Hiring a maid? Find ways to save

Whether or not you’ve done this before, you may be curious about ways you can cut cost. If that’s the case, here are four ideas on how you can.

1. Find an agency you can trust.

If this is your first time hiring a maid, your first step is to find a maid agency you can trust. Note that a reliable agency may be better than the cheapest one. You don’t have to find the most expensive, it’s all about reputation and knowing that you won’t be scammed. Try to ask friends, relatives or your professional network for referrals. This way, you’ll be able to use their experience and point of view as an actual reference, as compared to blindly relying on a web search.

2. Know what type of skills matter most to you.

Rehiring and early termination costs can become a reality to you if there’s a poor match of skills. Some maids excel in a particular task and have their own unique qualities. Some maids are great at handling children, some at cooking, some at cleaning and the list goes on.

Knowing the list of qualities and skills you want will help you avoid a maid who does not match your needs. Consider ranking the skills you’re looking for from most important to least important, and use this in the screening process to help you find the best match.

You’ll save time on training a maid who already has the skills you need, so you can focus on your other priorities.

3. Know your subsidies.

You can benefit from government subsidies like reducing the cost of your maid’s monthly levy.

Instead of a monthly rate of S$300, you may qualify for a concessionary levy rate of S$60.

How do you qualify?

According to the Ministry of Manpower, you can qualify for levy concession if you live with any of the following eligible persons who is a Singapore citizen:

• Young child below 16 years old.
• An elderly person who is at least 67 years old.
• A person with disabilities (PWD) – Must be certified by Singapore-registered doctor to require help with at least 1 activity of daily living (ADL), such as showering, feeding, dressing or toileting.

The levy concession for one foreign domestic worker (FDW) is granted based on 1 eligible person in the household. It is capped at 2 FDWs per household.

4. Choose the right insurance for your needs.

Is choosing the cheapest insurance for you and your maid the best way to save? Or does choosing a better cover against all types of unforeseen costs help you save even more in the long run?

FWD Maid insurance, for example, provides the following essential features for you and your helper.

Medical needs

A hospitalisation and surgical expenses benefit will cover your maid’s pre-existing medical conditions¹. You can also top-up for the Cashless Outpatient medical expenses benefit to get cover for common illnesses like cough and flu.

Savings on mandatory medical tests

Includes a medical examination package that helps you save on MOM’s mandatory 6-monthly medical tests for pregnancy and syphilis.

Flexibility to add-on independent benefits

Make your current plan even better. Even if you have an existing maid insurance from another insurer, you can purchase these add-ons to enhance your coverage:

• Cashless Outpatient medical expenses
• Six-monthly medical examination package
• Performance bond for Philippine Embassy

Find out more about these add-ons or consider getting an FWD Maid insurance quote online.

Are you now ready to hire a maid? Before you do, also check out our blog about The Essential Costs of Hiring a Maid in Singapore.