SINGAPORE - The median household income of families who sought help from local charity Beyond Social Services fell from $1,600 before the Covid-19 pandemic to $500, a study by a charity which helps people from low-income backgrounds has found. The study, released on Tuesday (Feb 9), was conducted between April and September last year to assess the economic impact of Covid-19. It surveyed more than 1,000 applicants of Beyond's Financial Assistance Fund (FAF). It revealed that the median household income from work dropped 69 per cent. With a majority of the FAF applicants - 80 per cent - living in public rental housing, the study also found that rent as a percentage of their household income more than doubled due to the Covid-19 crisis, creating additional financial strain for these families.