The COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) provides temporary financial support to workers in lower- to middle-income households who experienced involuntary job loss, involuntary no-pay leave (NPL) or income loss due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

Applications will be open from 9am to 10pm daily, starting 18 January 2021.

• Eligibility Criteria
• Assistance Provided
• How to Apply
• Processing Time
• Supporting Documents Required
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Infographics (English, 中文, Melayu, தமிழ்)

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should fulfil the following criteria:

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Assistance Provided

The financial support provided by CRG will be as follows:

Up to $700 per month for three months to employees who at the point of application are:

• Unemployed due to retrenchment or involuntary contract termination; or
• Placed on involuntary no-pay leave (NPL) for at least three consecutive months.

Up to $500 per month for three months to:

• Employees who are facing salary loss of at least 50% on average for at least three consecutive months at the point of application; and
• SEPs who are facing an average loss in net trade income (NTI) of at least 50% over a period of at least three consecutive months at the point of application, compared to their average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020.

The job loss, involuntary NPL, or income loss should have occurred after 23 January 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Singapore.

Assistance will be credited directly into the successful applicant’s bank account every month for three months, following approval.
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How to Apply

Applications are open from 18 January 2021 – 31 December 2021, 9am to 10pm daily (including weekends and public holidays).

Those who need help filling in the online application form can call the ComCare Call hotline (1800-222-0000) or email [email protected] for assistance. Those who are not able to apply online can visit their nearest Social Service Office ((go.gov.sg/ssolocator) for assistance.
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Processing Time

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of his/her application via SMS in about 2 weeks, upon submission of all required supporting documents.

We expect an initial influx of applications and seek your understanding if the processing time for applications is longer at the beginning of the scheme.
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Supporting Documents Required

Applicants need to submit all of the following supporting documents:

• Documents on bank account details for fund disbursement.
• [For employees] Relevant documents indicating involuntary loss of job, placement on involuntary no-pay leave (NPL) or income loss, including:
  • A letter of retrenchment/termination of contract; or
  • A letter from employer stating placement on involuntary NPL for at least three consecutive months; or
  • A letter from employer indicating an average monthly salary loss of at least 50% for at least three consecutive months; or
  • Payslip(s) or CPF contribution statement(s) showing last drawn monthly salary before and after the job loss, placement on involuntary NPL or salary loss.
• [For self-employed persons]: Relevant documents indicating that you are working as a self-employed person e.g. valid trade licence(s), contracts for service, income statements, tax invoices billed to service buyers, receipts issued for services, or list of client engagements.
• Relevant documents indicating your active participation in job search or training e.g. confirmation of application for training via Government touchpoints. The documents should minimally indicate:
  • Your name; and
  • Date of application; and
  • The name of the company/employer that you applied or interviewed at, or the training provider and course title of the training that you attended.

[For self-employed persons]: In lieu of job search or training, you may submit relevant supporting evidence of your attempts to reach out to clients/business (e.g. pivoting business to cater to wider target audience, actors attending auditions, putting up advertisements to solicit for business) in the 2 months before your application.

Supporting Documents for Job Search/ Training Efforts:

• Traineeships and attachments refer to opportunities under the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathway Programme-Company Attachments. Individuals can apply for these opportunities through the MyCareersFuture portal.
• Training programmes include SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme – Company Training, SGUnited Skills Programme, and other SkillsFuture-supported courses. These training programmes can be found on the MySkillsFuture portal, and interested individuals can approach the respective training providers listed to apply for courses.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Top FAQs:

1. When must the job/income loss occur for an applicant to be eligible for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant?
   Applicants who suffered job/income loss or NPL after 23 January 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Singapore, and meet the other eligibility criteria can apply for the CRG.
2. Are Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) eligible for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)?
   The CRG supports SEPs who have experienced at least 50% Net Trade Income (NTI) loss on average for at least three consecutive months compared to their average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020. SEP applicants must also meet the other eligibility criteria.
3. Are past COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG)/Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) recipients eligible for the new COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)?
   • Past recipients of CSG/SIRS can apply for the CRG if they continue to require assistance.
   • An existing CSG recipient who is currently receiving payouts from CSG and continues to require assistance can apply for the CRG from the last month of his/her CSG payout. If approved, their CRG grants will commence only after the cessation of their CSG payments.
   • The CRG is a new assistance scheme with a different set of eligibility criteria. Applicants for CRG will have to submit the necessary supporting documents and meet the eligibility criteria in order to qualify for assistance under CRG.
4. Are existing COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) recipients eligible for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)?
   An existing CSG recipient who is currently receiving payouts from CSG and continues to require assistance can apply for the CRG from the last month of his/her CSG payout, if he/she meets the eligibility criteria for CRG.
5. Are ComCare beneficiaries eligible for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant?
   • No, ComCare beneficiaries will continue to receive comprehensive support for their basic living expenses, including cash assistance, assistance with household bills, and assistance with medical bills. CRG has the same purpose of providing support.
   • Families on ComCare whose circumstances have changed during the COVID-19 situation may also approach SSOs for a review of their current ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance.
6. If an applicant is living in a property that has an Annual Value (AV) of more than $21,000, but the applicant does not own the property, does he/she meet the AV criterion?
   • To be eligible for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant, the registered (NRIC) address of the applicant cannot be a property with an AV of more than $21,000.
   • The AV of a property is used as a proxy for wealth and family support, to reflect the range of resources an individual can tap on.
   • If an applicant is no longer living at the indicated address, he/she should update NRIC address via ICA online service or the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) with the required documents.
7. How can SEPs who intend to remain in their sector fulfil the job search/training criteria?
   SEPs may:
   • Take up training courses that are relevant to their sectors available on Government-linked sites like the MySkillsFuture portal and MyCareersFuture Virtual Career Fair webpage;
   • Submit emails and screenshots of applications made for assignments relevant to their sectors and trades (e.g. applying for gigs and contracts, finding new clients etc.) as proof of job search; or
   • Submit supporting evidence of attempts to improve their business revenue or search for new clients/business opportunities in lieu of job search or training (e.g. pivoting business to cater to wider target audience, actors attending auditions, putting up advertisements to solicit for business)
8. When will one know the outcome of his/her application for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)? How will they be notified?
   • We aim to process your application in about two weeks, if all the required supporting documents have been submitted and are in order. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of his/her application via SMS.
   • We expect an initial influx of applications and seek your understanding if the processing time for applications is longer at the beginning of the scheme. Individuals can apply for the CRG online from 9am to 10pm daily (including weekends and public holidays), from 18 Jan to 31 Dec 2021. There is no need to rush to apply.
   • If applicants have yet to receive a SMS after about two weeks from submission of application with all the necessary supporting documents for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant, applicants can check on the status of their application through the application portal, or email [email protected] or call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 to enquire.
9. When is the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) payout date?
   The payout in the first month is typically disbursed seven calendar days from the day the application is approved. For the subsequent two months (CRG is for three months of assistance), it will usually be by the 4^th of the month.
10. If applicants need help to apply online for the COVID-19 Recovery Grant, who can they approach?
    Applicants can call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000 for assistance. If they are unable to call, they can approach their nearest SSO (go.gov.sg/ssolocator) which will guide them through the online application form.

Can’t find an answer to your questions? Click here for more FAQs.
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Infographics

中文, Melayu, தமிழ்