Breakdown of Amount Disbursed from COVID-19 Support Schemes to Singapore Residents by Household Income
Ministry of FinanceSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns a request by Mr Leon Perera for the percentage breakdown and average per capita amount of the $5.9 billion in COVID-19 household transfers distributed across different income levels. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat stated that $5.7 billion was directly disbursed, while $0.2 billion was allocated to self-help groups and Community Development Councils for indirect assistance. Of the direct transfers, the bottom 20% of households received 26% of the funds, averaging $2,000 per member, whereas the middle 20% received 20% at an average of $1,500 per member. The top 20% of households received 12% of the transfers, averaging $900 per member, through schemes like the Solidarity Payment and the Care and Support Package. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat emphasized that these payments are part of a broader support framework including the Jobs Support Scheme and various structural subsidies.
Transcript
2 Mr Leon Perera asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance out of the $5.9 billion in household transfers disbursed to Singapore residents in various COVID-19 support schemes (a) what is the percentage breakdown of the value of transfers by household income level of those who receive them; and (b) what is the average amount received by each household member in different household income level groups.
Mr Heng Swee Keat: The $5.9 billion in household transfers comprises the Solidarity Payment, Solidarity Utilities Credit, and measures under the Care and Support Package such as the Care and Support – Cash, PAssion card top-up, Workfare Special Payment, additional GST Voucher – U-Save rebate, Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Rebate, Grocery Vouchers, and grants to self-help groups and Community Development Councils (CDCs).
Of the $5.9 billion, $0.2 billion are the additional grants to self-help groups and CDCs for them to use to help needy families and children during this pandemic. These grants are on top of the usual subvention provided to them by the government in our annual Budgets to support them in their work for the community. This $0.2 billion is an indirect transfer and is not included in the breakdown.
Of the $5.7 billion in household transfers, 26% went to households in the bottom 20% (by per capita monthly household income), with an average of about $2,000 received per household member. Households in the middle 20% received 20% of the household transfers, with an average of about $1,500 received per household member. Households in the top 20% received 12% of the household transfers, with an average of about $900 received per household member.
These household transfers are over and above other additional measures to help Singaporean workers during this difficult period such as the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS), COVID-19 Support Grant, and the extensive existing education, healthcare, and housing subsidies and structural household support measures like the GST Voucher scheme.