SIRS Scheme, Which Pays $9,000 To Self-Employed People, Might Be Extended Even Though It’s Overbudget

Previously, DPM Heng Swee Keat told Singapore that because the effect of Covid-19 isn’t slated to end so soon, the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) will be extended by another seven months.

Well, if you’re a self-employed person and you’re wondering why nothing was mentioned about any other schemes even though everyone’s equally impacted by Covid-19, your wish has been granted.

FreelanceBaby45: Really?! So how much will I get this time?!

Woah, hold on, I said, your wish to be thought of has been granted.

FreelanceBaby45: Then, is the SIRS extended?!

Well, according to Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, the lady who got emotional in Parliament, it might be.

SIRS For Self-Employed People Could Be Extended

According to Minister Teo, her ministry (MOM) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) will be looking at the possibility of extending the Self-Employed Persons Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) for self-employed people.

For those who need a reminder, SIRS basically gives $9,000 to self-employed people in Singapore in three separate payouts.

Of course, you don’t get $3,000 per month, if not every writer in Goody Feed is going to stomp out and declare themselves a freelancer.

It’s $1,000 every month, over the course of 9 months, paid out during end-May, July and the last one in October.

Minister Teo was responding to Workers’ Party MP and Dennis Tan and PAP MP Cheng Li Hui who asked if there’s a possibility of an extension of the scheme since, you know, Covid-19’s still around and the economy is still bad.

Mr Tan had said that the scheme could be extended, at least on a lower payout, based on feedback he had received from self-employed individuals.

Overbudget

Meanwhile, Ms Cheng had asked about the amount that has been disbursed under the scheme so far, as well as the reasons for rejection.

Minister Teo said about 190,000 people have benefited from two payouts of $3,000 each.

She further broke them down and revealed that 100,000 were automatically included in the scheme while another 90,000 successfully applied for it.

The scheme, she added, will cost the government $2 billion in total when the last tranche of payout is made.

Initially, they had only set aside $1.2 billion for SIRS.

Which means they’ve overshot the budget by 67%.

But hey, I bet you no one will complain about this like the youth olympics saga.

66.67% Of Applications Approved

The approval rate of applications for SIRS is about two out of three, Minister Teo said.

She added that they’ve been flexible in the requirements for SIRS so as to help more people.

As for the applications that were rejected, they fall under the following category:

• Applicants were earning “much higher income”
• Lives in high-value properties
• Has two or more properties together with their spouses

Anyone who was previously unemployed or regularly employed were referred to the Covid-19 Support Grant, and for those in need who didn’t get the payout, they were referred to other agencies.

Meanwhile, for those who are unfortunately not on SIRS, you might find the other support schemes useful: