- Joined
- Jul 19, 2011
- Messages
- 28,012
- Points
- 113
By Melody Zaccheus
The Straits Times
Thursday, Feb 28, 2013
SINGAPORE - Cleaner Tay Keng Leong, 60, stands to benefit in several ways from enhancements made to social policies in Budget 2013.
One is the Workfare payouts, with the maximum raised by between 25 and 50 per cent, depending on the age group of the workers and their pay.
Mr Tay, whose monthly pay is $640, is currently in the band that receives about $1,760 in cash and contributions to his Central Provident Fund (CPF) account.
Details of the change will be released later but he could get between $400 and $700 more. "Any help from the Government is greatly appreciated," said Mr Tay, who lives in a one-room rental flat in Hougang with his wife, 44, a housewife, and their children aged nine, 11 and 13.
Besides Workfare, he will get double the amount in GST Voucher to help with the rising cost of living.He is uncertain of the amount he received last year but a typical lower-income household will get $1,480 this year.
Another extra is a $200 CPF Medisave top-up given to all Singaporeans aged 45 and older.
These new additions are on top of about $520 the Tays now get from other financial aid schemes.
Budget 2013 will also benefit his children, with top-ups of $72 million to the Opportunity Fund and $300 million to the Edusave Endowment Fund.
Mr Tay believes the programmes the funds subsidise will motivate his children to excel.
His oldest was among the top five in his Secondary 1 class last year."I always remind my elder son to work hard and get a good job. I don't want him to be a cleaner like me."
The Straits Times
Thursday, Feb 28, 2013
SINGAPORE - Cleaner Tay Keng Leong, 60, stands to benefit in several ways from enhancements made to social policies in Budget 2013.
One is the Workfare payouts, with the maximum raised by between 25 and 50 per cent, depending on the age group of the workers and their pay.
Mr Tay, whose monthly pay is $640, is currently in the band that receives about $1,760 in cash and contributions to his Central Provident Fund (CPF) account.
Details of the change will be released later but he could get between $400 and $700 more. "Any help from the Government is greatly appreciated," said Mr Tay, who lives in a one-room rental flat in Hougang with his wife, 44, a housewife, and their children aged nine, 11 and 13.
Besides Workfare, he will get double the amount in GST Voucher to help with the rising cost of living.He is uncertain of the amount he received last year but a typical lower-income household will get $1,480 this year.
Another extra is a $200 CPF Medisave top-up given to all Singaporeans aged 45 and older.
These new additions are on top of about $520 the Tays now get from other financial aid schemes.
Budget 2013 will also benefit his children, with top-ups of $72 million to the Opportunity Fund and $300 million to the Edusave Endowment Fund.
Mr Tay believes the programmes the funds subsidise will motivate his children to excel.
His oldest was among the top five in his Secondary 1 class last year."I always remind my elder son to work hard and get a good job. I don't want him to be a cleaner like me."