SINGAPORE - About 155,000 HDB households with five or more members will be receiving double the usual rebate on their utility bills this month through the goods and services tax voucher (GSTV) U-Save scheme.
The value of the larger rebate for bigger families is pegged to their type of HDB housing, with those in one- and two-room flats receiving $200 instead of the standard $100.
With the additional rebates, larger families in three- and four-room flats will receive $180 and $160, respectively this month. Those in five-room flats will get $140, while those in executive or multi-generation flats will receive $120.
This is the first of two increased rebates for larger families, with the next round in January 2021.
The U-Save scheme aims to support households with their living expenses, particularly lower- and middle-income households, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Sunday (Oct 4).
The rebate will directly offset each household's utility bill.
A total of 940,000 HDB households will be receiving their U-Save payouts this month. Two earlier rebates were paid out in April and July, with additional rebates to those who qualified for the U-Save Special Payment.
This comes as electricity bills are set to go up for 53 per cent of households in Singapore that are powered by SP Group. The energy utilities provider announced on Sept 30 that electricity tariffs will rise by about 9 per cent in the three months of October to December.
The additional U-Save rebates for larger families were first announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat in February as part of the Covid-19 Care and Support Package.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Heng said he hoped the rebates would help households tide over present difficulties.
"With greater job uncertainty, households are understandably concerned about expenses," he said. "I hope this additional support goes some way in helping our households cope in these difficult times."
The Government will disburse $630 million through the U-Save scheme this financial year, said MOF.
