Not too long ago, Deliveroo, Food Panda, GrabFood and the likes did not exist and today, I’m sure many of us can’t imagine living without this essential service. Bubble tea in a few clicks? Yes, please. Food delivery platforms in Singapore have seen a spike in rider signups following the start of 2020, and demand…
Month: August 2021
Undeterred by dementia, 71-year-old Auntie Susan works at a coffee shop to keep active
Auntie Susan is a familiar face at a coffee shop in Punggol. This coffee shop, which is also known for its soy sauce chicken, is where she can be spotted on a daily basis clearing tables while talking up a storm with the coffee shop regulars. At 71, Auntie Susan is a proponent of active…
69% drop in household income from work for poor families in Singapore last year.
Singapore’s unemployment rate reached a 16-year high in 2020 and retrenchments doubled from 2019. For many, Circuit Breaker 2020 and Phase 2 Heightened Alert 2021 = drastic drop in come or even no income. A study by Beyond Social Services with more than 1,000 applicants of Beyond’s Financial Assistance Fund (FAF) conducted last year revealed…
Providing better safeguards for freelancers and the self-employed
Recently, there was an announcement about lower-wage self-employed people (SEPs) having to contribute to their Medisave to qualify for government payouts. Under the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme, eligible lower-wage workers, including those who are self-employed and freelancers, get up to $2667 in Workfare payouts a year. To benefit from Workfare, all lower-wage employees and…