COVID-19 Recovery Grant Extended Until 31 Dec 2022 To Provide Further Support

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will extend the application period for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) until 31 Dec 2022, to continue to provide support for those who are financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible applicants may receive up to a total of three tranches of CRG support over 2021 and 2022. Each tranche comprises three months of financial assistance.

CRG applications to be extended until 31 Dec 2022

2. Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has rolled out various relief schemes to provide support for individuals and families affected by the economic impact of COVID-19. In April 2020, we launched the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) to provide urgent one-off cash assistance for lower- to middle-income individuals financially impacted by COVID-19. Under TRF, around $225 million was disbursed to about 450,000 beneficiaries. Between May and Dec 2020, MSF implemented the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) to provide interim support for employees who had experienced involuntary job loss, no-pay leave (NPL) or significant income loss. Under CSG, around $215 million was disbursed to about 98,000 beneficiaries. In 2020, the Self-Employed Person Relief Scheme (SIRS) was concurrently implemented by the Government to support self-employed persons (SEPs) affected by COVID-19, and around $1.8 billion was disbursed to about 200,000 beneficiaries.

3. Following the closure of CSG and SIRS, MSF launched the CRG on 18 Jan 2021 to support lower- to middle-income employees and SEPs who continue to be financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CRG provides financial assistance to individuals who experience job loss, or involuntary NPL or significant income loss for three or more consecutive months¹. As of 5 Dec 2021, MSF has supported around 27,000 individuals on the CRG, and disbursed about $57 million in total. The CRG complements the suite of measures the Government has introduced over the past two years to support our workers. These include the Jobs Support Scheme, and the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package.

4. Although the economic outlook has improved since the start of the pandemic, some Singaporeans’ financial and employment circumstances continue to be affected. In view of the uneven economic recovery and fluid COVID-19 public health situation, we will continue to support affected workers while they actively search for a new job or pursue training opportunities. Applications for the CRG will therefore remain open until 31 Dec 2022.

Individuals can receive up to three tranches of support from CRG over 2021 and 2022

5. Due to the prolonged economic impact faced by some individuals, MSF has decided that eligible individuals who received CRG previously but remain significantly affected may apply for a third tranche of CRG. This is an increase from the previous cap of two tranches in 2021. Those who are receiving or have received CRG previously can apply for a renewal from their final month of CRG assistance, or after their assistance has ended². Those who wish to apply for a third tranche of CRG may do so from 1 Jan 2022 onwards.

6. To support individuals who have been financially affected by COVID-19 for extended periods, those who receive a third tranche of CRG will also receive further assistance with their job search from NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Workforce Singapore (WSG).

Adjustments to the CRG criteria from 2022

7. As part of the current eligibility criteria, all CRG applicants must have been economically active prior to their application. CRG applications made in 2022 will require proof of work for at least six months between Jan 2020 and Dec 2021, or a declaration of annual Net Trade Income (NTI) made in 2020 or 2021³. In addition, to align with the extended application period of CRG, MSF will take reference from the SEP’s average monthly NTI in 2020 or 2021⁴ when computing the extent of income loss. There is no change to all other eligibility criteria. The updated CRG eligibility criteria is in Annex A.

8.There is no change to the financial support amount provided through each tranche of CRG

a. Up to $700 per month for three months to employees who are
• Unemployed due to retrenchment or involuntary contract termination; or
• Placed on involuntary NPL for at least three consecutive months.

b. Up to $500 per month for three months to
• Employees who are facing salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%; or
• SEPs who are facing NTI loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50% at the point of application, compared to their average monthly NTI in 2020 or 2021.

9.Individuals can continue to apply for the CRG online via go.gov.sg/CRG, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

10.Applicants are encouraged to prepare their supporting documents in advance for a smooth application process (please see Annex B for examples of supporting documents).

11.Those who need help completing the online application form can call the ComCare Call hotline (1800-222-0000) or email Ask_SSO@msf.gov.sg. Those who are unable to apply online can visit their nearest Social Service Office for assistance.

¹To be eligible, the job loss, involuntary NPL, or income loss must have occurred after 23 January 2020 – when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Singapore – and be present at the point of application. Eligible recipients could receive up to two tranches of CRG in 2021.

²For example, if an applicant receives their second tranche of CRG in Dec 2021, Jan 2022, and Feb 2022, and requires additional assistance, the earliest they can apply for a renewal of their CRG will be Feb 2022

³Currently, CRG applicants are required to submit proof of work for at least six months between Jan 2019 and Dec 2020, or their NTI declaration made in 2019 or 2020.

⁴Currently, under the income loss criterion, MSF takes reference from the SEP’s average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020.

ANNEX A ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

ANNEX B LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

ANNEX C FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ANNEX D TRANSLATED TERMS

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ANNEX A ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

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ANNEX B LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

The following list provides examples of supporting documents required for CRG applications

• Documents on bank account details for fund disbursement.
  
• [For employees] Relevant documents indicating involuntary loss of job, placement on involuntary NPL or salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%, including
  • A letter of retrenchment/termination of contract; or
  • A letter from employer stating placement on involuntary NPL for at least three consecutive months; or
  • A letter from employer indicating salary loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50%; or
  • Payslip(s) or CPF contribution statement(s) showing last drawn monthly salary before and after the job loss, placement on involuntary NPL or salary loss.
  • [For involuntary job loss] Proof of job search or training (e.g., submitted at least two applications via Government-linked touchpoints for jobs, traineeships or attachments) in the two months before your application.
• [For self-employed persons] Relevant documents indicating that you are currently working as a self-employed person (e.g., valid trade license(s), contracts for service, income statements, tax invoices billed to service buyers, receipts issued for services, or list of client engagements).
  
