Applications Approved, Help Given Through ComCare to Unsuccessful Applicants and Fraudulent Applications Detected for Temporary Relief Fund as at 30 April 2020
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the statistics and integrity of Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) applications as of 30 April 2020, specifically the volume of approvals and fraud detection raised by Mr Ang Wei Neng. Minister for Social and Family Development Mr Desmond Lee reported that 444,786 out of 594,206 applications were approved for individuals facing at least a 30% income loss due to COVID-19. Non-approvals were attributed to applicants exceeding income caps, such as a $3,100 monthly per capita income, or failing to meet the required job or income loss criteria. While unsuccessful applicants could seek assistance through ComCare, the Minister noted that data on those specific transitions is not readily available. Regarding enforcement, investigations into all alleged fraudulent TRF applications are currently ongoing, with no confirmed number of cases available at this stage.
Transcript
22 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many Singaporeans have applied for the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) as of 30 April 2020; (b) of these, how many applications have been approved; (c) of those not approved, how many have been given help through ComCare; and (d) how many fraudulent TRF applications have been detected.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) sought to provide timely assistance to lower- and middle-income Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, for the month of April 2020, before other assistance schemes kicked in. Individuals who lost their jobs or faced an income loss of at least 30% due to COVID-19 could apply.
As at 30 April 2020, we have received about 594,206 applications and approved 444,786 applications. The main reasons for non-approval include applicants not meeting the qualifying criteria of job loss or income loss of at least 30%, and applicants exceeding the qualifying income criteria of monthly per capita income of not more than $3,100 or gross monthly household income of not more than $10,000.
TRF applicants may also apply for ComCare if they need further assistance with basic living expenses. We do not have readily available data on how many ineligible TRF applicants were subsequently provided with ComCare.
We are investigating all alleged fraudulent TRF applications. Investigations are ongoing and we do not have a confirmed number of fraudulent cases yet.