HDB dwellers can qualify for job seeker support, says Tan See Leng

Those who don't meet criteria can appeal and will be assessed on case-by-case basis

- Tay Hong Yi

All Housing Board flat dwellers who lost their jobs and meet other eligibility criteria can qualify for an upcoming job seeker support scheme.

Moreover, those who do not meet the stated criteria for the Skills Future Jobseeker Support scheme can still submit appeals to be considered on a case-by-case basis, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said in Parliament on Sept 9.

Seven MPs sought to clarify the scope, flexibility and eligibility of the scheme.

The scheme, to be rolled out in April 2025, will pay Singaporeans and permanent residents who have lost their jobs up to $6,000 over a maximum of six months to help them bounce back into the workforce.

To qualify, job seekers must typically have earned $5,000 or under in average monthly income for the duration of their previous employment in the last 12 months, as well as live in a property with an annual value of $25,000 or under.

They must also not have received any payouts from the scheme in the last three years, among other criteria.

Dr Tan said applications would be assessed via a system that comprises automated checks using available government data and further verification checks by a dedicated Workforce Singapore team.

In subsequent exchanges with MPs, he clarified that those who live in a property with an annual value of over $25,000, or whose last payout is less than three years ago, could still submit appeals.

Replying to a question from Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) on how the $25,000 threshold was set, Dr Tan said the annual value of a property is already used as a proxy to determine households' wealth for various government support schemes that provide higher benefits to individuals or households with lower means.