The month of April 2025 will see the new launch of a financial help scheme, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme. The temporary financial relief will be available to those whose jobs were terminated involuntarily while job hunting. The scheme pays a sum of up to $6,000 for up to six months.
What Is the Scheme for the $6,000 Payout?
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme is meant to lend support to unemployed Singapore residents in between jobs. The government estimates that around 60,000 people may benefit from the support in a year. The main aim is to provide space for income support during their time of transition and encourage activities toward job search.
Who Qualifies?
Various criteria must be met in order for applicants to qualify for this support scheme:
- Applicants must be Singapore citizens aged 21 and above with Permanent Residence to become eligible for the scheme in early 2026.
- The applicant’s average monthly income for the 12 months prior to the application must be less than $5,000, excluding employer CPF contributions.
- The applicant should have worked in Singapore for at least six months within the 12 months before the application.
- Applications must be filled by persons laid off involuntarily. This includes those who were retrenched, whose businesses ceased operations, or who were terminated on medical grounds: illness, injury, or accident.
- Applicants must live in premises with an annual value of not more than $31,000. This ensures that support is targeted at middle- or lower-income households.
- Those who received this payout three years prior are disqualified for an additional payout.
On top of that, there is a one-time concession where those rendered involuntarily unemployed on or after April 1, 2024, and retaining that status when the scheme is launched in April 2025 will enjoy this concession, which would allow them to qualify even if they don’t satisfy the normal requirement of six-month work experience.
How Much Will You Get Now?
Persons who are eligible will receive up to a total of $6,000 for a period of six months. It is a tiered payout that will reduce gradually. The breakdown is as follows:
- During the first month, a sum of $1,500 will be given.
- During the second month, the sum will be $1,250.
- During the third month, the amount to be dispersed will equal $1,000.
- The next amount is $750 during each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth months.
Nevertheless, the payout will be capped at the average monthly income of that person immediately before the unemployment period. For instance, if someone before his unemployment earned $1,200 per month, he will earn $1,200 in the first and second months instead of $1,500 and $1,250, and in the third month, he will earn $1,000 and $750 in the consecutive months.
In case a person secures employment before the end of six months, the payouts are terminated from the month of job commencement.
What Must You Do To Receive That Money?
It is not really free money. Beneficiaries are required to engage actively in various job search activities, which include applying for jobs, attending career coaching sessions, enrolling in training, or attending job preparatory workshops.
Before being able to receive the first payout from this scheme, a person must be unemployed for at least one calendar month since the last employment.
When and How to Apply?
The scheme will go live in April 2025, but exact details on the application will be given closer to that date. Eligible applicants will be able to apply for assistance from the launch itself, while Permanent Residents will have to wait until early 2026.
Until then, other options for immediate assistance may include the ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance, the Assurance Package, and CDC Vouchers.
Final Thoughts
With the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, the safety net in Singapore has stretched with a credible and exciting offering of income and structured support to those who will soon be back in the workforce. More detailed information about how to apply will unfold as the date nears.
Whether you just lost your job or you know someone suffering the effects of unemployment, this assistance could provide much-needed relief in tough times.