Right now, with Covid-19, GST Vouchers and rebates aren’t privileges anymore.
They’re essential.
And the government understands that as well, which is why they’re going big on the GST Voucher rebates.
How big?
It’s like McSpicy. One not enough, let’s go for a Double McSpicy.
Eligible Households To Get Double The Amount of Regular Rebates
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on 2 Apr 2020, 940,000 HDB households will get the GST-Voucher U-Save Rebate in Apr 2020.
And it’s not the usual amount.
Households will get double the regular amount of U-Save rebates through a “one-off GST Voucher – U-Save Special Payment”.
This is part of the Care and Support Package announced during Budget 2020.
Here’s the amount that will be dispensed:
Instead of receiving rebates equivalent to:
- 3 to 4 months (1- and 2-room flats)
- 1 to 2 months (3- and 4-room flats) of their utility bills
The amount dispensed this time will be equivalent to:
- 6 to 8 months (1- and 2- room flats)
- And 2 to 4 months (3- and 4-room flats) of their utility bills.
Bigger Households To Get More Help
For households with 5 members or more, they’ll get more help from the government.
Instead of double the amount of GST Voucher – U-Save rebate, they will receive 2.5x the regular amount instead.
1- and 2-room flats can get $300 rebate in Apr 2020.
You can visit MOF’s website for more details.
Couldn’t Have Come At A Better Time
Now, if it was the pre-Covid-19 period, people be like
After all, it’s not cold, hard cash, right?
But during Covid-19? This is possibly the best present ever.
After all, with more people having to work from home from now on, our electricity bills are going to increase.
For those who are struggling with basic essentials even with the rebates, there’s a Temporary Relief Fund that you can apply for as long as you:
- Are not on ComCare Assist
- Can prove that you suffer a drop in income of at least 30%
There are also temporary jobs available for those looking for employment and other upcoming schemes that might help you tide over Covid-19.
Singaporeans aged 21 and above will also receive up to $900 in a cash payout although details are not revealed yet.
You can do your part as a responsible citizen through helping out in contact tracing by downloading the TraceTogether app.
In the meantime, keep yourself updated by bookmarking MOH’s website here and registering for the Gov.sg’s WhatsApp service here.
