The economic recession sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak has led to self-employed persons (SEPs) suffering a considerable fall in income.
To encourage SEPs to equip themselves with future-ready knowledge and skills during the downtime, the government introduced the SEP Training Support Scheme, which pays a training allowance for each hour of training attended at approved SkillsFuture Series courses or Sector-specific training programmes.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) union members will also enjoy a top-up to their training allowance.
You can check out the eligible SSG-approved courses under the SkillsFuture series and approved Sector-specific programmes .
How Much Do Self-Employed Persons Receive For Attending Approved Training Programmes?
For courses that commence between 1 April and 30 April 2020, SEPs will receive a training allowance of $7.50 per hour.
For courses that commence between 1 May and 31 December 2020, SEPs will receive an enhanced training allowance of $10 per hour.
Do note that all courses must be completed by 31 December 2020 to be eligible for the training allowance.
In addition, existing NTUC union members who joined on or before 1 March 2020 will receive an additional $1 per hour of training allowance, while new NTUC union members who join after 1 March 2020 will receive an additional training allowance of $0.50 instead.
Visit the NTUC website if you’re interested to join as an NTUC union member, and enjoy the additional training allowance, among many other benefits.
Read Also: NTUC Membership: Complete Guide To All The Benefits You Will Receive
Eligibility Criteria For The NTUC Training Fund (SEPs)
Recipients of the training allowance must be Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents and are self-employed.
This refers to people who operate their own business or trade and who derive income from them, including freelancers, independent contractors, or Sole Proprietors without employees, such as real estate agents, private tutors and taxi drivers.
To qualify for the training allowance, you must also have filed their consolidated Statement of Income for Year of Assessment 2020 with IRAS as a SEP, and still be SEP at the point of application.
Finally, your main source of earnings must be from self-employment and you have to show positive Net Trade Income.
Read Also: Guide To Understanding Your Tax Obligations As A Self-Employed Individual
There is no maximum quota on the number of courses SEPs can sign up for, but SEPs cannot make claims for attending the same course more than once.
How To Submit Your Claim For The Training Allowance
After completing each training course, ensure that you receive and retain the Training Certification Slip and obtain endorsements from your respective training provider. Courses however, have to be completed by 31 December 2020.
Completed claims documents must be submitted within 30 days of each course completion, and their claims will be processed within 30 working days upon submission.
Firstly, you have to get ready copies of the following documents to attach in your email to e2i:
- Copy of the Tax Invoice / Payment Receipt of the completed course
- Copy of the Training Certification Slip
Next, email to [email protected] and type “Claim – followed by your Submission ID number” in the email subject title (e.g “Claim – Submission ID #00001”).
NTUC will verify and disburse the training allowance straight to your bank account after verifying your submitted documents.
You can visit the NTUC website for more information about the training allowance scheme.
Read Also: Can Freelancing Be A Sustainable Long-Term Career In Singapore?
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