Workfare Income Supplement now paid every quarter

The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) will be paid more often from this year, to benefit more older low-income workers.

Payouts will be made four times instead of twice a year, with the amount adjusted accordingly.
This means workers aged 35 and older will qualify for the scheme when they have worked two months in a three-month period and earn an average monthly income of no more than $1,700. Previously, they had to work at least three months out of any six-month period.

The new move will benefit about 10 per cent more workers, bringing the total number of recipients to 440,000, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Hawazi Daipi on Monday when he announced the change.

Frequent payouts are welcome relief
Mr Loh Sheok Lim, 63, lost his job as an office cleaner late last month but, thanks to the more frequent Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payouts, he will get some relief in June instead of September.

'It will be a great help to us low-income workers. If we lose our job, it can help with our expenses,' he said of the revised scheme, in Mandarin.

He has held jobs ranging from welder to kitchen assistant, but said that keeping them has been hard due to his age.

However, even those without a steady income can receive the WIS, as long as they have worked for two months in a three-month period.

As Mr Loh worked in January and February, he will get the first WIS payout in June. He used to receive payouts twice a year, after working for at least three months in a six-month period.