940,000 HDB households to receive GST voucher rebate for utilities bills this month

SINGAPORE — A total of 940,000 Singaporean households living in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats will receive the next instalment of the GST Voucher U-Save rebate this month, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Sunday (Oct 4).

Of those households, about 155,000 larger families with five or more members will receive 2.5 times their regular U-Save rebates in the 2020 financial year, said MOF in a press release.

This is the third U-Save payment this financial year, with the first two payments made in April and July.

In total, all Singaporean HDB households will receive double their regular U-Save rebates this financial year, said MOF.

Normally, households in one- and two-room HDB flats receive annual U-Save rebates that work out to about three to four months of their utilities bills.

Together with the U-Save Special Payment given earlier this year, those households will receive rebates equivalent to at least six to eight months of their utilities bills, said MOF.

Households in three- and four-room HDB flats normally receive support equivalent to about one to two months of utilities bills. They will now get support that is equivalent to at least two to four months of their bills.

The permanent GST Voucher scheme was introduced in 2012 to help lower- and middle-income households offset part of their utilities bill and lower their household expenses.

The voucher comprises three components: Cash, MediSave and U-Save.

The regular U-Save rebates are disbursed every three months. The additional rebates are part of the Government's Care and Support Package announced as part of Budget 2020.

In all, the Government will disburse S$630 million of U-Save rebates this financial year.

Separately, all Singaporean households — including those who do not live in HDB flats — would have received S$100 in Solidarity Utilities Credit for their July or August utilities bill.

"With greater job uncertainty, households are understandably concerned about expenses," said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in a Facebook post on Sunday.

"I hope these additional support goes some way in helping our households cope in these difficult times." CNA

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