14 Apr 2020 could be a national holiday.
It’s the one single day of joy for most Singaporeans after months of stress and anxiety.
Yes, that’s the day that 9 in 10 Singaporeans got the $600 solidarity payout if they’ve registered their bank account details with the government.
$600 Payout Led to Long Queues at ATMs & Even Brief Disruption in Online Banking
At about 1pm, there were about 10 people queueing up to use the ATM machines at Nee Soon Community Centre.
In Hougang, about 7 people were queueing up to use a single DBS machine.
At Marine Parade’s POSB branch, a steady stream of elderly could be seen checking their bankbooks to check if the payout has been made to their accounts.
And some people had trouble assessing DBS bank’s systems such as its mobile application.
A DBS spokesperson told TODAY that the intermittent delays could be caused by “high traffic” for its online banking services.
While she did not confirm the cause, she also didn’t deny that it could be caused by the solidarity payout.
Don’t worry, the ATMs have all been applied with a self-disinfecting coating to curb the transmission of Covid-19.
People Who Went To Withdraw Money Genuinely Needs It
A 34-year-old GrabFood delivery rider queueing up at the ATM said he needed the money to buy diapers for his two-year-old son.
Last month, he had lost his job as a salesperson and took up GrabFood to keep his family fed.
Another GrabFood rider took up the gig-based job after he was told to go on unpaid leave for the month.
He was working as an adjunct lecturer in fashion marketing at the private education institution Amity Global Institute and used to make $2,000 a month. Now, he takes home about $50 per day.
GrabFood riders are not earning a lot despite food orders shooting up due to the ban on dining in at F&B outlets.
A 62-year-old driver also explained his situation. He had “no savings” and his earnings has dropped drastically.
Pre-Covid-19, he could pick up four or five passengers between 1pm and 6am but now, he’ll be lucky enough to get one or two riders.
Madam Juriah, a housewife, needed the money urgently to get groceries for her household, saying that she’s been “cutting back a lot” over the past few months.
Next Payout Will Be In June 2020
If you’re someone who has gotten the $600 and you’re thinking of splurging it on unnecessary things, don’t.
Because the next payout will be made two months later in June 2020.
The June payout will also include any extra payments, like the $300 extra for parents with kids and the $100 PAssion Card top-up for Singaporeans above 55 years old.
What If You Have Not Received The $600 Even Though You’re Eligible?
For eligible Singaporeans who have not received the solidarity payout, it might mean that you have not submitted your bank account details to the government.
No worries, you can still receive your $600 by 28 April 2020 by submitting your bank account details here before 23 April 2020. Do note that you’d need to log in to SingPass for that.
If you still don’t do that, you’d receive a cheque to your NRIC-registered address from 30 April 2020.
PRs & Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus Holders (LTVP+) Will Also Get Some Cash
PRs who are above 21 years old who have a Singaporean parent, spouse or child will get a one-time $300 cash payout. They can sign up for the payout at here before 10 May 2020 and will receive the cash by 19 May 2020.
The amount is the same for LTVP+ holders, but they won’t need to do anything and will receive a cheque from the end of May onwards.
Other Avenues For Help
For some, $600 is a bonus while to others (like the people mentioned above), it’s a necessity.
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And we’ll be honest here, the $600 helps but it probably won’t last given how expensive it is to live in Singapore (even the minister says food prices will probably increase).
For those who really need it, there’s also the Temporary Relief Fund that will dispense a one-time payout of $500 to people who can prove that their income has dropped by 30% or more due to Covid-19.
You can apply online here.
Just make sure that you really need it because someone gave the middle finger to the government by bragging about scamming them via TRF and the authorities are now coming down hard.
#SpoilMarket
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There’s also a scheme, the Covid-19 Support Grant, which will open in May 2020 for people who lost their jobs due to Covid-19.
You can find out more here.