributions.

To qualify, Singaporeans must be 35 and older, earn a gross monthly income of not more than $2,300, among other criteria.

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