Covid-era grant could pave way for broader unemployment support

EVEN as Singapore eases further into living with Covid-19 – and global macroeconomic challenges are no longer driven chiefly by the virus – one pandemic-era support measure has stuck around.

This suggests, on the one hand, the government’s pessimism about Singapore’s economic situation next year. But it arguably also signals a longer-term willingness to provide unemployment support – which, someday, may no longer be contingent on a gloomy outlook.

The Covid-19 Recovery Grant was launched in January 2021 to support lower to middle-income employees and self-employed persons who were financially hit by Covid-19. Each three-month tranche provides up to S$700 per month for those hit by involuntary job loss or no-pay leave, or up to S$500 a month for those with significant salary loss. Eligible individuals can receive up to three tranches, for a total of nine months of support. The grant’s application window was originally meant to close at the end of 2021, yet was later extended by a year, to Dec 31, 2022.