Mr Sutharalingam S/O Ramalingam (Self-Employed) Workfare Recipient

• Mr Sutharalingam has been a taxi driver for the past 19 years. The 62-year-old enjoys his job as one of the perks of being a taxi driver is knowing where to go for delicious food.


• As a self-employed Singaporean, Mr Sutharalingam is eligible for Workfare which gives him an annual payout. After declaring his annual income and making contribution to his MediSave account, Mr Sutharalingam receives a Workfare cash payout.


• Another 90 per cent of Workfare payout goes to his CPF MediSave account to help self-employed workers like him with medical needs.


• Mr Sutharalingam uses the Workfare cash payout on living expenses such as paying his bills or buying daily necessities.


• “I’m very happy with the Workfare payment. It’s good enough as it helps us a lot, especially seniors who are not earning a lot of money. The payout in MediSave will also be useful when I need to withdraw the money for my medical bills,” says Mr Sutharalingam.


• Mr Sutharalingam hopes to continue driving for another four to five years before switching to relief driving where he can work less hours. Although being a taxi driver can be stressful, especially when it comes to ferrying difficult passengers, he always takes it in his stride.

• Mr Sutharalingam, who is single, lives in a three-room HDB flat which he has fully paid for.


• As a senior, Mr Sutharalingam is also looking forward to the Merdeka Generation Package. It provides benefits to help Merdeka Generation seniors like him to stay healthy and active, with better assurance over healthcare costs.


• Mr Sutharalingam looks forward to receiving additional MediSave top-ups, more subsidies at CHAS clinics and additional subsidies for MediShield Life.


• He also receives other help and support from the government, such as the U-Save rebate and GST vouchers which help to lessen his financial burden.