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More to benefit from Sinda after widening of eligibility criteria for support

2024-01-21 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - More people will benefit from support by the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) after the self-help group broadened its criterion to determine who is eligible for several of its programmes.

In a press statement on Jan 21, Sinda said it has revised its per capita income criterion to benefit a larger number of households. Per capita income is derived from the total monthly nett household income divided by the number of household members.

With the increase of the criterion from $1,000 to $1,600 from January 2024, 11,000 – or 12 per cent – more Indian families in Singapore are expected to benefit.

Sinda supports about 25,000 beneficiaries across its range of programmes and support initiatives, of which about 60 per cent use the per capita income criterion.

The programmes using the per capita income criterion include the Sinda Tutorials for Enhanced Performance, a subsidised tuition programme, and bursaries for pre-school to tertiary students.

Sinda said $5 million more is projected to be spent in 2024 to support households because of the larger pool of people qualifying for its financial assistance schemes and programmes. It has set aside additional funds to ensure it can meet the needs of a larger number of beneficiaries.

Speaking to the media at Sinda’s appreciation tea on Jan 21 at Gardens by the Bay, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, noted that Sinda is bringing its programmes, subsidies and bursaries to a much larger group of people.

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She added: “We are also very mindful of the fact that the cost of living has increased over the years. So we want to make sure that no one’s left behind. So we’ve essentially widened the net, and we hope that more people will receive assistance this way.”

In her speech at the event, Ms Indranee said Sinda arrived at the new $1,600 ceiling by looking at Singaporeans’ income distribution.

She noted that the 20th percentile of monthly household income from work per household member was $1,623, as at 2022.

“So, Sinda’s revised the (per capita income criterion) to include a broader income band, and this aligns with Sinda’s intention and goal to serve the lower-earning bands of our community,” she said.

She added that middle-income groups will also have access to essential support and be able to enjoy full fee waivers when they enrol in Sinda programmes.

Office administrator Pavitra Rajendran, 31, and her husband, Mr Vinotha Karunakaran, 35, who works as a planner in an oil and gas company, are among those who will benefit.

They have three children, aged five and three, and eight months. One of them has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and attends both a mainstream school and a special needs school.

With the change to Sinda’s criterion, Ms Pavitra Rajendran and her husband now qualify for bursaries that will ease some of the family’s burden. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Ms Pavitra said the family is unsure what other costs it may need to incur with regard to this child in future. With the change to Sinda’s criterion, the couple now qualify for bursaries that will ease some of the family’s burden.

Said Ms Pavitra: “It will help reduce our financial burden. We are in the centre (in terms of our income level), not in the low, nor the high. Those in the centre are always the ones struggling here and there.”