262,000 EMPLOYEES RECEIVE WORKFARE INCOME SUPPLEMENTS FOR WORK DONE IN 2007

24 March 2008

The Government will make the second Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payment to employees on 1 April 2008, disbursing a total of $149 million. Together with the first WIS payment in January 20081, a total of 262,000 employees will receive WIS totalling $272 million for work done in 2007. 2.   Similar to the first WIS payment made on 1 January 2008, employees will receive their second WIS payment in both CPF and cash. The cash portion will be credited into their bank account as specified under the GST Credits scheme. A cheque will be issued if no bank account is specified. 3.   Self-employed persons and informal workers will receive their second WIS payment on 1 May 2008. Self-employed persons (SEPs) or informal workers who worked in 2007, but who have yet to register or make their Medisave contributions, may still receive their full WIS in May 2008 if they register, declare their income and make their Medisave contributions by 31 March 2008. (Please see Annex A for details.) 4.   SEPs and informal workers who declare their income and make their contributions for work done in 2007 after 31 March 2008 will receive their WIS after May 2008. 1The first WIS payment made on 1 January 2008 was a provisional payment. 287,000 workers received WIS, comprising 233,000 employees and 54,000 self employed/informal workers. Outreach Events to Facilitate Registration and Medisave Contributions for Self-employed Persons and Informal Workers 5.   To facilitate registration and Medisave contributions by SEPs and informal workers, the Ministry of Manpower and the Central Provident Fund Board have been organising community outreach events. SEPs and informal workers who qualify for WIS may visit the events to register and make Medisave contributions. (Please see Annex B for list of upcoming outreach events.) 6.   We encourage SEPs and informal workers earning less than $1,500 per month to register for WIS and enjoy its benefits. SEPs need only pay their 2007 Medisave liability to receive WIS. For low wage SEPs, the contribution rates have been reduced to as low as 2.5%, and payments can be made in instalments and at many locations. Contact Information 7.   Information on the WIS scheme can be found at www.wis.sg. Queries can also be addressed to CPF Board via: Email at wis@cpf.gov.sg Hotline number at 1800-2222-888 (Mon-Fri: 8am – 6pm)

Annex A ACTION STEPS FOR SELF-EMPLOYED AND INFORMAL WORKERS TO RECEIVE WORKFARE INCOME SUPPLEMENTS Step 1: Register with the CPF Board Register with the CPF Board at any Singapore Post branch or any of the 5 CPF Service Centres. Applicants will need to produce their NRIC and fill in a simple form (Applicants who have already registered with the CPF Board as self-employed workers need not register again). Step 2: Declare income with IRAS or CPF Board SEPs and informal workers will receive an Income Tax Return from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) or a letter from CPF Board in March 2008 requesting that they declare their Year 2007 income. Step 3: Contribute to Medisave SEPs and informal workers have to contribute to Medisave in order to qualify for WIS. Contributions can be made through the following channels: i.   Singapore Post branches; ii.  NETs/Cashcard at AXS machines; iii. Cheque made payable to CPF Board at any of the 5 CPF Board Service     Centres; and iv. E-payment at www.cpf.gov.sg, using a DBS/UOB/Citibank Internet     Banking account.   Annex B LIST OF UPCOMING OUTREACH EVENTS FOR WIS REGISTRATION AND MEDISAVE CONTRIBUTION (FOR SELF-EMPLOYED PERSONS AND INFORMAL WORKERS ONLY) MARCH 28 March (3-9pm) Kallang CC 29 March (11am-4pm) 30 March (11am-4pm) Toa Payoh Central CC 31 March (3-9pm) APRIL 4 April (3-9pm) Pasir Ris East CC 5 April (11am-4pm) 6 April (11am-4pm) Seng Kang CC 7 April (3-9pm) 11 April (3-9pm) Paya Lebar-Kovan CC 12 April (11am-4pm) 13 April (10am-4pm) Ang Mo Kio HDB Hub 18 April (3-9pm) Nee Soon East CC 19 April (11am-4pm)