More NTUC members benefit from U Care Fund

This post came out from The Straits Times (30 November 2015)

More workers received support from the labour movement this year, which gave out $9.1 million to low income union members and their families. This is an increase from the $8.75 million given out lst year through assistance programmes under the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) U Care Fund. There are more than 880,000 NTUC members.

The rise in disbursed funds may be due to factors such as more members receiving U Stretch vouchers, which support low income families, according to Ms Phyllis Lim, deputy director of the NTUC Care and Share department, which handles fund-raising and assistance programmes.

Some 24,922 members received the vouchers this year, around 500 more than last year. The value of its Family Recreation & Fun Carnival package was increased from $100 to $150. It follows a review of qualifying criteria under the U Care Fund this year, which could have contributed to the slight increase in U Stretch voucher recipients, according to Mr Zainal Sapari, NTUC assistance secretary-general.

To be eligible, members should have a gross monthly household income of not more than $3,000, up from $2,800. When the gross household income exceed $3,000, members can apply if their per capita income does not exceed $750, up from $725. The gross personal income ceiling for members without dependents in the same household rose to $1,450 from $1,400. The reviewed criteria are pegged to the bottom 20 per cent of household income.

NTUC reviews the criteria each year, in line with trends, to stay relevant. It also considers appeals on a case by case basis to extend the help to as many low income members as possible.

Thoughts:

1. I sometimes wonder if the increase in recipients is a good sign or not. It can mean better outreach and awareness, or easier to apply for those who are in need. It can also mean that more people actually are in need of help and come forth to apply. It is hard to actually decipher the underlying cause. 

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

NTUC Income programme helps poly student who works to support family after father's death

This post came out from The New Paper (28 July 2015)

Hari Raya is a time when Muslims come together to enjoy the month-long celebrations. But for MR Syaryan Ruzaini, 19, the month opens up old wounds. Last year, during the third week of the festive period, his father, MrAhmad Ruzizad Mohammad Isa, died from heart attack. He was 47.

The loss of his family's sole breadwinner meant Mr Syaryan, a first year nursing student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), had to work on weekends, time that he could spend on his studies.

Then NTUC Income stepped in. Under its new Future Development Programme, Mr Syaryan will receive a bursary of $3,000 a year to help with his family's expenses.

This programme is designed to help needy students from the polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) with school fees and living expenses, so they can focus on their education. 1,000 needy students from polytechnics will receive $3,000 annually while those from ITE will each receive $1,800. These bursaries will be given over out over three years. Students whose monthly per capita income is below $560 are eligible for the bursary and can apply through their respective schools.

NTUC Income will also offer financial literacy lessons and provide internships and contract jobs to the students to help in their personal and career development.


Thoughts:

1. A bursary that comes with financial literacy lessons and opportunities for internship is very helpful for low income families! Students from such families tend to have lesser social mobility and exposure to connections that can be useful for their employment opportunities. This move will therefore help these students get a head start, and hopefully reduce the cycle of low income from repeating!

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

NTUC teams up with mosques to help low income workers

This post came out from The Straits Times (24 June 2015)

Mosques will play a key role in the NTUC U Care Centre's (UCC) push to inform low income workers in the Malay/Muslim community about employment rights and training opportunities. The centre will team up with Singapore mosques to customise programmes and hold workshops for these workers.

UCC director Zanial Sapari said Malay/Muslim workers form fewer than 10 per cent of participants at employment seminars and roadshows. "So we've decided to take a more targeted approach by going to places where there will be many of them", he said. The centre, he added, aims to reach out to 10,000 low wage workers in the Malay/Muslim community this year.

Programmes on the cards include talks at mosques on issue like employment rights, and training youth volunteers and those in the Mosque Befrienders Scheme to explain these issues when they visit low wage workers.

Thoughts:

1. It is interesting to note that how the unions are reaching out via the mosques to engage a critical mass of a particular community. I think this is an innovative approach, and shows how the religious and secular parties can work together to benefit the community. 

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big

Applications for NTUC assistance programmes open today

This post came out from Today (15 June 2015)

Applications open today for two assistance programmes run by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) - U Stretch and U Care Back to School.

The income criteria for both programmes, which are to help with the costs of basic necessities and school supplies respectively, were increased this year. In total, more than S$6.4 million has been set aside this year.

Successful applicants who have dependents staying in the same household will get S$100 worth of U Stretch Vouchers and S$125 worth of U Care Back To School Vouchers for each eligible school-going child. Otherwise, they will get S$50 worth of U Stretch Vouchers.

Members can apply at www.ntuc.org.sg/ucare/apply or via application forms available at their unions. Queries can be directed to the NTUC Hotline at 6213 8008.

Thoughts:

1. I didn't know that Unions do this much for their members! Well, this is really something new to me.
2. Then again, if you are not a union member, you will miss this out. I would have thought NTUC is meant for all Singaporeans!

Thoughts anyone?

Yours,

Something Small Thinking Big