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SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme
Up to $6,000 While You Find Your Next Role
A complete, easy-to-understand guide to eligibility, payouts, and how to apply, for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who lost a job through no fault of their own.
Target: Earn 10 points
up to $1,500
Target: Earn 10 points
up to $1,250
Target: Earn 10 points
up to $1,000
Target: Earn 5 points/month
up to $750/month
What is SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme offers up to $6,000 over six months to eligible jobseekers who lost their job involuntarily and are actively searching for work. Participants get guided support through relevant job search activities and earn points as they go. Once they hit their monthly points target, the payout follows.
Lower- and middle-income Singaporeans who are involuntarily unemployed and actively job hunting can receive payouts for up to 6 months.
*Full eligibility criteria are below.
So you’re not pushed into taking the first job that comes along out of financial pressure. It buys time to search properly, and to reskill or upskill toward a role that actually fits your experience.
Stay active in your job search. Apply for roles, go for interviews, attend coaching sessions, take a course. These activities earn the points that unlock each month’s payout, explained in the section below.
Who Can Apply
From the date of your application, you need to meet all of the following:
- Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, aged 21 and above
- Earned an average monthly income of $5,000 or less in the past 12 months (excluding employer CPF contributions)
- Previously employed in Singapore for at least 6 months in the past 12 months
- Became unemployed for involuntary reasons (retrenchment, company closure, dismissal, or termination due to illness, injury, or accident)
- Live in a property with an Annual Value of $31,000 or less
- Have not received a payout under this scheme in the past 3 years
How Payouts Work?
Payouts depend on two things: how many points you earn each month through approved job search activities and how long you’ve been unemployed
Point System
You earn points by taking part in approved job search or training activities. Different activities are worth different points, and some have monthly caps.
| Activity | Points | Max Points / Month |
|---|---|---|
| Go for a job interview | 4 | No Limit |
| Attend a career coaching session | 4 | 3 |
| Network with an industry professional | 3 | No Limit |
| Attend a career related event, workshop, or seminar | 2 | 6 |
| Attend a training course | 2 | 2 |
| Plan a career path using CareersFinder tool | 2 | 2 |
| Participate in an employment-related volunteer programme | 2 | No Limit |
| Submit a job application | 1 | 5 |
| Apply for a job attachment programme (e.g. Career Conversion Programme, Mid-Career Pathways Programme) | 1 | 3 |
| Browse or subscribe to career-related content | 1 | 2 |
| Register with an employment agency | 1 | 1 |
| Complete a skills and training advisory, or attend a SkillsFuture Advice workshop | 1 | 1 |
| Update your resume online | 1 | 2 |
Unemployment Duration
Must have been unemployed for at least one month from the last day of employment but not more than six months in the past 12 months prior to receiving payout.
| Month | Target Points | Cash Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Up to $1,500 |
| 2 | 10 | Up to $1,250 |
| 3 | 10 | Up to $1,000 |
| 4 | 5 | Up to $750 |
| 5 | 5 | Up to $750 |
| 6 | 5 | Up to $750 |
Source: MyCareersFuture Jobseeker Support
*Your monthly payout is capped at your average gross monthly income before you became unemployed (for example, if you earned $1,200 a month, that’s your monthly cap)
**And payouts stop the month after you secure a new job, even if months remain in your 6-month window.
How to Apply
Gather Your Documents
- Past employment details
- Previous employer’s contact information
- Official letter or notification of termination or dismissal from your previous employer
- Medical Certificate or letter from a medical institution or doctor (If termination was due to a medical reason)
- Last payslip, or a PDF of your CPF Transaction History for the past 15 months (filtered to employer contributions only) (If you’ve been unemployed for more than 6 months in the last 12 months)
Apply Online
- Submit your application at go.gov.sg/jobseekersupport. You’ll need Singpass to log in.
Complete Activities & Log Your Points
- Once approved, take part in the approved activities above. Points are tracked against your monthly target.
Receive Your Payout
- Hit your monthly target and the payout is disbursed automatically for that month.
FAQs
Eligibility is capped at 6 months of involuntary unemployment in the past 12 months, to encourage an active, timely job search rather than delaying it.
You won’t receive that month’s payout. Excess points earned in an earlier month carry forward, so a strong month can help cushion a slower one.
The Jobseeker Support scheme pays cash to cover living costs while you search for a job. SkillsFuture Credit is a separate top-up you use to offset course fees for skills upgrading. You can tap both at the same time, for example using your Credit to fund a course you’re attending while receiving JS payouts.
Yes. If you enrol in an eligible full-time, long-form training programme under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, or a company attachment under WSG’s Mid-Career Pathways Programme, you may receive a training allowance on top of your JS payouts, provided you meet that programme’s own eligibility criteria.
Contact SWDA’s hotline at 6669 7932, chat with the SWDA WhatsApp Chatbot, or visit Careers Connect at the Lifelong Learning Institute.
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