With the Unity Budget and Resilience Budget announced earlier this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat had outlined support for workers to help them stay employed, particularly those in sectors affected by the COVID-19 situation.
With the heightened measures during the Circuit Breaker period in April, businesses and workers are more severely impacted than before. DPM announced the Solidarity Budget on 6 April 2020, which will support workers during this period, and help firms retain their employees.
This will supplement the support for workers that was earlier announced at the Unity and Resilience Budgets.
Here’s a recap of what workers can receive at the latest Solidarity Budget, as well as from the earlier announced Unity Budgetand Resilience Budget.
SGUnited Jobs initiative to create 10,000 jobs in one year
SGUnited Traineeships to support 8,000 traineeships for first-time jobseekers
Solidarity Budget [announced 6 Apr 2020]
Further enhancements to the Jobs Support Scheme will help to save jobs:
The Government will pay 75% of the first $4,600 of monthly salaries for all local employees for April 2020
First JSS payout brought forward from May to April
From May 2020, wage subsidy levels will revert to what was announced in Resilience Budget
More Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) to get help
More SEPs to qualify for SEP Income Relief Scheme (SIRS)
To include all who also earn a small income from employment work
Raise the Annual Value threshold from up to $13,000 to up to $21,000
A total of about 100,000 SEPs will receive three quarterly cash payouts of $3000 each, starting from May 2020
The primary aim of this Solidarity Budget is to take further steps to save jobs and protect the livelihoods of our people during this temporary period of heightened measures.
Deputy Prime
Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament on 6 Apr 2020