$50 raise? No, thanks

TNP PHOTO: YAP NING

Not all low-wage earners are cheering the proposal to give them a $50 raise.

One 66-year-old cleaner who earns $800 a month said she had turned down a pay increase last year because it would have put her in a higher salary bracket.

She said that with a $50 raise, the rent for her one-room flat would go up from $26 to $111. That would mean her monthly income after rent would be $35 lower, rather than $50 higher.

But HDB said it exercises flexibility to ensure that no one ends up out of pocket after getting a raise because of higher rent.

Some have called gradual increases in the rent, to address the problem.