Usage of 'should have'

Question

We know that [Should have + past participle] can mean something that would have been a good idea, but that you didn't do it. As in the following example-
Example: I should have studied harder but I didn't.

.....They will be eligible to claim the allowance for three months during the period from start of lockdown on March 24 to December 31. They should have been part of the scheme for two years during the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020, and should have contributed at least for 78 days from October 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020 and also in one of the other three six monthly contribution periods from April 1, 2018. TNN

But in this paper cutting "should have" seems to have been used in different sense. Please clarify it.

GEdgar · Answer

"Should have" can also refer to something you were assumed to do, without specifying whether you did it or not.

How much did I spend on movies last year?  Well, a movie costs about $10, and I went to a movie about once a month, so I should have spent  about $120.

In this example, it does not mean spending money was a good idea, and it does not mean I didn't do it.

Jason Bassford · Answer

The following is the sense of should that's being used in the article:

[Merriam-Webster]
4 —used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected
    // with an early start, they should be here by noon

The following is a paraphrase of this sense, as used in the article:

It is likely [they were] part of the scheme for two years during the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020, and it is likely [they] contributed at least for 78 days from October 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020 and also in one of the other three six monthly contribution periods from April 1, 2018.

Usage of 'should have'

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