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Written Answer to PQ on Applications for the Open Door Programme and Enabling Employment Credit

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2168 OF 2023 FOR SITTING ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2023
QUESTION NO. 4936 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong

To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to the Open Door Programme and Enabling Employment Credit which provide employment-related support to persons with disabilities (a) whether the Ministry has data on the percentage of successful applications that are granted under each of the schemes in 2022 and 2023 respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry is aware of any improvements to be made to the scheme to ensure better outcomes.

Answer:

SG Enable works with interested persons with disabilities and employers to apply for relevant grants and services under the Open Door Programme (ODP). With this customised approach, all ODP applications made from January 2022 to August 2023 were successful. The number of persons with disabilities placed into jobs with support from the ODP each year has remained stable at around 500 over the last three years (2020 – 2022).

2. The Enabling Employment Credit (EEC), on the other hand, is automatically disbursed to eligible employers without a need for application. The number of persons with disabilities supported by the EEC increased to about 10,300 in 2022, up from about 9,700 in 2021 when the EEC was introduced.

3. Both the ODP and the EEC have been enhanced in recent years. The ODP was enhanced in 2020 to strengthen training support through higher course fee subsidies and training allowances while the EEC was enhanced in 2023 to strengthen wage support for employment of persons with disabilities, particularly those who
have not been working for at least six months prior to being hired.

4. The average resident employment rate for persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 has increased from 29.0% in the period of 2020-2021, to 31.4% in 2021-2022. As part of our joint efforts under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, we will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable to review the suite of employment support schemes for persons with disabilities to ensure that they remain effective.