The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to our bank accounts.
Even those who managed to avoid getting retrenched or placed on a leave of absence may have been forced to deal with long quarantine periods if they had gotten infected.
While some of these individuals may have been able to work from home, others weren’t so lucky, and have lost their livelihood as a result.
In fact, all it takes is for one member of your household to contract the disease for financial issues to arise.
Fortunately, the government is once again bailing us out.
Lower-Income Households will Get Additional Financial Support from The Courage Fund
The Courage Fund, a fund dedicated to supporting those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, has been extended to lower-income households directly impacted by the pandemic.
Unlink other COVID-19 relief schemes, the Courage Fund assesses eligibility based on current income, not what one was earning before the virus struck.
Before the change kicked in yesterday, around 2,300 households had already tapped the fund, as of 13 July.
The fund grants a one-time payout of up to S$1,000, depending on the income per capita in a household.
Eligibility
According to the National Council of Social Service’s website, in order to qualify for the fund, lower-income households affected by COVID-19 must meet the following criteria:
- At least one household member is a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
- At least one household member contracted COVID-19, or was placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN), mandatory Leave of Absence (LOA) or Home Quarantine Order (QO)
- Household has a current gross monthly income of ≤S$6,200, or current gross monthly per capita income of ≤S$2,000 as of 1 Aug, 2021
- Household experienced a complete or partial (of at least 10%) loss of household income as a result of (2).
As you can see, the fund is largely targeted at those who have either contracted COVID-19 themselves, or live with someone who has and has been financially affected as a result.
In fact, if a household has been affected by a QO, SHN, LOA or from contractive COVID-19 more than once and continue to face protracted job or income loss, they can apply and receive up to two tranches of support, if they meet the other eligibility criteria.
If the income per capita is less than S$1,350, the payout disbursed will be S$500.
If the income per capita is between S$651 and S$1,350 per capita, then the payout disbursed will be S$750.
And if the income per capita is less than S$650, then the payout disbursed will be S$1,000.
Head here to find out more and submit an application.
A Community Effort
Believe it or not, the Courage Fund was actually set up in 2003 when Singapore was hit by the SARS outbreak.
At the time, Singaporeans donated generously to the fund to support those who were affected by the outbreak.
Last year, the Community Chest sought donations for the fund once again to support those affected by COVID-19, including dependents of those who succumbed to the virus.
As of July 13, the fund had received around S$18.4 million in donations from the community.
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Featured Image: kandl stock/ shutterstock.com
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