Times have been hard for many Singaporeans with the Covid-19 situation. With two school-going children, Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union member Ananthi D/O Tharumarajoo, 42, is thankful to be able to receive $300 worth of e-vouchers through a new $6 million care and support programme launched by NTUC – NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers). She has planned to use most of it for her children’s school supplies.
Ananthi is one beneficiary who auto-qualifies for the programme that was announced on 24th July 2020. The programme will help low-income union members with daily expenses amidst the economic downturn. Support as such aims to lessens the worries of low-income union members during such difficult times.
The NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) programme offers eligible union members up to $100 worth of assistance on daily essentials and schools supplies, with an additional $100 for every eligible school-going child.
The vouchers can be used to offset the cost of purchases at merchants such as NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets and participating school bookshops. Approximately 29,000 members will benefit from the programme, which will run every year.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng shared that the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) remains prepared to support workers amid these challenging times by protecting every worker, preserving jobs for all and providing care and support for those in need in his National Day message yesterday .
NTUC-U Care Fund is launching a new programme!Titled NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers), the programme aims to help defray…
Posted by U Care on Thursday, 23 July 2020
The NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) is another care and support programme that comes after the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) launched in March when the pandemic situation intensified. The NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19) provides one-off cash relief for eligible NTUC union members whose incomes have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.
Over the decades and especially during such tough times, NTUC has been relentless in rolling out initiatives to do their part to provide relief for members in need. The e-vouchers will help members stretch their dollar on basic necessities. Because every cent counts.
$50 million support package by NTUC Enterprise
On top of these, NTUC Enterprise has also launched a $50 million package in June 2020 that comprises new deals for NTUC Union Members, extension of various discounts and Covid-19 related support measures. All these reaffirm the commitment of NTUC Enterprise to support Singaporeans and help them manage the cost of living. The support package comprises various initiatives from its group of social enterprises.
A reduced price $1 Breakfast Set for NTUC Union Members and $1.50 for the public is now available at all NTUC Foodfare and Kopitiam food courts and coffee shops, from 7-11am. This promotion is ongoing and will be available till 31 August 2020.
To help with the cost of living pressures, NTUC Enterprise is extending several discounts and programmes for another six months to extend support to all households, seniors and NTUC Union Members. Over the years, the FairPrice housebrand range of products has helped defray daily expenses for Singaporeans. NTUC FairPrice will continue to freeze prices of 100 housebrand daily essentials until 31 December 2020. These include groceries like rice, oil, as well as toiletries. During the current volatile climate, this helps cushion Singaporeans against potential price increases.
To provide more cost savings to seniors, NTUC Enterprise and its group of social enterprises will extend the validity of its various programmes that have been much appreciated by seniors. At NTUC FairPrice, the Merdeka Generation, Pioneer Generation and Senior Citizens will continue to enjoy their discounts from Monday to Wednesday until the end of the year.
Another popular and thoughtful initiative is the FairPrice on Wheels launched in April 2020 to bring daily essentials closer to seniors – to reduce their time outdoors. The community initiative features no-frills mobile grocery vans providing basic essential items at selected mature estates with a higher concentration of low-income seniors. Talk about nostalgia!
It is truly heartening that the welfare of seniors and communities that are struggling is being taken care of during such difficult times!