JSS to disburse over $5.5b from 29 October

This will subside wages of almost two million workers from June-August.

Over 140,000 employers will receive payouts amounting over $5.5b starting 29 October under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), according to a statement by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).

This will subsidise the wages of about 1.9 million local employees from June to August. With this payout, over $21.5b of JSS support would have been disbursed.

Employers will receive support for wages paid in the aforementioned months, based on their respective support tiers. Employers in the aviation, tourism, and built environment sectors will receive 75% support; those in the food services, retail, arts and entertainment, land transport, and marine and offshore will receive 50%; whilst employers in all other sectors will receive 25%.

For firms in industries that were not allowed to resume on-site operations after the Circuit Breaker, support levels will be topped up to 75% for the period that they were not allowed to resume operations.

Employers with PayNow Corporate or GIRO arrangements with IRAS can expect to receive the payouts earlier from 29 October, whilst other employers will receive their cheques starting 4 November.

In addition, the JSS will be extended by up to seven months to cover wages paid up to March 2021. This extended support will differ based on the projected recovery of the different sectors. With the extension of the JSS, most businesses will receive wage support for 17 months.