COVID-19 Support for Singapore Freelancers and Self-Employed

Has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit your freelance or self-employed business hard?

We feel you.

Here’s a list of all the measures the Singapore government is taking to help everyone tide through this challenging period of time.

We’re covering (click on the links below to skip to the relevant sections!):

• Cash Payouts
  • $600 to $1,200 payout for all adult Singaporeans
  • SIRS: Three $3,000 payouts for self-employed persons (total $9,000)
  • COVID-19 Recovery Grant: Up to $500 per month for 9 months
  • COVID-19 Recovery Grant (Temporary): One-time payment of up to $500
  • Temporary Relief Fund: $500 cash if you lost at least 30% of your personal income due to COVID-19
  • $100 credit on utilities bill
  • Up to $200 payout for self-employed persons affiliated with NTUC
  • $3,000 special payment for Workfare Income Supplement recipients
  • $50 to $300 cash payment for NTUC members
  • US$100 for ASEAN youth freelancers
• Training Support
  • Extra $500 SkillsFuture Credits
  • Training allowance of $7.50/hour to $10/hour
• Leave of Absence / Stay-Home Notice / Quarantine Allowances
  • $100 daily allowance for your Leave of Absence/Stay-Home Notice duration
  • $100 daily allowance if you’re under quarantine
  • Courage Fund: $500 to $1,000 cash for income loss after a household member is being isolated or contracts COVID-19
• Business Operations
  • 25% corporate tax rebate for YA2020
  • 3-month income tax deferral
  • Jobs Support Scheme: Up to 75% wage support for self-employed persons who are employees and shareholder-directors of their own company
• Medisave Contributions
  • Opting for a longer Medisave instalment plan
• Sector-Specific Support
  • Support for the arts community
  • Support for the media industry
  • Support for arts and media writers
  • Support for CCA instructors
  • Support for private-hire drivers
  • Support for the sports community
  • Support for tourist guides

This list will continually be updated, so keep checking back!

Cash Payouts

$600 to $1,200 payout for all adult Singaporeans

As long as you’re a Singaporean and at least 21 years old, you’ll qualify for $600 to $1,200 cash coming from the “Care and Support – Cash” payout and the Solidarity Payment in 2020.

The exact payout amount depends on your assessable income for YA2019:

On top of this amount, you’ll get an extra $300 if you have at least one Singaporean child who is 20 years old or younger this year.

When will you receive the money?

The first $600 will be paid to you:

• By bank transfer by 14 April 2020 (if you have provided the government with your bank account details); OR
• By cheque from 30 April 2020 onwards (if you haven’t).

The remainder (if any) will be paid to you from 18 June 2020 onwards.

SIRS: Three $3,000 payouts for self-employed persons (total $9,000)

Eligible self-employed persons will receive three $3,000 payouts (for a total of $9,000) under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS).

Self-employed persons aged 37 years old or older in 2020 who are receiving annual Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payments will automatically be eligible for these payouts. You will not need to apply to receive them.

If you are 37 years old or older in 2020 but are not receiving Workfare, you will also automatically qualify and receive the payouts if you meet all of the following conditions:

• You started work as a self-employed person on or before 25 March 2020
• In Work Year 2018, you had declared positive self-employed Net Trade Income to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) or the CPF Board which did not exceed $100,000
• If you are also employed, you earn not more than $2,300 per month from such employment work
• (If you are married) Your spouse’s assessable income does not exceed $70,000
• You (together with your spouse, if you are married) own only one property, and this property’s annual value doesn’t exceed $21,000

Can you appeal if you don’t meet the above criteria?

If you are 21 to 36 years old in 2020, marginally miss one of the above criteria and are facing “extenuating circumstances”, you will be able to submit an appeal via this NTUC webpage from 27 April 2020 onwards, 9am to 9pm daily. There is currently no deadline for submitting an appeal.

Supporting documents you will need to prepare include:

• If you are a self-employed person before 1 January 2020: Notice of Assessment for YA2020
• If you started self-employment on or after 1 January 2020 and before 25 March 2020: Proof of self-employment, such as contracts for service or invoices dated during this time period
• Documents to prove financial hardship

You will generally be notified of your appeal outcome within 30 days of submitting the appeal.

As mentioned, if you do not meet the eligibility criteria but are facing valid extenuating circumstances, your appeal may be approved. Depending on your situation however, you may or may not receive the full payout amount.

Also, if your appeal is rejected, you can re-appeal but you will still have to fulfil the same SIRS eligibility criteria as stated above (e.g. you became a self-employed person on or before 25 March 2020, your Net Trade Income does not exceed $100,000).

