Cost of Living (COL) Support Measures
B2024 AP Enhancement
At Budget 2024, the Government enhanced the Assurance Package (“AP”) further to provide more support to help Singaporeans cope with cost-of-living concerns and economic uncertainties. The enhancements made in Budget 2024 will cost $1.9 billion.B2024 Cost-of-Living (COL) Special Payment
As part of the enhanced Assurance Package announced at Budget 2024, eligible adult Singaporeans aged 21 years and above in 2024 will receive one-off special payment amounting to between $200 to $400, depending on his/her income and property ownership, in September 2024.| Singaporeans Aged 21 Years and Above in 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disbursement Period | Owns 0 to 1 property | Owns more than 1 property | |||
| Assessable Income for Year of Assessment 2023 | |||||
| Up to $22,000 | More than $22,000, and up to $34,000 | More than $34,000, and up to $100,000 | More than $100,000 | ||
| Sep 2024 | $400 | $300 | $200 | - | - |
To receive the B2024 COL Special Payment, you must fulfil the following criteria:
i. You must be a Singapore citizen residing in Singapore;
ii. You must be aged 21 and above in 2024;
iii. Your Assessable Income for Year of Assessment 2023 (income earned in 2022) did not exceed $100,000; and
iv. You do not own more than one property.
B2024 Cost-of-Living (COL) U-Save
Eligible Singaporean households living in HDB flats whose household members do not own more than one property will receive the one-off B2024 COL U-Save in April 2024, July 2024, October 2024, and January 2025 to help offset the households’ utilities expenses. In total, eligible HDB households can expect to receive 2.5 times the amount of regular GSTV – U-Save , or up to $950, in Financial Year 2024 (“FY2024”).If your household is eligible for the GSTV – U-Save, additional rebates such as the Assurance Package (AP) – U-Save and B2024 COL U-Save will be automatically credited together with the regular GSTV – U-Save in the usual four quarters (April 2024, July 2024, October 2024, and January 2025). U-Save rebates will be credited directly into households’ utilities accounts with SP Services.
U-Save for FY2024
| HDB Flat Type and Disbursement Month | 1- and 2- room | 3-room | 4-room | 5-room | Executive/Multi-Generation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | GSTV – U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 |
| B2024 COL U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| Jul 2024 | GSTV – U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 |
| AP U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| B2024 COL U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| Oct 2024 | GSTV – U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 |
| B2024 COL U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| Jan 2025 | GSTV – U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 |
| AP U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| B2024 COL U-Save | $95 | $85 | $75 | $65 | $55 | |
| Total | $950 | $850 | $750 | $650 | $550 | |
1. The B2024 COL U-Save includes the additional $20 of U-Save per quarter from the $1.1 billion COL Package announced in September 2023, to cushion the impact of higher utilities bills from increases in carbon tax and water price.
2. If the flat is partially rented out or not rented out, there must be at least one Singaporean owner or occupier in the household to be eligible for U-Save. If the entire HDB flat is rented out, there must be at least one Singaporean tenant.
3. Households whose members own more than one property are not eligible for U-Save.
B2024 Cost-of-Living (COL) Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Rebate
Eligible Singaporean households living in HDB flats will receive rebates to offset between 2 and 4 months of S&CC over from April 2024 to January 2025. This includes the additional 0.5-month of S&CC Rebate in January 2025, as announced at Budget 2024.To receive the B2024 COL S&CC Rebate, you must fulfil the following criteria:
i. There must be at least one Singapore Citizen flat owner or occupier in the flat;
ii. The flat owner(s) and essential occupier(s) of the flat do not own or have any interest in a private property; and
iii. The flat owner(s) have not rented out the whole flat.
| HDB Flat Type | No. of months of S&CC Rebate in FY2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | July 2024 | October 2024 | January 2025 | Total for FY2024 | |
| 1- and 2-room | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 3- and 4-room | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 5-room | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| Executive / Multi-Generation | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
Notes:
1. Households with no Singapore citizen flat owner or occupier in the flat, whose flat owner(s) or essential occupier(s) own or have any interest in a private property, or have rented out the entire flat, are not eligible for the S&CC Rebate.
2. Number of months of S&CC Rebate in January 2025 includes the B2024 Cost-of-Living S&CC Rebate announced at Budget 2024.
HDB residents can check or enquire on their household’s eligibility for the COL S&CC Rebate by logging into My HDBPage via HDB InfoWEB with their Singpass and following these steps: My Flat > Purchased/Rental Flat > S&CC Rebate.
For enquiries on your household's S&CC payment and account status, residents can contact your respective Town Councils. The Town Councils' contact information can be found on the respective Town Councils’ websites.
