S$1.7m paid out under SEC & WIS for persons with disabilities

SINGAPORE: Nearly S$1.7 million has been paid out under the Special Employment Credit (SEC) and Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) for persons with disabilities.

Giving an update, the Social and Family Development Ministry said 1,150 employers who hired some 1,860 disabled Singaporeans received about S$1.24 million as part of the SEC.

The scheme allows companies to get a credit of up to 16 per cent of the employee’s wages.

In addition, the ministry said the first WIS payout was made in September this year. Some 1,360 employed persons with disabilities received S$449,000 under the scheme.

Both the WIS and SEC were extended to eligible persons with disabilities and their employers as part of this year’s budget initiatives.

They aim to encourage employers to provide more employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and see this as a potential workforce.

One company that has embraced the disabled into its workforce is food and beverage outlet Han’s. Ten per cent of its staff have some form of disability.

Han’s managing director, Han Choon Fook, said this group of workers has not affected the company’s productivity in any way.

He said: "People may think that people with disability or people who need special help may interrupt your operation. Of course, compared with ordinary people, this group of people may be a little bit weak, but after training and good guidance I think they can still work quite well."

Minister of State for Social and Family Development Halimah Yacob urged employers to tap on disabled Singaporeans in the current tight labour market.

During her visit at Han’s on Thursday, Madam Halimah also stressed the need for family support.

She said: "Parents must try to be less protective because the idea of providing employment is to encourage independence so that parents will feel a lot assured that their children with disabilities can take care of themselves. So, if parents are over protective that becomes a barrier."

— CNA/al