So this option for re-appealing might be more suitable for people whose initial appeal was rejected due to a mistake in either their application or supporting documents.

For example, if they had declared their self-employed income as their employment income instead of their trade income while filing their income tax returns.

Refer to the NTUC webpage linked above for more information.

How can you receive the money?

As mentioned, if you are 37 years old or older in 2020, had declared positive self-employed income to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) or CPF Board for Work Year 2018, and automatically qualify for the payouts based on the eligibility criteria above, you don’t need to apply for the payouts.

Instead, you will start receiving the payouts automatically from 27 May 2020 onwards. Just look out for a letter and SMS from CPF Board from 22 May 2020 that will confirm your payout eligibility.

All other eligible self-employed persons will have to submit an appeal for the payouts. See the above section for more information on this!

The $3,000 payouts are scheduled to be made in at the end of May, July and October 2020. If your appeal is accepted after end-May, you will still receive the payouts in 3 tranches.

For example, if you submit your application on 1 June 2020, you will receive your payouts in the first half of July, end-July and end-October 2020 respectively.

For more information, check out our detailed guide to the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) in Singapore.

COVID-19 Recovery Grant: Up to $500 per month for 9 months

The COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) replaces SIRS after it ended on 31 December 2020. Self-employed persons who successfully apply for the CRG can receive up to $500 per month for 6 months.

The payment is made in 3 tranches of 3 months each, i.e. the first time you successfully apply for the CRG, you can stand to receive $500 per month for 3 months. Afterwards, if you still require support, you can apply for second and third tranches of 3 months’ worth of CRG payments.

The eligibility criteria for applying for the CRG is as follows:

• At the time of applying for the CRG, you had faced an average loss in Net Trade Income of at least 50% over at least 3 consecutive months, compared to your average monthly Net Trade Income in 2020 or 2021
• You are at least 21 years old, and a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident but not a full-time National Serviceman
• You own not more than one property, and the property you live in has an Annual Value of not more than $21,000
• Before you experienced the income loss, either your household income did not exceed $7,800 OR your per capita household income did not exceed $2,600
• You have declared your Net Trade Income in either 2020 or 2021, and are able to provide supporting documents on your line of work (e.g. trade licences, contracts for service, invoices and receipts)
• You are able to show proof of actively looking for employment in the 2 months before applying for the CRG, OR proof of at least 2 attempts to improve your business revenue or reach out about new business opportunities (e.g. getting new freelance clients)
• You are not concurrently receiving support from certain government schemes, e.g. ComCare or the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (view the full list here). If you had previously obtained the SIRS payouts, you can still apply for the CRG.

How to apply for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant

Applications for the CRG will start on 18 January 2021 and end on 31 December 2023.

Click here to submit your application. Applications are open 24/7, including weekends and public holidays.

If you are still receiving support payments from a previous tranche of CRG payments, then you will need to wait until at least the last month of receiving such support before applying for an additional tranche.

After you have submitted all the required supporting documents, you will be notified of your application outcome by SMS in about 2 weeks.

For more information on the CRG, refer to this Ministry of Social and Family Development webpage.

COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary: One-time payment of up to $500

The COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary (CRG-T) is a supplement to the existing COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG). This grant will provide eligible self-employed persons who suffered income loss during the Heightened Alert period with a one-time payout of up to $500.

The eligibility criteria for the CRG-T are similar to those for the CRG, except that:

• You should be facing a Net Trade Income loss of at least 50% for at least one month, compared to your average monthly Net Trade Income in 2019 or 2020; and
• The income loss must have occurred between 16 May and 31 August 2021.

In addition to these, you should not be a current recipient of CRG or other support schemes, such as the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund for private-hire drivers.

If you have previously applied for the CRG, you can apply for the CRG-T provided that your support under the CRG has already ended. And if you need further support after receiving the CRG-T payout, you can reapply for the CRG-T, or apply for the CRG if you have not already done so.

However, if you have already received two tranches of CRG-T payouts for both June and July 2021, you will not be eligible for a third CRG-T payout in August 2021.

How to apply for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary

Applications for the CRG-T will open at 9am on 3 June 2021 and close after 11.59pm on 31 August 2021. Click here to apply.

You may apply anytime as the applications are open 24/7.

For more information on the supporting documents required for applying for the CRG-T, please visit this webpage.

