Eligibility for GST Vouchers and Assurance Package Payments for 2023 and 2024 and Appeals Received

Parliamentary Question by Ms Mariam Jaafar:

To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the number of Singaporeans who are not eligible for GST Vouchers and Assurance Package payments in 2024 based on their income in 2022 as assessed for Year of Assessment 2023 but who will meet the income eligibility criteria based on their income for 2023 as assessed for Year of Assessment 2024; and (b) how many of them have received the GST Vouchers and Assurance Package payments on appeal.

Parliamentary Reply by Second Minister for Finance, Mr Chee Hong Tat:

The Assessable Income (AI) is used to assess each individual's means to ensure more support under the GST Voucher (GSTV) - Cash and the Assurance Package (AP) Cash schemes are targeted at those who are in greater need. The choice of Year of Assessment (YA) considers the availability of completed tax assessment data, to ensure consistency and fairness in allotment across the population.

We use AI for YA 2023 (i.e. income in 2022) to determine eligibility for GSTV - Cash paid in August 2024, as income tax assessments for YA 2024 are processed progressively from April 2024 to March 2025.

Hence, the full number of Singaporeans who would turn eligible if we had used AI for YA 2024 is not yet available. While some Singaporeans would become eligible for the schemes if AI for YA 2024 is used, a proportion of Singaporeans would also become ineligible due to increases in their AI.

Singaporeans who experience changes to their income may come forward, and appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis. As of end-August 2024, about 3,000 appeals relating to income changes have been approved for the 2024 GSTV - Cash scheme. The number of successful appeals for the AP Cash is currently not available as it will only be disbursed in December 2024.