Workfare rewards work and encourages up-skilling by supplementing the incomes and retirement savings of older lower-wage Singaporean workers, and providing funding support for their training.
Workfare is a key pillar of Singapore's social security landscape.
What it comprises
Workfare is made up of:
- Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme
- Workfare Skills Support (WSS) Scheme
Who it is for
Workfare is for:
- Older lower-wage Singaporeans who work, undergo training to up-skill themselves, or both.
- Employers who send their older lower-wage workers for training.
For the full qualifying criteria, refer to:
How it helps
Eligible workers can receive:
- A cash supplement to meet short-term expenditure needs.
- A CPF top-up to build up retirement savings.
- Subsidies and cash awards when undergoing training to up-skill and improve employability.
Workfare Income Supplement
The WIS scheme was introduced in 2007 as a permanent feature of Singapore's social security system.
WIS rewards regular work and individual effort by providing cash and CPF payouts to help with expenditure needs and retirement savings of older lower-wage workers and persons with disabilities (PWDs) who work.
How it works
From January 2017, WIS is paid out in cash and CPF every month for employees. Self-employed persons are paid annually.
The WIS quantum varies depending on income and age.
Changes to WIS from 2020
At Budget 2019, the Government announced changes to WIS that apply from 1 January 2020. Read the factsheet on Workfare to find out more.
For more information
To find out more:
Workfare Skills Support
From 1 July 2020, the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme has been enhanced to the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme.
WSS complements the WIS scheme by encouraging older lower-wage workers to upgrade their skills. WSS can help lower-wage workers become more employable and give them the chance to earn more.
How it works
The following enhancements have been made to WSS:
- Eligibility criteria aligned to the WIS scheme, including a higher qualifying income cap of $2,300 per month.
- Training Commitment Award increased to $500 per WSQ or Academic CET full qualification. The annual cap has been raised to $1,000.
- Training Allowance increased to $6.50 per hour for self-sponsored trainees.
For more information
To find out more: