Parliamentary Replies

Parliamentary Question by Ms Joan Pereira: 

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the many key schemes under the COVID-19 measures for individuals and households, whether the Ministry can send letters to all Singapore citizens detailing what they will receive so as to prevent confusion amongst our elderly who may not be up to date with the news. 

Parliamentary Reply by Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat: 

The Government shares the Member’s desire to inform Singaporeans about the various benefits and help schemes that they are eligible for, and has undertaken communication and outreach in various forms. 

In July 2020, we distributed a Budget booklet to all households, describing the support measures announced at the Unity, Resilience, and Solidarity Budgets. For each scheme (like Workfare Special Payment, GST Voucher), customised letters are sent to each eligible citizen. For the Care and Support Package which has different components and payout timelines, letters to eligible beneficiaries provide information on what they can expect to receive. For GST Voucher – U-Save and the Solidarity Utilities Credit, we informed households of how much they would receive through additional inserts in their monthly utility bills from SP Services. 

As some COVID-19 support measures are provided on an application basis, we stepped up our efforts to communicate these schemes so that those who needed additional support would be aware of how to apply for them. For instance, posters and infographics were put on the Digital Display Panels located within HDB estates. 

Information on the various COVID-19 support schemes was consolidated on the “Support Go Where” website, with links to the various schemes’ application webpages, where relevant. 

The Silver Generation Office (SGO) and its volunteers have also been actively reaching out to seniors, continuing over telephone during the Circuit Breaker period, to inform seniors of the support schemes available. 

We will continue to improve the ways we inform fellow citizens of the help available to them.