SINDA Increases Subsidy Criteria to $1,600 to Support More Households in the Community

Revised Per Capita Income criteria addresses shifts in income distribution and extends support to more households to ease costs of living

1. 21 January 2024 – SINDA announced that it has revised its Per Capita Income (PCI)^[1] criteria to broaden its benefit to a larger number of households. The PCI criteria has been increased from $1,000 to $1,600, and takes effect from January 2024. Minister Indranee Rajah, also president of SINDA, announced this change in PCI criteria during the SINDA Appreciation Tea on 21 January 2024, where she shared SINDA’s plans to increase holistic support for shifting demographics and the evolving needs of the Indian community.

2. About 60% of SINDA’s programmes utilise PCI criteria and this increase is expected to extend assistance to 11,000 or 12% more Indian families in Singapore. Under this revised criteria, families with a PCI of up to $1,600 can now apply for SINDA’s financial assistance schemes and also receive full fee waivers when they enrol into any SINDA programme. For example, families who fall under the revised PCI criteria can now enrol their children in SINDA’s STEP tuition without having to pay a $10 commitment fee – a change that opens doors for more students to access the benefits and resources offered by STEP Tuition. These students will also be eligible for SINDA’s range of financial assistance schemes, including SINDA bursaries, Equal Opportunity Fund and Back to School Vouchers. Their families will also be eligible to take part in SINDA’s family programmes and will receive further assistance through initiatives such as the Celebrate! Festive Gift Vouchers.

1. Welcoming this change is 36-year-old Chitra Paramasivan, a mother of three children, whose family has been part of SINDA’s programmes for the last five years. Her youngest has received the Hello Baby Gift Bundle, while her two older daughters have been part of SINDA’s STEP programme: “With this revision, we would not need to pay for programmes such as STEP, which has been a strong source of support for my children’s education. We are also now able to participate in family bonding activities and receive additional support through SINDA’s bursaries and other financial assistance schemes. This announcement makes sure that support is accessible to all. As a parent, I cannot express how impactful this change is for families.”

7. SINDA believes in building a strong and vibrant Singaporean Indian community, where support is accessible to anyone who requires it. Amidst inflation and cost of living concerns, this revision in PCI criteria benefits lower middle-income groups who may find themselves facing financial difficulties.

8. Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, CEO, SINDA, emphasised the importance of SINDA’s revised PCI criteria: “In 2022, 20% of the resident population earned a Per Capita Income of $1,623 and below, indicating a shift in household income distribution. Through ground engagements, we heard from Indian households about their concerns on the rising inflation and living costs. With this in mind, SINDA aims to help a larger pool of people and the revision of our PCI criteria allows us to increase our reach by supporting and uplifting every single member of the Singaporean Indian community so that no one falls through the gaps.”

9. To support this change, SINDA has set aside additional funds to ensure that it can meet the needs of a larger number of beneficiaries. A projected $5 million more is to be spent in 2024 to support households, owing to an increased pool of people qualifying for SINDA’s financial assistance schemes and programmes. Such programmes include SINDA’s STEP tuition, pre-school to tertiary student bursaries, Back To School vouchers and several other programmes.

10. This PCI enhancement benefits all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents of Indian descent, and those with a PCI higher than $1,600 can still enrol into selected SINDA programmes at a commitment fee of $10. SINDA last revised its PCI criteria in 2018, from $650 to $1,000.

11. This revision was announced at the SINDA Appreciation Tea, where SINDA recognised the contributions and support from over 400 individuals, partners, volunteers and donors who have contributed to SINDA’s outreach and initiatives.

^[1] Per Capita Income (PCI): Calculated by total monthly nett household income divided by the number of household members.