Safeguards in place to deter fraudulent injury claims at workplace: MOM, Singapore News
At a media briefing on Friday (Aug 1), the ministry said that Wica is in place to balance the interest of employers and workers.
All employers are required to purchase Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurance under MOM regulations, for all manual workers regardless of salary and non-manual workers less than or equal to $2,600 per month.
Under Wica, employees can make claims for medical leave wages, medical expenses and lump sum compensation in the case of permanent incapacity, current incapacity or death.
On average, 28,500 WIC claims are made each year, of which around 26,800 are paid out, the ministry said.
It said that the median time taken to process a claim is about six months, with around 95 per cent of claims being resolved within one year after being filed. 3 safeguards in place to protect against fraud
MOM said that there are three safeguards in place, which separately come under the purview of insurers, doctors and the ministry.
Insurers are the first line of defence in detecting WIC fraud, who typically engage loss adjustors to investigate suspicious claims, which will be subsequently escalated to the ministry.
Doctors are the second line of defence, and refer to "prescribed and detailed guidelines for assessment of degree of permanent incapacity".
In any case of disputes on the degree of permanent incapacity awarded, the parties can object, and the case can be referred to the WIC Medical Board for independent reassessment.
Additionally, all parties are able to raise objections to WIC claims during the process, which will be referred to MOM for adjudication.
Of all claims made, MOM gets objections to less than 3 per cent.
On top of the three safeguards, the ministry has compensation caps in place to limit employer's financial liability. Around 12 claims per year investigated for fraud
Both errant employers who fail to fulfill their Wica obligations and workers who make fraudulent claims will be prosecuted under MOM regulations.
WIC insurance is meant to "protect employers against sudden large payouts due to work injuries", and employers who fail to fulfill their Wica obligations will face fines of up to $15,000, jail terms of up to 12 months, or both.
Workers found making fraudulent claims may be fined up to $15,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both.
According to MOM, insurers refer about 12 claims per year for investigation into potential WIC fraud, with around two workers being prosecuted per year after the relevant investigations. Sumo Salad case still under investigation
MOM also provided an update regarding the recent case involving Jane Lee, the owner of Sumo Salad, who died on July 19 after making two Facebook posts alleging that an employee had faked an injury to claim workplace injury compensation from the company.
The ministry said the accident occurred on June 6, and that Sumo Salad had submitted a work injury incident report to it, adding that the firm was "covered by a valid insurance policy", and was fully reimbursed on June 26 and June 27 for the work injury incident reported.
According to MOM, the case is still under investigation and that the claims process has not been completed.
[[nid:720463]]
dana.leong@asiaone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
CDC, SG60 vouchers listed on e-commerce platforms will be taken down: CDC
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Most of the listings appeared to be selling for less than the value of the vouchers. SINGAPORE - The community development councils (CDCs) said they will work with e-commerce platforms such as Carousell and Facebook marketplace to take down listings selling CDC and SG60 vouchers. A CDC spokesperson said this on Aug 7 in response to queries from The Straits Times. The spokesperson reiterated : 'The vouchers are not for resale and are not exchangeable for cash.' Checks by The Straits Times on Aug 7 found at least six listings on Facebook Marketplace selling CDC and SG60 vouchers. The highest asking price was listed at $600, for $800 worth of vouchers. On Carousell, meanwhile, at least three listings on Carousell have been removed since Aug 4. Most of the listings appeared to be priced lower than the monetary value of the vouchers. In July, Singaporeans aged 60 and above were able to claim $800 SG60 vouchers , and citizens aged 21-59 got $600 SG60 vouchers. The vouchers are valid till Dec 31, 2026. Like CDC vouchers, they can be used at more than 23,000 hawkers and heartland merchants, as well as eight supermarket chains with 400 outlets across the island. The latest tranche of CDC vouchers were released in May 2025 , with every household receiving $500, and are valid till Dec 31, 2025. Another $300 will be disbursed in January 2026. The CDC vouchers website states that vouchers are 'not for resale (or) exchangeable for cash or gift vouchers'. It also states that vouchers can be shared with household members, although CDC advised the public to exercise caution when sharing unique voucher links as no reinstatement will be made for vouchers shared erroneously . In January 2024, the CDCs filed police reports against unofficial links claiming to redeem CDC vouchers circulating online. ST has contacted the police for an update on its investigations.
