By Hariz Baharudin, The Straits Times, 21 Apr 2020
The self-employed can apply for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) from next Monday, 27 April.
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that those who have not been automatically included in the scheme can submit an online application to the union from next week. It added that those aged 37 and above as at Dec 31 this year who meet eligibility criteria need not apply as they will be notified automatically via SMS and a letter from the Central Provident Fund Board.
The scheme will disburse three quarterly cash payouts of $3,000 - in May, July and October - to help tide people over the loss of income stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak.
About 100,000 self-employed people are automatically eligible. They can check their eligibility online.
The NTUC SIRS hotline on 6713-5777 and virtual assistant will also be operational from tomorrow, 22 April.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) oversees the scheme but the NTUC will help administer applications and appeals for those who do not automatically qualify.
People who miss out can submit appeals through the NTUC.
The scheme is open to self-employed people who have an annual net trade income of no more than $100,000, who live in a property with an annual value of no more than $21,000 and do not own two or more properties.
If they are married, they and their spouse together must not own two or more properties and the spouse's assessable income must not exceed $70,000.
The scheme initially had a rule that an applicant must have started self-employment on or before March 25 and must not earn any income as employees. But an enhancement by MOM now means that it can include self-employed people with an income of no more than $2,300 a month from employment.
The website for applications will be integrated with MyInfo, a service that consolidates residents' personal data that can be then used to auto-fill official forms.
* More than $360 million paid out to self-employed workers under the first tranche of the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS)
Over 100,000 who automatically qualified receive $3,000 each in first tranche of income relief
By Cheryl Tan, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020
A scheme to support the self-employed amid the virus outbreak has paid out around $360 million.
More than 100,000 people who had automatically qualified for the scheme received a payout of $3,000 each under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) on Wednesday.
A further 17,000 applicants who had not met the eligibility criteria to auto-qualify are expected to receive payments from today.
Other batches of successful applicants will be notified as well, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said yesterday.
People eligible for SIRS will receive three quarterly payouts of $3,000 each, with the next two payments in July and October.
People who do not receive a notification by the end of this week are not automatically eligible and should submit their applications to NTUC.
Successful applicants will receive all three payouts regardless of when they applied.
They will generally receive a response from NTUC within a month of submitting their applications.
Self-employed musician Ariela Koh, 28, was one of the 17,000 successful applicants.
Her income is derived mainly from performances and conducting percussion lessons, but it has fallen by more than 70 per cent amid cancellations since the circuit breaker began on April 7.
"I was planning to have my wedding next year and apply for my Built-To-Order flat," she said.
Ms Koh, who has taken some side jobs in the meantime, said the "difficult season has taught (me) a lot about perseverance and diligence", adding that the SIRS assistance resembled "a light shining through".
In addition to the SIRS payments, MOM said that around $50 million will be paid out under the enhanced Work-Life Grant to help firms implement work-from-home and staggered-hours arrangements.
Companies can get $2,000 per worker on daily work-from-home arrangements for at least a month, with a cap of $70,000.
More than 2,700 applications have been received in the past month, with applications closing next Monday.
The self-employed can apply for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) from next Monday, 27 April.
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that those who have not been automatically included in the scheme can submit an online application to the union from next week. It added that those aged 37 and above as at Dec 31 this year who meet eligibility criteria need not apply as they will be notified automatically via SMS and a letter from the Central Provident Fund Board.
The scheme will disburse three quarterly cash payouts of $3,000 - in May, July and October - to help tide people over the loss of income stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak.
About 100,000 self-employed people are automatically eligible. They can check their eligibility online.
The NTUC SIRS hotline on 6713-5777 and virtual assistant will also be operational from tomorrow, 22 April.
People who miss out can submit appeals through the NTUC.
The scheme is open to self-employed people who have an annual net trade income of no more than $100,000, who live in a property with an annual value of no more than $21,000 and do not own two or more properties.
If they are married, they and their spouse together must not own two or more properties and the spouse's assessable income must not exceed $70,000.
The scheme initially had a rule that an applicant must have started self-employment on or before March 25 and must not earn any income as employees. But an enhancement by MOM now means that it can include self-employed people with an income of no more than $2,300 a month from employment.
The website for applications will be integrated with MyInfo, a service that consolidates residents' personal data that can be then used to auto-fill official forms.
* More than $360 million paid out to self-employed workers under the first tranche of the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS)
Over 100,000 who automatically qualified receive $3,000 each in first tranche of income relief
By Cheryl Tan, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020
A scheme to support the self-employed amid the virus outbreak has paid out around $360 million.
More than 100,000 people who had automatically qualified for the scheme received a payout of $3,000 each under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) on Wednesday.
A further 17,000 applicants who had not met the eligibility criteria to auto-qualify are expected to receive payments from today.
Other batches of successful applicants will be notified as well, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said yesterday.
People eligible for SIRS will receive three quarterly payouts of $3,000 each, with the next two payments in July and October.
People who do not receive a notification by the end of this week are not automatically eligible and should submit their applications to NTUC.
Successful applicants will receive all three payouts regardless of when they applied.
They will generally receive a response from NTUC within a month of submitting their applications.
Self-employed musician Ariela Koh, 28, was one of the 17,000 successful applicants.
Her income is derived mainly from performances and conducting percussion lessons, but it has fallen by more than 70 per cent amid cancellations since the circuit breaker began on April 7.
"I was planning to have my wedding next year and apply for my Built-To-Order flat," she said.
Ms Koh, who has taken some side jobs in the meantime, said the "difficult season has taught (me) a lot about perseverance and diligence", adding that the SIRS assistance resembled "a light shining through".
In addition to the SIRS payments, MOM said that around $50 million will be paid out under the enhanced Work-Life Grant to help firms implement work-from-home and staggered-hours arrangements.
Companies can get $2,000 per worker on daily work-from-home arrangements for at least a month, with a cap of $70,000.
More than 2,700 applications have been received in the past month, with applications closing next Monday.
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