Up to 400,000 needy families to get $50 vouchers
Up to 400,000 lower-income households will be receiving $50 worth of vouchers that they can use to defray household expenses and at the same time support local businesses.
This comes under an extension of the Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme that was launched last June.
At Bedok Community Centre yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that a second tranche of $20 million would be given out through the scheme.
"During this challenging period, household expenses will continue to weigh on the minds of less well-off families. So we have decided to commit an additional $20 million for a second tranche of vouchers," said Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister.
"We hope that the vouchers will continue to help families in need."
The vouchers, which come in $2 denominations, can be used to redeem food as well as essential goods and services at more than 8,100 participating heartland merchant shops and hawker stalls.
The first tranche was announced last June and that batch of vouchers had to be used by Dec 31 last year. About 338,000 households collected the vouchers.
The second tranche of vouchers can be collected from designated community clubs and centres from Feb 8 and will be valid till Sept 30.
Each eligible household, identified through government help schemes, will receive a notification letter indicating a date of collection.
The letter and NRIC must be taken to the collection point.
The scheme is funded by the $75 million worth of grants that Mr Heng had announced for the CDCs as part of last year's Budgets. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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