SINGAPORE — A total of 594,206 applications had been made for the Temporary Relief Fund, while 3,951 people had returned payouts from the fund as of April 30, Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, said in Parliament on Monday (May 4).

Mr Tan said that the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is working closely with the police to investigate potentially fraudulent claims under the fund — a one-off S$500 payment to lower- to middle-income Singaporeans and permanent residents facing job or income loss during the Covid-19 crisis.

“Where individuals returned their cheques or payouts, this will be a mitigating factor in our assessment of fraudulent claims. Individuals should return their cheques or payouts by the end of May 2020,” said Mr Tan.

He was responding to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) for Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Cheng Li Hui.

Abuse of the fund may constitute an offence of cheating, which is punishable by a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

MSF and the police said in mid-April that a 41-year-old man was being investigated for possible abuse of the fund. The police said on Monday that investigations are ongoing.

MSF had also said in April that some people returning the S$500 payment had submitted incorrect information, while others said that they no longer needed the extra support.

Some of them were initially told that they would be retrenched or placed on no-pay leave by their employers, but had since been able to retain their jobs or their salaries because of the Jobs Support Scheme.

Applications for the fund, which were announced as part of the Resilience Budget in March, closed on April 30.

Applications opened on April 1 at social service offices and community centres, and online on April 6.