$100 utilities credit for households with at least one Singaporean

All households with at least one Singaporean member will receive a one-off $100 sum to cover their utility bills.

This sum, known as the Solidarity Utilities Credit, will be credited in their utilities bill in July or August and covers all property types.

Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said it is a way of thanking Singaporeans for doing their part in the fight against Covid-19 by staying home.

"Singaporeans have given us feedback that while they are saving on transport fares and other charges, they are expecting to spend more on their utility bills, as they stay home during the circuit breaker period," he noted.

The sum comes on top of Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates given out to all eligible Housing Board households as part of the goods and services tax (GST) voucher, which helps households offset their utilities bills.

The Government will continue to provide help for immediate needs, stressed Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister.

SUPPORT GRANT

Another $800 million will be set aside for the Covid-19 Support Grant, which supports those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, employees on no-pay leave, and those who will see their salaries significantly reduced in the coming months due to the pandemic, among other criteria. It provides up to $800 per month for three months.

An initial sum of $145 million was set aside for the Covid-19 Support Grant, the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) and to give social service offices more flexibility in dispensing ComCare aid.

The TRF, which gives a one-off payout of $500, helped 450,000 people in need of immediate financial help last month.

Singaporean households will also be receiving more payouts in the coming months, Mr Heng said. For instance, lower- and middle-income Singaporeans will receive their remaining Care and Support payouts of $300 or $600 next month.

Citizens with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 and below this year will also receive a $300 cash payout next month.

These come on top of permanent support like the cash component of the GST Voucher which will be paid out in August.

The self-employed will also receive direct cash assistance through the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, which offers a $9,000 payout over nine months.

More than 100,000 self-employed people will be receiving their first payout of $3,000 this week, said Mr Heng.