Achi Biz GuidesLevy Concession For A Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) In Singapore

Enhanced Levy concession for a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) in Singapore

Enhanced levy concession is part of the package to support Singaporeans needing care. FDW employers can get a concessionary rate of $60 per month if they are eligible under one of the levy concession schemes.

Who is Eligible

FDW employers can qualify for levy concession under any of these schemes:

Young child or grandchild scheme
Aged person scheme
Persons with disabilities scheme

Young child or grandchild scheme

If you have a Singapore citizen child or grandchild living with you, you can qualify for a levy concession under these schemes.

Young child scheme

You are eligible if your child is:

Below 16 years old.
A Singaporean citizen.
Living at the same address.

You don’t need to apply for the concession if your child is registered as a Singapore citizen. This includes a Singaporean child who is born overseas. The concession will apply automatically from the 1^st of the month after the child’s birth.

Young grandchild scheme

You are eligible if your grandchild is:

Below 16 years old.
A Singaporean citizen.
Living at the same address.

If the grandchild’s parents also employ an FDW, the grandchild’s eligibility must not already be used to grant levy concession to that FDW.
You don’t need to apply for the concession if you had provided us your grandchild’s particulars in your FDW application.

Aged person scheme

If you are aged 65 or above, or live with an elderly family member, you can qualify for a concession under these schemes.

Aged person scheme (FDW employer or spouse)

You are eligible if you or your spouse is:

A Singapore citizen.
Aged 65 years or above.
Living at the same NRIC-registered address as the employer.

You are also eligible if one of you is a Singapore citizen and the other is a Singapore permanent resident aged 65 years or above, and both of you are living at the same NRIC-registered address.
You will receive the concession automatically. No application is needed.
The concession will apply from the 1^st of the month after the aged person’s 65^thbirthday.

Aged person scheme (parent or grandparent)

You are eligible if you or your spouse has a parent, parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law who is:

A Singapore citizen.
Aged 65 years or above.
Living at the same NRIC-registered address as yourself.

You are also eligible if you or your spouse is a Singapore citizen, and the aged person is a Singapore permanent resident aged 65 years or above, who is living at the same NRIC-registered address as yourself.
You need to apply if you did not give the aged person’s information when you applied for an FDW.
From 1 April 2019, the qualifying age for the aged person scheme will be raised from 65 to 67. This is in light of improving life expectancy and health of Singaporeans.
However, all households with persons aged 65 and 66, which are enjoying or have enjoyed the levy concession under the aged person scheme before 1 April 2019, will continue to pay the monthly concessionary rate of $60.
For more information, refer to the FAQs on changes to the FDW levy framework at www.mom.gov.sg

Persons with Disabilities Scheme

If you have a person with a medical condition who needs help with at least 1 activity of daily living (ADL) in your household, you can apply for the following:

Persons With Disabilities (PWD) Scheme

If you or a family member has a medical condition, you can apply to AIC’s Singapore Silver Pages (SSP) for a levy concession under the PWD scheme.
You or your family member must be certified by an authorised healthcare professional as someone who needs permanent help in at least 1 ADL, e.g. showering, feeding, dressing or toileting.

Foreign domestic worker grant

If you hire an FDW to care for a family member who requires permanent assistance with 3 or more ADLs, you may qualify for a monthly grant of $120.
For more information on the grant criteria and how to apply, you can:

Visit AIC’s Singapore Silver Pages website.
Call the Singapore Silver Line (SSL) at 1800 650 6060.

How to apply

You can apply for the concession online.
It will take 4 weeks to process, and the outcome will be posted to you.

The levy concession for 1 FDW is granted based on 1 eligible person in the household.
You can apply for the concession for up to 2 FDWs (for 2 eligible persons in the household).

When does it take effect

If you are automatically eligible for concession, it will start from 1^st of the month after the child’s birth, or when the aged person turns 65 years old.
If you need to apply for levy concession, it will start from the 1^st of the month after you submitted your application.
You submitted your application on 28 May 2018 and it was approved on 2 July 2018. You will enjoy concession from 1 June 2018.

FDW Levy Concession Extended to More Caregiving Arrangements

To better support caregiving arrangements beyond the immediate family, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has reviewed the qualifying criteria for the foreign domestic worker (FDW) concessionary levy. From 1 September 2019, an FDW employer can enjoy the levy concession if their FDW is employed to care for a member of their extended family or friend, who lives in the same household. Currently, levy concession is given to those whose FDW is caring for an immediate family member in the same household.

As per eligibility criteria for the immediate family member, the extended family member or the friend of the FDW employer who needs caregiver assistance from the FDW must also be a Singapore citizen who is any of the following eligible persons:
- Young child below 16 years old;
- Elderly person who is at least 67 years old; or
- Person with disabilities (as certified by an assessor approved by the Agency for Integrated Care)

Supporting Employers who are Caregivers

Caregiving arrangements in Singapore have evolved over time. Beyond caring for the immediate family members, MOM recognises that Singaporeans are also caring for members of their extended family or friend who lives in the same household. The change will provide some support and relief to FDW employers with such arrangements.

Applying for Concessionary Levy

FDW employers who apply for a new FDW from 1 September 2019 must indicate in their FDW application that they are living with and caring for an eligible person. The levy concession will then be granted automatically.

Existing FDW employers who now qualify under the revised criteria should submit an application through MOM’s website from 1 September 2019, for the levy concession.

The FDW employer and the eligible person must have the same registered residential address.

The levy concession continues to be granted for one FDW per eligible person in the household and capped at two per household.

Determination whether you should apply for enhanced levy concession for your FDW or not.

No.	Type of FDW Concession Scheme	Do I need to apply for enhanced levy concession for my Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW)?
1	Young Child Scheme	No, you are not required to apply. So long as your child is registered as a Singapore Citizen, regardless of whether he or she is born in Singapore or overseas.
2	Young Grandchild Scheme	Yes, you are required to apply. Application is required unless the employer had provided his grandchild’s particulars in the application form. If not, MOM requires the grandchild’s particulars (Birth certificate no., birth date, nationality and relationship information between the foreign domestic worker employer and grandchild) to assess the eligibility for levy concession.
3	Aged Person (foreign domestic worker employer/ spouse) Scheme	No, you are not required to apply. MOM will automatically grant the levy concession based on the existing records of the foreign domestic worker’s employer and employer’s spouse that were provided in the foreign domestic worker application, if the criteria are met.
4	Aged Person (parent / grandparent) Scheme	Yes, you are required to apply. MOM requires the aged person’s particulars (NRIC no., NRIC address, birth date, nationality and relationship information between the foreign domestic worker’s employer and aged person) to assess the eligibility for levy concession.
5	Persons With Disability (PWD) Scheme	Yes, you are required to apply. The person with disability is required to complete a medical assessment and submit the completed levy concession application form and functional assessment report to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). AIC will send supported applications to MOM for further assessment of all other levy concession (PWD) criteria. For more information on the eligibility criteria and application procedures, please visit the AIC’s Singapore Silver Pages at: www.silverpages.sg

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