... If this is truly beneficial, people will not hesitate to sign up...
... seriously, for those low income self-employed, do you think they make enough to contribute voluntarily into their Medisave account???
... I say this WIS thing is more a financial burden than a supplementary one!!
Many casual workers, self-employed still not on Workfare
Jeremy Au Yong
Tue, Jan 22, 2008
The Straits Times
OVER 100,000 low-wage casual workers and the self-employed, who could be eligible for Government income supplements, have not registered for it.
In fact, they outnumber those who have by two to one.
The large group still falling through the cracks was revealed in Parliament on Tuesday by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower) Hawazi Daipi.
Answering a question from Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong about the few such workers coming forward, he said: 'It is true that quite a large number of workers, casual workers or self-employed have not signed up for the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS).'
'Only 54,000 such workers received WIS compared to 160,000 workers who received Workfare bonus the year before.'
The WIS scheme replaces the one-off Workfare Bonus that was given to workers aged 40 and above and who earned $1,500 and below.
However, unlike the bonus, casual workers and the self-employed need to fulfil their Medisave liabilities before being eligible for payments.
Mr Hawazi stressed that the Manpower Ministry(MOM) had tried various efforts to encourage this group to sign up and they do not know why there is such a low take-up rate
... take for example a real life case, wherein an individual who has only recently started doing his own small business and who makes an average of around $2000 per month. This amount goes to caring for his aged parents, as well as household bills & daily meals. One day, after submitting his Income Tax Returns online, he was notified by CPF that he owes more than S$3,000.00 to his Medisave account. After much arguments and talks with his MP, he is still made to pay a monthly amount of $50 for 58 instalments...
... then he was recently sent a notice that he received S$300.00 as WIS, but, this entire amount was immediately entered into his Medisave, but which does not off-set the S$3,000.00 plus that he was alleged to have owed...
... tell me, who the hell would want this sort of financial burden???
... Supplement? I think it is more a bloody BURDEN!
My reason was that I didn't know.
I wasn't reading the papers, I wasn't watching television, my nose was to the grinder and my eyes were shut to keep out the sparks.
I only found out after the fact that I had missed the deadline.
Later I was sent a letter and I went and registered immediately.
Edited: Sorry, my example was for the one time refund thing.