Independent Singapore
19 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Employer allegedly wants to charge S$1k after helper breaks drinking glass
SINGAPORE: A domestic helper from Myanmar was allegedly told to pay S$1,000 after she accidentally broke a drinking glass that her employer claimed was a limited-edition item. The case has sparked online criticism, especially after it emerged that the same glass is being sold at a local retailer for just S$60 for a set of two. According to a widely circulated post, the glass was part of a set from the brand Riedel, which the employer claimed was rare and highly valuable. The helper was allegedly informed that S$100 would be deducted from her monthly salary until the full amount was recovered. Wanting to make things right, the helper went to Tang Plaza and bought the exact same glasses, which were retailing at S$60 per pair. However, her employer reportedly refused to accept the replacement, insisting it was 'fake,' and continued to demand the monthly deductions. The netizen who shared the story, along with a photo of the drinking glass, questioned the fairness of the situation and asked whether employers are allowed to deduct more than 25% of a helper's monthly salary. She also asked, 'Could the items sold at Tang Plaza be fake? Can this case be reported to MOM (Ministry of Manpower) for help?' 'This kind of employer wants to take advantage of the helper.' In the comments, many netizens expressed outrage. One wrote: 'Employer wanna cut costs on her helper's salary, so she pretends the Riedel wine glass costs $1,000, thinking the helper is dumb. If I'm the helper, I'd let her deduct my pay, get written proof that she did it, then report her to MOM. Let her get a taste of her own medicine.' Another commented, 'Employers are not allowed to deduct the salary of any domestic helper. Employers, pls lah, treat all your helpers according to MOM law! They are not your doormat.' A third said, 'This kind of employer wants to take advantage of the helper.' Some, however, suggested there might be more to the story. A few speculated that the helper may have damaged several items previously, and the employer could be using this as a warning to prevent further accidents. One netizen also questioned whether the story was even true, writing, 'Did the employer actually start deducting S$100 from the maid's pay or was it just a threat to make her more careful in the future when handling other people's property?' 'Is there written proof that the employer said this? You do realise that if there's no proof, it's just hearsay. Anybody can say anything. The real question is whether it's the truth or a lie.' Can employers deduct more than 25% of a helper's salary? No, they cannot. According to Singapore's MOM, employers are not allowed to deduct more than 25% of a helper's monthly salary. It is also illegal to take money from her pay to cover work-related costs. MOM also states that employers should not punish their helpers for poor performance or accidents by deducting their salary. Read also: Local asks, 'Anyone else feel like Singapore is becoming less spontaneous and more transactional?'
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Three people taken to hospital after Punggol executive condo fire
Three people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in an executive condominium in Punggol on Aug 6. In a Facebook post on Aug 6, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to the fire at Block 19 Punggol Field Walk at about 7pm. The address is the location of a block in Waterwoods executive condominium. The living room of a 16th-floor unit was on fire when firefighters arrived at the scene. SCDF forcibly entered the unit and extinguished the fire with a water jet. During the fire-fighting operation, four people were found in the unit and were brought to safety by firefighters, said SCDF. All four were conscious and were assessed for smoke inhalation. Two were taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital and one to Singapore General Hospital, while the other declined to be taken to the hospital. Police and SCDF officers evacuated about 100 people from the affected block as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation. In 2020, a fire had also broken out in a unit on the same floor and block of the condominium. Six people were rescued from the fire, which involved the contents of a bedroom, said SCDF then.