• Supporting documents indicating your active participation in job search or training e.g., confirmation of application for job or training via Government touchpoints. The documents should minimally indicate
  • Your name;
  • Date of application; and
  • The name of the company/employer that you applied or interviewed at, or the training provider and course title of the training that you attended.
    Self-employed persons may submit relevant supporting evidence of two attempts to reach out to clients or improve your businesses in lieu of job search or training (e.g. pivoting business to cater to wider target audience, actors attending auditions, putting up advertisements to solicit for business) in the two months before your application.

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ANNEX C FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What are the key changes to the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) from 2022?

• Overall level of support Eligible individuals can receive up to three tranches of CRG assistance between 2021 and 2022. This is an increase from the cap of two tranches in 2021. Each tranche of CRG continues to provide recipients with three months of assistance. CRG-T tranches received earlier in 2021 are not included in this count of the total number of tranches of CRG received.
  
• Additional employment assistance Third-time CRG beneficiaries will be contacted by e2i and offered support for their job search efforts.
  
• Changes in eligibility criteria, to align with the extended application period
• Under the economic activity criterion, employees must have worked for at least six months cumulatively between Jan 2020 and Dec 2021 instead of the earlier stipulated period of Jan 2019 and Dec 2020. SEPs must have declared their annual net trade income (NTI) in 2020 or 2021 instead of the earlier stipulated period of 2019 or 2020.
• Under the income loss criterion, SEPs’ NTI would be compared to their average monthly NTI in 2020 or 2021, instead of the earlier stipulated period of 2019 or 2020.
• These changes will take effect from 1 Jan 2022.

2. How many tranches of CRG assistance are applicants eligible for? Can a first-time CRG applicant receive up to three tranches of CRG in 2022?

• From 1 Jan 2022, eligible applicants can receive a maximum of three tranches of CRG between 2021 and 2022. A successful CRG applicant receives three months of assistance per tranche.
• Eligible applicants who did not receive CRG in 2021 can receive up to three tranches of CRG in 2022, provided they meet all eligibility criteria at the point of each application.
• Those who received one or two tranches of CRG in 2021 can receive up to two or one more tranche of CRG in 2022 respectively.
• Existing CRG recipients who continue to meet the eligibility criteria can apply online for a renewal of their CRG assistance with the necessary supporting documents, if they are in their final month of assistance or if their prior assistance has ended.

3. Do payouts under the COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary (CRG-T) in 2021 count toward the three tranches of support for CRG?

• No, assistance received under CRG-T in 2021 do not count towards the three-tranche cap.
• However, SEPs who have received CRG or CRG-T before must have no outstanding MediSave contributions when applying for CRG. Alternatively, they must have committed to repaying their outstanding contributions via a GIRO plan.

4. Can a person apply for the third tranche of CRG while he/she is still receiving their payouts from the second tranche of CRG? When can they start applying for a renewal of their assistance?

• Applicants who intend to apply for a third tranche of CRG can do so from 1 Jan 2022.
• Individuals who are still receiving CRG payouts can apply for a renewal of their support in the final month of their payouts. For example, if an applicant will be receiving CRG for Dec 2021, Jan 2022 and Feb 2022, and requires additional assistance, the earliest month they can apply for a renewal of CRG is in Feb 2022.

5. Do applicants need to submit another application for the CRG if they wish to renew their application, although they had previously successfully applied for the grant?

• Yes. All applicants who are applying for a renewal of their CRG are required to submit a new application reflecting their current status. Applicants must also continue to fulfil the CRG eligibility criteria at the point of application.

6. For applicants on no-pay leave (NPL) or experiencing income loss, can the period of assessment for the first or second CRG application overlap with the period of assessment for their future applications?

• No. Any renewal of CRG application must be supported by a new period of three consecutive months of NPL or income loss, with no overlaps with the period of NPL or income loss from earlier applications. This is to ensure that there is no duplicate support provided for the same period of income loss.

7. How can households seek help if they need further financial assistance even after receiving the third tranche of CRG?

• Households that need financial assistance for their basic living expenses can contact the Social Service Offices (SSOs).
• The Courage Fund can also help lower-income households whose family member(s) had been placed on a/an Isolation Order, mandatory Leave of Absence, Stay-Home Notice, or Quarantine Order, or were hospitalised due to contracting COVID-19. It also provides support for healthcare workers, frontline workers and community volunteers who contract the virus in the course of duty. More details can be found at www.ncss.gov.sg/our-initiatives/the-courage-fund.

8. How can CRG applicants who need support in their job search or training efforts get help?

• Applicants may wish to refer to the following resources for assistance
• For employment assistance, please contact WSG Hotline at 6883 5885, or visit go.gov.sg/wsgcrg-livechat, or e2i.com.sg/app
• For job search resources, please visit go.gov.sg/career-restarter;
• For training opportunities, please visit go.gov.sg/ssg-sgujns.
• Third-time CRG recipients will also be contacted and offered job search assistance (e.g. career advisory or sharing of employability resources) by WSG or NTUC’s e2i.

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