After submitting all required supporting documents, you will be informed of the application outcome by SMS in about two weeks. If your application is successful, the payout will be sent directly to your bank account.

Temporary Relief Fund: $500 cash if you lost at least 30% of your personal income due to COVID-19

If you’re a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident who has lost at least 30% of your personal income as a result of COVID-19 (e.g. you lost jobs), you can apply for a $500 cash payout under the Temporary Relief Fund.

To obtain the payout, you’ll have to meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

• The job losses occurred after 23 January 2020
• Before your income was affected, either your household income did not exceed $10,000 or your per capita household income did not exceed $3,100
• You currently aren’t receiving ComCare assistance

How to apply for the cash payout

You can apply for the cash payout online here using your SingPass account between 9am and 6pm. You will need to prepare the following supporting documents:

• NRIC
• Documentary proof that you’ve lost jobs, if applicable (e.g. letter of termination of contract)
• Documentary proof that you’ve suffered income loss due to COVID-19. (If you have valid reasons for not being able to provide such proof, a self-declaration of income loss can be accepted)

Alternatively, you can apply in person. To do so, fill in this application form and prepare copies of the above supporting documents.

Then, bring the application form and supporting documents to your nearest Social Services Office or Community Centre/Club.

Regardless of whether you applied online or in person, your application will be processed as soon as possible.

The $500 payout will be issued to you via PayNow if you applied online, and via cheque if you applied at a Social Services Office. If you had applied at a Community Centre/Club, you can receive the payout via cheque or PayNow.

The application period is 1 April 2020 to 30 April 2020.

$100 credit on utilities bill

Every household with at least one Singapore citizen will get a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit to offset the household’s utilities bill in either July or August 2020.

This credit applies to all households, regardless of property type.

How to receive the credit

No need to do anything! The $100 credit will be automatically added to your July or August 2020 utilities bill.

$3,000 special payment for Workfare Income Supplement recipients

If you’re a self-employed person who received Workfare for Work Year 2019, you’ll get an extra $3,000.

You must have been at least 35 years old in 2019, or a person with disabilities, to qualify for the extra payment.

When will you receive the money?

The special payment will be made to you in 2 equal instalments in July and October 2020, in the same way that you received the initial WIS payment (e.g. bank transfer or cheque).

Up to $200 payout for self-employed persons affiliated with NTUC

If you’re an eligible member of NTUC-affiliated groups who tests positive for COVID-19 between 11 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, you can claim a one-time payout of $50 to $200 under the COVID-19 (C-19) Temporary Relief Scheme.

The exact amount depends on which group you are a member of, and your period of isolation.

The relevant NTUC-affiliated groups are :

• NTUC Freelancers & Self-Employed Unit (NTUC U FSE)
• National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA)
• National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA)
• National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA)
• National Taxi Association (NTA)​
• Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) (VICPA)

You must be a fully paid member of these groups as of 31 December 2021 to be eligible for the payout.

How to apply for the payout

Check the website of the group you are affiliated with for the application procedure. When applying, you will need to provide proof of your first ART-positive test result if your isolation period is shorter than four days.

There are a few ways of providing such proof. For example, you can provide a date and time-stamped photo of your positive ART test result, together with a copy of your photo ID.

On the other hand, if your isolation period is four days or longer, you will need to provide an electronic discharge memo from the Ministry of Health.

Your application must be submitted within 30 days of your first positive test result. However, if you tested positive using an ART test, you’re advised to apply only after 10 days of your test result.

This is in case your initial isolation period gets extended for longer than 72 hours (such that you need to provide an electronic discharge memo for your application instead of proof of your positive test result).

$50 to $300 cash payment for NTUC members

If you are an NTUC member who has suffered job or event cancellations, you may be entitled to cash relief of between $50 and $300 under the enhanced NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19).

Your eligibility depends on whether you are a new or existing NTUC member, whether you have any dependants staying in the same household in Singapore as you, and your gross monthly personal income level:

How to apply for the cash relief

You can submit your application for the enhanced NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) cash relief via this online portal.

The application period is 23 November 2020 to 28 February 2021. When applying, you’ll need to provide the following supporting documents:

• Pre-COVID-19 income document, such as your Notice of Assessment tax document for 2019
• Proof that you have had at least 2 jobs cancelled or postponed, or that you were required to serve a Quarantine Order or Stay-Home Notice

US$100 for ASEAN youth freelancers

The ASEAN Youth Foundation has started an ASEAN Gig Fund to offer grants of up to US$100 for youth freelancers in Southeast Asia (including in Singapore!)

