4,000 jobseekers placed on unemployment benefits scheme last year, out of 10,000 applications

“The financial burden of not having a job is very hard for me,” said the father of three school-going children. One of his children has autism, and his wife, a kidney transplant patient, cannot work.

After losing his job, he joined a SkillsFuture-sponsored desktop support engineering course. He was able to receive the jobseeker payouts and a monthly training allowance, as well as ComCare assistance.

The financial assistance has helped to “eliminate the worry of financing out of the equation, so that I actually just concentrate on finding jobs”, he said.

“It really pushed me. I have to persevere, even though a lot of the HR from the companies (were) ghosting, (staying) dead silent.”

But contract workers and the long-term unemployed raised questions about support for these groups, given that they are not target recipients of the Jobseeker Support scheme.

The Manpower Ministry (MOM) has said it expects around 60,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents to be eligible for the scheme every year, accounting for more than 60 per cent of those involuntarily unemployed.

REJECTED AND UNSURE JOBSEEKERS

Involuntarily unemployed people who qualify for the scheme receive up to S$6,000 (US$4,600) over six months if they earn enough points by completing job search activities, such as attending a career fair and meeting a career coach.

WSG’s Mr Kong said the most common reason for rejection was when applicants were assessed as not being involuntarily unemployed, such as those who resigned voluntarily.

The other requirements are an average monthly income below S$5,000 when the applicant was employed, working for at least six months out of the past year, and living in a property with an annual value that does not exceed S$31,000.

A jobseeker who receives payouts from the scheme can only apply again after three years.

During recent Budget debates, the labour movement urged the government to raise the scheme’s salary cap to S$7,600, in line with the monthly median income of professionals, managers, executives and technicians.

MOM said in response that it would conduct a review – including key parameters such as the qualifying income – when it has accrued more experience running the scheme.