Over $900 million to be disbursed from 30 September under the Jobs Support Scheme

 Over $27.6 billion of Jobs Support Scheme disbursed since February 2020

1     Over 43,900 employers will receive JSS payouts totalling over $900 million from 30 September 2021 under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) to support the wages of over 570,000 local employees.

2     With this payout, more than $27.6 billion of JSS support would have been disbursed since the introduction of the scheme at the Unity Budget in February 2020. Employers who have made mandatory CPF contributions for their local employees for the months of April to July 2021 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout.

3     The September payout will cover wages from April to July 2021, including the enhanced JSS payout during the Phase 2 and 3 (Heightened Alert) period (refer to details in Annex A). The 4-month payout coverage is higher than the usual 3-month coverage to provide cashflow support to firms affected by the protracted crisis. More information on the JSS support for sectors beyond 31 July 2021 can be found in Annex B. The payout for wages paid after 31 July 2021 will be disbursed in December 2021. Eligible employers will be notified by post of their payout amount later this month. They can also log in to myTax Portal to view the electronic copy of their letter.

Earlier payouts for employers with PayNow Corporate or GIRO

4     Employers who have registered for PayNow Corporate as at 24 September 2021 or have existing GIRO arrangements with IRAS can expect to receive the JSS payouts from 30 September 2021. Other employers will receive their cheques from 15 October 2021.

$23 million in payouts withheld from employers for review

5     As part of IRAS’ anti-gaming efforts to ensure that payouts are fairly and correctly disbursed, about $23 million in payouts for September 2021 are withheld from 500 employers, pending their review and submission of supporting documents to IRAS to substantiate their eligibility. These 500 employers make up about 1.1% of all qualifying employers for the payouts. Employers will receive their payouts once IRAS has verified the authenticity and accuracy of the information submitted. Their payouts would be adjusted or denied if issues are found during the review.

Review of mandatory CPF contributions and penalties for abusing the JSS

6     It is vital that employers contribute the right amount of CPF for their employees, based on actual wages paid.  

7     Employers’ CPF contributions are used to determine the amount of JSS payout. The penalties for any attempt to abuse the JSS are severe. Other than having their JSS payouts denied, offenders can be charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, where they may face up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine. Businesses or individuals who wish to report any malpractices or potential abuses of the JSS may do so via email to jssreport@iras.gov.sg or online at go.gov.sg/jssreport.

8     For more information, please visit go.gov.sg/jss.         

Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
Ministry of Finance
21 September 2021