The government has no plans to replicate or scale up AWWA’s Family Empowerment Programme which provides cash stipends to 75 low-income households, between $300 and $550 per month, for 18 months. In a response to questions from MPs as to whether the project would be studied or expanded, or have similar forms of aid given, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli explained on 6 August that this was because there was no clear evidence that the cash transfers led to longer-term positive effects in areas such as time spent in employment, income security or hours worked.

Minister Masagos had noted a recent US study which led to the opposite effect hypothesised by AWWA, that unconditional cash transfers led to decreased work hours, with the saved time spent on leisure, rather than upskilling or searching for better jobs. Nevertheless, the door is not shut on such unconditional transfers as a welfare tool. Where more empirical data is available, Minister Masagos shared that “we will take these into account as we refine our national programmes like ComCare and ComLink+.”

Read the below articles:

• The Straits Time – No plans to replicate, scale up pilot giving cash with no strings attached to low-income families: MSF
• Berita Harian – Tiada rancangan tingkat skala projek perintis beri wang tunai (No plans to replicate or scale up Family Empowerment Programme)
• Goody Feed – No Plans to Replicate or Scale Up Trial That Gives Money to Low-Income Families With No Strings Attached