I recently received a letter from Workfare informing me that I was eligible for Workfare Training Support (WTS) courses and for a Training Commitment Award (TCA) of $400 a year if I attended courses.

Encouraged to take this opportunity to enhance my employability and skills, I signed up for and attended the "Maintain Personal Presentation At Supervisory Level" course.

I completed the course last Wednesday and followed the instructions to make a $400 claim at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability.

The counter staff told me that they do not handle this claim and referred me to the Central Provident Fund Workfare department.

So, I inquired at the CPF building in Jurong East. The staff there said they were unable to check my eligibility for the TCA, and gave me a hotline number to call.

I called and was told that the $400 TCA was only for those who had completed four courses. If I attended two courses, I would receive a $200 TCA, but since I had attended only one course, I was not eligible for anything.

Why wasn't this criteria clearly stated in the letter from Workfare?

It would have given the public a clearer message, and helped the trainer or management of the education centre give correct instructions to the trainees.

It would also have allowed the trainees, who are mostly elderly people like me, avoid having to waste time going from place to place looking for answers.

Tan Kwong Moh