Extension of Working Mother Child Relief to Unmarried Working Mothers

54 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Working Mother Child Relief (WMCR) in respect of income tax payable can be extended to unmarried working mothers.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: All Singaporean children receive substantial benefits from the Government, regardless of their parents’ marital status. These include:

(a) Child Development Account (CDA) benefits, including the $3,000 First Step Grant and matched co-savings from the Government;

(b) $4,000 in MediSave Grant for Newborns;

(c) Over $180,000 of education subsidies by the time they turn 16 years old; and

(d) Government healthcare subsidies.

Working mothers, regardless of their marital status, are also entitled to:

(a) 16-week Government-Paid Maternity Leave;

(b) Six days paid Child Care Leave per year for children aged below seven years, or two days for children aged 7 to 12; and

(c) Concessionary foreign domestic worker levy.

In this way, we support all parents, including unwed working mothers, to give their children education opportunities, good healthcare and a conducive social environment, so they can realise their fullest potential in life.

The Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR) is granted to working mothers who are married, divorced or widowed. It is intended to support parenthood within marriage and to encourage married mothers to continue working after childbirth. So, there are specific objectives tied to this scheme. As the prevailing societal norm in Singapore is to have children within marriage, our policies reflect these values.

We will continue to review our tax policies from time to time, bearing in mind prevailing societal norms and needs.