NTUC-U Care Fund adjusts income criteria for vouchers
SINGAPORE — NTUC-U Care Fund has revised its income eligibility criteria for its two assistance programmes, U Stretch Voucher and U Care Back to School Voucher. This is to benefit more union members this year, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said in a news release yesterday.
SINGAPORE — NTUC-U Care Fund has revised its income eligibility criteria for its two assistance programmes, U Stretch Voucher and U Care Back to School Voucher. This is to benefit more union members this year, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said in a news release yesterday.
The U Care Fund was established in 2009 to help low-income union members and their families.
With the revised criteria that kicks in today, eligible union members who have dependents in the same household, and who have a total monthly gross household income of S$3,400 and below — or per capita income of S$850 and below — may apply for the vouchers under the programmes. Previously, the total monthly gross household income was capped at S$3,000, and the per capita income at S$750.
For members without dependents in the same Singapore household applying for the U Stretch vouchers, the monthly gross personal income ceiling has been raised from S$1,450 to S$1,500.
Subject to final donations and applications, NTUC is setting aside S$2.67 million worth of U Stretch vouchers to potentially help 31,500 members defray the cost of their daily living expenses, and S$3.8 million worth of U Care Back to School vouchers to support school-going children of 30,400 members.
Donations to the NTUC-U Care Fund come from the Singapore Labour Foundation, NTUC-affiliated unions and associations, tripartite partners, corporations and individuals, among others.
Each U Stretch voucher shaves S$2.50 off every S$5 bill at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, NTUC Foodfare food courts and coffee shops, as well as NTUC Unity pharmacies.
A booklet of U Care Back To School vouchers worth about S$125 for each child can be used to buy school-related items from authorised school bookshops and Bata shoe stores, for instance.
Last year, more than 21,000 union members received U Stretch vouchers while 24,000 school-going children received U Care Back to School vouchers.
Eligible union members have until July 15 to apply for both vouchers online at www.ntuc.org.sg/ucare/apply, or they may call 6213 8008. The vouchers will expire at the end of April next year.