Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Social and Family Development on (a) whether the Ministry can consider further enhancements in collaboration with SG Enable to better incentivise and support smaller enterprises in hiring Singaporeans with special needs, beyond the existing schemes; and (b) how will the Ministry evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.
Answer
1 The Government has been working with SG Enable to encourage and support employers to hire persons with disabilities, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which make up 99% of all enterprises in Singapore.
2 All employers can tap on the range of support available. Under the Open Door Programme (ODP) that SG Enable administers, persons with disabilities and employers receive up to one year of job matching, and customised employment support from trained job coaches. Employers can tap on the ODP Job Redesign Grant, which supports up to 90% of costs incurred, capped at $20,000 per person with disability, to redesign the job, purchase new equipment, or modify the workplace to be more conducive for their employees with disabilities. The Enabling Employment Credit (EEC), which was last enhanced in 2023, provides up to 20% wage support for all employers hiring local persons with disabilities earning below $4,000 per month, capped at $400. In addition, employers who hire persons with disabilities who have not been working for at least six months will receive an additional 20% of wage support, capped at $400 per employee, for the first nine months of employment. Under the Place-and- Train (PnT) programme, employers of persons with disabilities receive up to 90% wage support and 90% course fee subsidies in the first year of hiring.