The amount of the grant depends on how much you’ve earned through gig work—ASEAN will match your earnings dollar for dollar, up to US$100!

How to apply for the grant

Fill in this Google Form, providing details such as:

• Your email address
• Your self-employed vocation
• How your earnings have been impacted by COVID-19
• Your monthly cost of living

Your application will then be assessed. Do make sure that you provide an email address in your application, otherwise the ASEAN Youth Foundation won’t be able to contact you if you’re eligible for the grant!

Training Support

Extra $500 SkillsFuture Credits

For all Singaporeans aged 25 or older as of 31 December 2020, you’ll get an extra $500 SkillsFuture Credits to spend on SkillsFuture-approved courses.

You can start using these credits from 1 October 2020. But don’t take too long to use them—they’ll expire on 31 December 2025!

With a whole range of SkillsFuture-approved courses available, from digital marketing courses to data analytics to design thinking, this is a good chance to upgrade yourself—for free.

How to apply for a SkillsFuture-approved course

Head over to the MySkillsFuture website to start sign up for courses of your choice!

Training allowance of $10/hour

Self-employed persons who attend SkillsFuture Series courses, or certain sector-specific courses, will get a training allowance under an NTUC Training Fund (SEPs). As its name suggests, this fund is managed by NTUC and runs from 1 May 2020 until 31 March 2021.

The SkillsFuture Series is a curated series of courses aimed to equip Singaporeans with skills needed to remain relevant in the future.

Course categories include finance, digital media and entrepreneurship and the courses have 3 difficulty levels.

As of 1 May 2020, the training allowance is $10/hour. The scheme will run until 31 May 2021.

How to apply for the training allowance

First, apply for a Letter of Eligibility from NTUC’s e2i. You will need to provide certain supporting documents when applying, such as your Notice of Assessment for FY2020.

Then, apply for your course using your Letter of Eligibility. After you’ve completed your course, submit a claims form using this link. You’ll also need to submit supporting documents, such as a Training Certification Slip endorsed by your course provider.

You’ll have to submit your documents within 30 working days of completing your course, and by 31 May 2021.

The training allowance will be disbursed directly to your bank account within 30 days of submission if everything is in order.

For more information on the application process, refer to the e2i website.

Leave of Absence / Stay-Home Notice / Quarantine Allowances

$100 daily allowance for your Leave of Absence/Stay-Home Notice duration

If you’re a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident self-employed person who has been to one of the countries hardest-hit by COVID-19, you may be required to serve a Leave of Absence or Stay-Home Notice upon coming back to Singapore.

If so, you can claim $100 per day for the duration of your Leave of Absence or Stay-Home Notice.

How to apply for the Leave of Absence/Stay-Home Notice allowance

Before you apply, check that you’re actually eligible for this allowance first.

That’s because if you’ve travelled to an affected country after a certain date, you may not be eligible for the allowance.

For example, self-employed persons from the healthcare, education and eldercare sectors who travelled to mainland China are not eligible if they had travelled to mainland China after 28 January 2020.

On the other hand, self-employed persons from all other sectors are only not eligible for the allowance if they had travelled to mainland China after 31 January 2020. For more information on the eligible countries and cut-off dates, refer to the Ministry of Manpower’s website.

If you’re eligible, great! After you have finished serving your Leave of Absence or Stay-Home Notice, apply for your allowance through this form.

When applying for the allowance, you’ll need to provide these supporting documents:

• Your income tax returns or Notice of Assessment for YA2020 (to prove your self-employed status)
• Your proof of travel to the affected areas (e.g. your air ticket or boarding pass to that area)

You’ll have to apply within 90 days of serving your last day of Leave of Absence or Stay-Home Notice. But unless you forget, you probably won’t take that long to submit your application.

(So make sure you don’t forget.)

$100 daily allowance if you’re under quarantine

Self-employed Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who have been served Quarantine Orders after coming into close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases can claim an allowance of $100 per day of quarantine.

To qualify for the allowance, you’ll have to:

• Show proof of your employment; and
• Comply with the Quarantine Order (i.e. staying put at your designated location. No going out for any reason!)

How to apply for the quarantine allowance

After completing your quarantine, you will receive a Quarantine Allowance Order form.

Fill in the form and submit it to the Ministry of Health.

