This letter was originally published in The Straits Times on 14 September 2020.

We are heartened to see Members of Parliament recognise the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups (Do not leave vulnerable groups behind as economy transforms amid Covid-19, say MPs, Sept 2).

However, there are gaps that still need to be addressed, specifically, the complexity in applying for financial relief and the exclusion of migrant spouses from receiving certain types of aid.

Through the Mind The Gap (MTG) fund, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) and a team of volunteers have been providing financial and logistical support to 52 low-income families, whose members include single mothers, caregivers, migrant spouses and the self-employed.

These families have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, with 80 per cent of them suffering a significant loss in household income.

Many of our MTG recipients described facing obstacles in applying for Covid-19-related financial schemes, such as the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (Sirs).

They were often unaware of what they were eligible for. They were also unsure of their own working status (that is, whether they were considered self-employed) and had trouble producing evidence of this status.

Without sufficient guidance, many people simply forgo the application entirely.

Migrant spouses, in particular, found it hard to navigate financial relief. Most Covid-19 schemes exclude migrant spouses, despite their contributions to our nation and the fact that they have Singaporean children.

We do have some success stories. One individual, Shah, had never applied for government schemes and did not initially know about Sirs. An MTG volunteer encouraged Shah to apply, and he eventually did so successfully with the volunteer’s guidance.

The approval of his application enabled Shah – the breadwinner of a family of five – to make payments towards his utilities, rent and bank loan.

We echo many advocates’ calls for more proactive assistance with rental payments for low-income families like Shah’s, and a simplified application process for financial relief.

We also urge the Government to extend greater compassion to migrant spouses by giving them additional aid during crises, if not the same as what’s afforded to Singaporeans.

Lee Yoke Mun

Projects Executive

Association of Women for Action and Research