SINGAPORE, April 15 — Singaporeans who are involuntarily unemployed and from lower- to middle-income groups can now apply for financial assistance under the newly launched SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.
Channel News Asia (CNA) reported today that the scheme offers up to S$6,000 (RM20,129) over six months, with monthly payouts tied to a points-based system based on job search-related activities such as interviews, networking, and training.
“We understand that bouncing back from involuntary job loss can be very challenging for many jobseekers,” Lynn Ng, assistant chief executive of Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) Careers Connect Group was quoted as saying.
“We hope that the financial assistance provided under the Jobseeker Support scheme can provide low- to middle-income jobseekers with some kind of relief, especially during the period when they’re looking for jobs.”
According to CNA, eligible applicants must have worked at least six months in the past year, though a one-time concession allows those retrenched after April 1, 2024, who don’t meet this criteria, to still qualify if they apply by June 15 and meet all other conditions.
The support scheme includes 13 approved activities, and jobseekers earn points by completing these each month to qualify for the payouts, with a maximum of S$1,500 in the first month and decreasing amounts in subsequent months.
Only Singapore citizens aged 21 and above who previously earned an average of S$5,000 or less per month are eligible, while Permanent Residents will be included from early 2026.
Applicants must also live in properties with an annual value not exceeding S$31,000, must have been unemployed for at least one month, and not have received a payout from the same scheme in the past three years.
Applicants must provide a termination or dismissal letter from their employer, or medical documentation if their unemployment was due to health reasons; applications take up to 10 days to process.
Payouts are credited via PayNow-NRIC, GIRO, or GovCash, typically three to four weeks after meeting the monthly point threshold; unused or extra points carry over to subsequent months.
Participants who do not meet the required points in a month will forfeit that month’s payout but can use the points earned toward the next month’s goal.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng previously said that about 60,000 residents could benefit annually from the scheme, which covers over 60 per cent of Singapore’s involuntarily unemployed, with over S$200 million allocated each year.
