Reimagining Workfare to uplift low-wage families

OVER the past week, we have heard some dynamic debates in Parliament on President Halimah Yacob’s address, which emphasised the need to step up support for the disadvantaged and vulnerable segments in our society, among other priorities. From establishing an official poverty line to enhancing employment support, Members of Parliament have come forward with various proposals to empower workers to improve their lives. But to truly uplift our society, we need to bolster not just individual workers, but also their families.

The answer to this may come from the reimagination of a familiar policy – the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS).

Reimagining a household-based WIS

WIS was introduced in 2007 to incentivise regular work and support the expenditure needs and retirement savings of older lower-wage workers and persons with disabilities. WIS in its current form considers only the worker’s age, employment status (employee or self-employed), and income when determining the disbursement amount.