Over $145m jobs support scheme payouts to aid 289,500 workers

The wage support will be disbursed from 31 March 2022.

Over $145m under the final job support scheme (JSS) will be distributed starting 31 March 2022 to about 19,500 employers in Singapore, which will benefit over 289,500 local workers, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.

In a statement, MOF said those who will receive the March 2022 payouts are in sectors affected by safe management measures enforced in the second half of 2021.

The payouts also cover wages from November to December 2021. Employers who completed the required Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for their local employees for the months of November and December 2021 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout. 

Employers with PayNow Corporate or have existing General Interbank Recurring Order arrangements with Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) can expect to get early JSS payouts. Other employers will receive their cheques from 22 April 2022.

Meanwhile, MOF reminded employers to contribute the right amount of CPF for their workers based on the actual salary paid as the contributions will be used to determine the amount of payout.

To make sure that payouts are correctly distributed, about $5m in payouts for March 2022 are withheld from 292 employers whilst their review and submission of supporting documents to IRAS to substantiate their eligibility. 

Once the IRAS verifies the information submitted, employers will receive their payouts but if there are issues found in the IRAS review, payouts will be adjusted or denied.

MOF also warned that attempts to abuse JSS will have their payouts denied and may face up to 10 years of jail time and a fine as stated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. Businesses or individuals may send a tip about violations or abuses of the JSS through sending an e-mail to jssreport@iras.gov.sg or online at go.gov.sg/jssreport.

Following the March 2022 payout, more than $28.1b of JSS would have been disbursed since the scheme was indicated at the unity budget in February 2020. The JSS has provided salary aid for employers and helped them retain employees during the pandemic.