Just as we thought we’d beat Covid-19, 2021 started smelling a lot like 2020. With new restrictions on gathering sizes and the outlawing of dining out, many businesses and workers have been left floundering.

The Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) is a government scheme to help those who have lost income or jobs. There’s also a one-off Covid-19 Recovery Grant — Temporary (CRG-T) for those specifically affected by the measures in May and June 2021.

Here are the details on who’s eligible and how to apply.

What is the Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)?

Just like the coronavirus, the new grant comes in more than one variant.

• Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) is for workers who have experienced job loss, involuntary no-pay leave or income loss due to Covid-19.
• Covid-19 Recovery Grant — Temporary (CRG-T) is for those who are financially impacted by the new raft of 2021 Covid-19 measures in May and June 2021, under Phase 2 Heightened Alert.

What’s the difference between CRG and CRG-T?

Both CRG and CRG-T are for workers in lower- to middle-income households who are facing financial difficulties due to Covid-19.

CRG

CRG is meant for workers facing one of the following as a result of Covid-19 (anytime after 23 Jan 2020):

• involuntary job loss
• involuntary no-pay leave
• income loss

Successful applicants will receive three monthly payments of $500 to $700. You can successfully apply for CRG up to two times, thus receiving up to six months’ worth of monthly payments.

CRG-T

CRG-T is meant for workers who have suffered a financial impact due to the recent Covid-19 measures in May and June 2021.

During this period, known as Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), measures include no more dining in, limited gym and fitness studio activities, and gatherings limited to two persons. People who have been affected might include those working in F&B, retail, sports/fitness and the performing arts.

Successful applicants will receive a one-time payout of $500 to $700. You can only receive a maximum of one CRG-T payout.

How to apply for Covid-19 Recovery Grant – Temporary (CRG-T)

Those who are immediately affected by the current spate of restrictions in May and June 2021 can apply for CRG-T. Applications will be accepted until July 2 2021.

To successfully apply for CRG-T, you must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• Be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident aged 21 and above.
• Live in a property with an annual value of not more than $21,000.
• Not own more than one property.
• Prior to income loss, have had a household income of not more than $7,800 or per capita household income of not more than $2,600.

In addition, you should have satisfied at least one of the following criteria between May 16 and June 30, 2021:

• Have suffered from at least one month of income loss of at least 50per cent, or
• Have been put on involuntary no-pay leave

Both employees and self-employed persons can apply for CRG-T. There is no need to show proof that you’ve been searching for a job or undergoing training.

To qualify for CRG-T, you should NOT currently be receiving support from any of the following government schemes:

• Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)
• ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance
• ComCare Long-Term Assistance
• Seafarers Relief Package
• Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund
• SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme – Company Training
• SGUnited Skills Package

ALSO READ: GST voucher & U-Save 2021: How much will you get & when?

How to apply for Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG)

The Covid-19 Recovery Grant offers a higher total payout than CRG-T, but it’s more complicated to obtain. Applications are open until Dec 31, 2021.

To successfully apply for CRG, you must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• Be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident aged 21 and above.
• Live in a property with an annual value of not more than $21,000.
• Not own more than one property.
• Prior to income loss, have had a household income of not more than $7,800 or per capita household income of not more than $2,600.
• Have worked for at least six months cumulatively between January 2019 and December 2020.
• If you are self-employed, you should have declared your annual net trade income (NTI) in either 2019 or 2020 and must also provide supporting documents for your line of work. (You can retroactively declare your NTI via IRAS’s MyTax portal or to the CPF Board.)
• If you are self-employed, you should have no outstanding Medisave contributions or be committed to making contributions via GIRO.

In addition, you should currently satisfy at least one of these criteria:

• Be involuntarily unemployed due to retrenchment or contract termination
• Be on involuntary no-pay leave for a period of at least three consecutive months
• Be experiencing income loss for at least three consecutive months, with an average overall loss of at least 50 per cent from all full-time or part-time jobs
• For self-employed, your current income will be compared to your average monthly NTI in 2019 or 2020

Any income loss must have taken place after Jan 23, 2020, when Singapore experienced its first Covid-19 case.

CRG is more complicated to apply for than CRG-T because you have to submit proof of job search or training. More specifically, you will need to show proof of one of the following:

• Submission of at least two applications for jobs, traineeships or attachments via government-linked channels like the MyCareersFuture or Professional Conversion Programme.
•  That you have attended two job interviews
• That you have registered for career coaching with WSG’s Careers Connect, WSG-appointed Career Matching Providers (Ingeus or MAXIMUM) or NTUC e-2i Career Centres and have started coaching sessions
• That you have applied for at least one training programme on the MySkillsFuture portal.

You should NOT currently be receiving support from any of the following government schemes:

• Seafarers Relief Package
• Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund
• SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme – Company Training
• SGUnited Skills Programme

Can you apply for both Covid-19 Recovery Grants (CRG + CRG-T)?

You can apply for both grants, but you can only receive payouts from one of them in any given month. So you should time your applications such that the payments don’t overlap.

If you are already getting CRG payments, you should apply for CRG-T only when your CRG payouts have ended. Otherwise you won’t be eligible for CRG-T.

If you are not on either scheme, you may be successful for either CRG or CRG-T (but not both at the same time). Read the eligibility criteria to figure out which one is more appropriate to you. CRG-T is easier to obtain, while CRG requires more paperwork.

You may want to opt for CRG-T for the time being and then apply for CRG later on if your job search is still unsuccessful.

Can you get a Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) extension?

If you’re already getting Covid-19 Recovery Grant payouts, it’s possible to get an extension.

The standard CRG pays out every month for three months — but you can apply for up to two tranches for a maximum of six months’ worth of payments.

If you have already received CRG once and continue to meet the eligibility criteria, you may apply to renew your CRG assistance. Be prepared to submit further supporting documents.

You can do so once you are in the final month of CRG assistance, or after the first tranche of payouts end. For example, if you get CRG payouts in April, May and June 2021, you can apply again from June 2021 onwards. Applications are open until Dec 31, 2021.

This article was first published in MoneySmart.