Courage Fund: $500 to $1,000 cash for income loss after a household member is being isolated or contracts COVID-19

Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents can apply for cash relief under the Courage Fund if all of the following requirements are met:

• At least one member of the household (including themselves) has been required to serve out a Leave of Absence, Stay-Home Notice, Quarantine Order or Isolation Order, or has been hospitalised after contracting COVID-19 before 24 May 2022
• The household has a monthly income not exceeding $6,200, or a monthly per capita income not exceeding $2,000
• As a result of the household member being isolated or contracting COVID-19, the household experienced at least a 10% loss in income

The amount of cash relief awarded depends on the household’s income level after being impacted by COVID-19:

How to apply for the cash relief

The cash relief can be applied for from 6 April 2020 onwards. However, you need to apply either:

• Within 6 months from the end of your isolation order or hospitalisation from contracting COVID-19, or
• By 24 November 2022 at 11.59pm,

whichever is earlier.

To apply, prepare the following documents and submit your application using this online form:

• NRIC
• Documentary proof that the household member was isolated or contracted COVID-19
• Documentary proof that your household suffered income loss due to COVID-19
• Copy of your bank statement (for crediting the cash relief to your bank account)

Business Operations

25% corporate tax rebate for YA2020

If you’ve registered a company for your business, your company is entitled to a 25% corporate tax rebate for YA2020. This rebate is capped at $15,000.

How to apply for the corporate tax rebate

You don’t need to.

Just file your Estimated Chargeable Income and income tax return form (Form C-S or Form C, whichever applies to your company) as per normal.

IRAS will automatically apply the rebate when you have to pay the tax.

3-month income tax deferral

Self-employed persons and freelancers will have their personal income tax payments deferred by 3 months.

This means that if you were originally supposed to pay your income tax between May 2020 and July 2020, you will now only have to pay it between August 2020 and November 2020.

The same applies if you had registered a company for your business—your company will have its corporate tax payment deferred by 3 months. Collection of payment will start from July 2020 onwards.

Jobs Support Scheme: Up to 75% wage support for self-employed persons who are employees and shareholder-directors of their own company

If you have registered a company for your freelance or self-employed business, and you are a shareholder, director and employee of your company, you may qualify for the Jobs Support Scheme. Under this scheme, you’ll get a:

• 75% cash grant for your gross monthly wages for April and May 2020 (2 months);
• 25% cash grant for the same for the wages paid/payable in October to December 2019, February and March 2020, and June to August 2020 (for a total of 8 months); and a
• 0–60% cash grant for the same for wages paid/payable from September 2020 to 19 December 2021 (10 months), depending on the sector your business is in.

You will be considered an employee of your company if you are have been paying yourself a monthly salary which includes the payment of employer and employee CPF contributions. This monthly salary is not the same as the director’s fee that you may be paying yourself as your company’s director.

“Gross monthly wages” refer to the monthly salary paid to employees which includes the employee CPF contribution portion, but not the employer CPF contribution portion.

To qualify for the wage support:

• Your company needs to have been registered on or before 20 April 2020
• Your employee salary cannot have exceeded $100,000 in YA2019

How to receive the wage support

You don’t need to apply for the wage support as you’ll get it automatically. If you’re eligible, IRAS will mail you a letter stating how much wage support you’ll be getting.

You’ll receive all 20 months’ worth of wage support in 9 rounds, during the months of April 2020, May 2020, July 2020, October 2020, March 2021, June 2021, September 2021, December 2021 and January 2022.

If you missed out on the April 2020 payment because the Jobs Support Scheme didn’t apply to you then, this payment will be made to you during the May 2020 round of payment.

For more information on how the payment amounts will be calculated for each round of payment, check out this IRAS webpage.

Medisave Contributions

Opting for a longer Medisave instalment plan

Self-employed Medisave contribution instalment plans typically run for 12 months. But if money is tight and you need to reduce your monthly instalment amounts, you can opt for a longer Medisave instalment plan of 15 months.

How to opt for a longer Medisave instalment plan

Log into my cpf online services, then click on “My Self-Employed Home” on the left menu followed by “My MediSave Contribution” on the right.

If you’ve signed up for a Medisave instalment plan, you’ll see an option for you to “Change Instalment Plan”.

Sector-Specific Measures

Apart from the above measures, you might also qualify for extra support depending on which industry sector you’re part of.

Click on the relevant tab below to learn more!

Hang in There!

As of 2023, Singapore has more or less moved on from the COVID-19 situation. Most of the COVID-19 support measures for Singapore freelancers and self-employed persons have likewise also been ended.

Currently, the only support measure still available is the COVID-19 Recovery Grant. If you need the support, you have until 31 December 2023 to apply for it.

Is any support measure you know missing from this list? Get in touch!