FAQ: Who will qualify for unemployment benefits under the new Jobseeker Support Scheme?

SINGAPORE: Details of a first-of-its-kind scheme offering support for retrenched workers were announced on Tuesday (Aug 27). 
The scheme, which marks a “paradigm shift” for the government, will have tiered payouts and be open to those earning up to S$5,000 (US$3,800) a month. 
But how exactly will the scheme work, and what other qualification criteria are there? CNA answers some frequently asked questions. 
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme was first announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally earlier this month. 
He said it will focus on helping lower- and middle-income workers who have lost their jobs to “get through the setback and bounce back stronger”.
The move is significant as it is the first time Singapore has embarked on a scheme offering unemployment benefits – an idea that the government has been wary about but studying for some time. 
The scheme starts in April 2025 for eligible Singaporeans, and in the first quarter of 2026 for eligible permanent residents. 
A property’s annual value is the estimated gross annual rent that could be collected annually if it were to be rented out, and is determined based on the market rate of comparable properties.
It does not take into account furniture, furnishings and maintenance fees, and is not dependent on the actual rental income received. 
The finance ministry in November 2023 raised the annual value threshold for social support programmes.
Back then, the ministry said the annual value threshold of S$21,000 would cover all Housing Board flats, while a S$25,000 threshold would cover about 75 per cent of residential properties, including some lower-value private properties.
According to the latest figures from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), the median annual value of a four-room flat in 2022 was S$12,480 and S$13,500 for a five-room flat.
Property owners can check the annual value of their home by logging in to myTax portal on the IRAS website. 
The payouts are conditional – those receiving payouts have to engage in job search and related activities that will help secure employment. 
This includes activities such as submitting job applications, attending career coaching and career preparatory workshops, or participating in eligible training courses.
However, more details about this will only be released closer to April 2025, when the scheme begins. 
Up to S$6,000 in total over six months will be given in a tiered payout system, starting at a maximum of S$1,500 in the first month and declining subsequently. 
Those who qualify will receive up to S$1,500 in the first month, S$1,250 in the second month, S$1,000 in the third month and S$750 in each of the remaining three months. 
But not all who are eligible will receive a total of S$6,000 over the six months – monthly payouts are capped at the jobseeker’s previous monthly salary. 
For instance, if they previously earned S$1,200 a month, they will receive S$1,200 in the first month and the same in the second month, before receiving S$1,000 in the third month, and S$750 in the remaining three months. 
Payouts stop after the participant gets a new job. For instance, if they get a job in the third month, they will not receive payouts for the fourth, fifth and sixth months.
The quantum of the monthly payouts is higher at the start to provide greater peace of mind immediately after unemployment, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.
It is gradually reduced from the second month onwards so that jobseekers have an incentive to start work earlier if they can find a good-fitting job.
A “one-off concession” will be made for people who lost their jobs recently and are not able to meet the criteria of being employed at least six months in the last 12 months.
When the scheme starts in April next year, Singaporeans who became involuntarily unemployed on or after Apr 1, 2024, and remain unemployed, will be eligible.
An estimated 2,000 people are expected to benefit from this one-off concession.
Yes, the Jobseeker Support scheme can be stacked with other assistance programmes. 
This means that households facing financial distress can get support in other ways, such as the ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance programme and Goods and Services Tax Voucher scheme. 
Those who enrol in eligible full-time, long-form training programmes under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, or company attachments under WSG’s Mid-Career Pathways Programme, may receive training allowances on top of the jobseeker support payouts.
For example, under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, Singaporeans aged 40 and above can get a monthly training allowance of up to S$3,000 for up to 24 months in selected courses. 
The allowance will be based on 50 per cent of the person’s average income over the latest available 12-month period.
For example, a 40-year-old worker who was retrenched and earning up to S$5,000 a month can be eligible for payouts under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme and an allowance under the SkillsFuture Level-up Programme.
Over a six-month period, he would receive up to S$21,000, consisting of about S$15,000 of training allowance and S$6,000 of jobseeker support payouts. 
The government has set aside over S$200 million per year to fund this scheme. 
About 60,000 Singapore residents are estimated to be eligible for the scheme per year, which will account for more than 60 per cent of involuntarily unemployed persons.