While some Covid-19 schemes such as the Solidarity Payment and Solidarity Utilities Credits cover all Singaporeans, the overall payouts are tilted towards lower-to middle-income groups, as they have less to fall back on in difficult times, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.
About 60 per cent of households in Singapore will be able to receive extra benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic. These include cash assistance from the Temporary Relief Fund, Covid-19 Support Grant and Workfare Special Payment, among others.
The additional assistance will be equivalent to 12 per cent of household income on average, he added.
Mr Heng was addressing questions from Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Nominated MP Anthea Ong about whether the Government could enhance existing Covid-19 support schemes for low-income workers and households, especially if unemployment persists.
No one who needs help will be left behind, he said.
"There may be instances of families that marginally miss the eligibility criteria, but also need help. We will assess these on a case-by-case basis, and refine the schemes as the situation develops," he added.
During the debate, Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) and Nominated MP Yip Pin Xiu were among those who called for more support for vulnerable groups such as those with special needs and mental health conditions. Thanking Ms Phua for the suggestion to formalise a workstream on employment for people with disabilities within the National Jobs Council, Mr Heng said he and Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who chairs the council, "welcome her leadership on this, and are glad to accept her proposal".
He added that the Government has worked with community partners on "finances, networks and systems" to support the vulnerable over the years, and will continue to do so. Social spending has also nearly doubled over the past 10 years, he said.
Some people, Mr Heng added, have said the support for jobs is big while that for them or their household seems small. "The Covid-19 support measures should be seen in the context of the larger suite of measures to protect jobs and livelihoods, and support our businesses during this crisis," he said.
"A thoughtful commenter said to me, it is right that the Government has devoted, as a central plank of the four Budgets, this central focus on supporting our workers to retain their jobs, or to move into new jobs," he added.
"Should the sole breadwinner of the family lose his or her job, the effect on the whole family is much more adverse. So it is important that we see this in totality, not just what is in each little component."