B2023 Cost-of-Living (COL) measures under Assurance Package
At Budget 2023, DPM and Minister for Finance announced a set of additional one-off support measures to Singaporeans to address immediate cost-of-living concerns in 2023. These comprise: (i) 2023 COL Special Payment, (ii) 2023 COL Seniors’ Bonus, (iii) 2023 COL U-Save Special Payment, and (iv) 2023 top-ups to Child Development Account, Edusave account and Post-Secondary Education Account.2023 COL Special Payment
You are eligible for the 2023 COL Special Payment, if:i. You are a Singaporean aged 21 years old or above in 2023
ii. Your Assessable Income (AI) for Year of Assessment (YA) 2022 is $100,000 or below; and
iii. You do not own more than one property.
| Assessable Income (AI) for Year of Assessment 2022 (YA2022) | Do not own more than one property | Own more than one property | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $22,000 | More than $22,000, and up to $34,000 | More than $34,000, and up to $100,000 | More than $100,000 | ||
| COL Special Payment | $400 | $300 | $200 | - | - |
2023 COL Seniors’ Bonus
You are eligible for the 2023 COL Seniors’ Bonus, if:i. You are a Singaporean aged 55 years old or above in 2023;
ii. Your Assessable Income (AI) for Year of Assessment (YA) 2022 is not more than $34,000;
iii. The Annual Value of your home (as indicated on your NRIC) must not exceed $21,000; and
iv. You do not own more than one property.
| Age of Singaporean in 2023 | Owns 0 to 1 property | |
|---|---|---|
| AI up to $34,000 | ||
| AV up to $13,000 | AV more than $13,000, and up to $21,000 |
|
| 55 to 64 years | $250 | $200 |
| 65 years and above | $300 | $200 |
2023 COL U-Save Special Payment
Together with the AP – U-Save disbursed in January 2023, eligible HDB households will receive double the amount of the regular GSTV – U-Save rebates, with the 2023 COL U-Save Special Payment.| HDB Flat Type | January 2023 | April 2023 | July 2023 | October 2023 | Total U-Save for 2023 | ||||
| Regular U-Save | AP U-Save | Regular U-Save | COL U-Save | Regular U-Save | COL U-Save | Regular U-Save | COL U-Save | ||
| 1- and 2-room | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $95 | $760 |
| 3-room | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $85 | $680 |
| 4-room | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $600 |
| 5-room | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $65 | $520 |
| Executive / Multi-Generation | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $55 | $440 |
1. Households whose members own more than one property are not eligible for GSTV – U-Save.
2. Additional rebates will be credited to eligible households at the same time as their regular GSTV – U-Save in the usual four quarters (January 2023, April 2023, July 2023, and October 2023).
2023 Top-up to Child Development Account (CDA), Edusave Account and Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA)
Families will receive additional one-off support for their children’s expenses in 2023.i. Each Singaporean child aged between 0 and 6 years will receive a one-off $400 top-up to the CDA.
ii. Each Singaporean child aged between 7 and 16 years, and 17 and 20 years will receive a one-off $300 top-up to the Edusave account and PSEA respectively.
The one-off 2023 top-up to the Edusave account is in addition to the annual Edusave contribution by the Government.
| Age of Singaporean in 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth (Inclusive of both dates) | Account Receiving Top-up | Amount | Estimated Timeline | |
| 0 – 6 | Between 1 Jan 2017 and 31 Dec 2023 | CDA | $400 | From Sep 2023 |
| 7 – 16 | Between 1 Jan 2007 and 31 Dec 2016 | Edusave | $300 | May 2023 |
| 17 – 20 | Between 1 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2006 | PSEA | $300 | May 2023 |
1. Each Singaporean child will receive a one-off top-up to the relevant account, depending on his/her age and/or academic level.
2. Children born on 1 January 2017 but who have started primary school in 2023 will receive the top-up in their Edusave accounts and not in their CDA.
3. Those who are 16 years old and above in 2023 and studying in Government-funded post-secondary institutions (Junior Colleges or Millennia Institute) will receive the top-up in their PSEA.
4. Those who are between 17 and 20 years old in 2023 but are studying in secondary schools will receive the top-up in their Edusave accounts.
5. Children studying in Government-funded special education (SPED) schools will receive the top-up in their Edusave accounts, regardless of age. Other children with special needs but who are not studying in SPED schools will receive the top-up in the relevant accounts based on age.
Common terms related to the COL Special Payment eligibility criteria
| Term(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Assessable Income (AI) | Your AI is your total income after deducting allowable expenses and approved donations. It includes employment income, trade income, and other income such as rental income.
Based on the sample Notice of Assessment here: Income = $35,000 Donations = $5,000 Assessable income = $35,000 - $5,000 = $30,000 You may visit iras.gov.sg [log in to myTax Portal using your Singpass > Notices/Letters > Individual, select Year of Assessment 2022/2023] to view your Notice of Assessment. |
| Singapore Citizen | Those who hold foreign citizenship will not be eligible for the COL Special Payment, regardless of whether they simultaneously hold Singapore citizenship. Please approach the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on issues relating to your citizenship. |