Over 2.4 mn S’poreans to receive special cash payment

Over 2.4 million eligible Singaporeans will get a special cash payment of $400 to $600 from September 9 to cope with the rising cost of living, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on August 13.

Announced in Parliament in April, this Cost-of-Living Special Payment is part of nearly $1 billion that has been set aside to help those most affected by price increases, as well as to provide broader support for households and businesses.

To get the payment, one has to be a Singapore citizen who lives here and is at least 21 years old in 2026. Also, they must not have an assessable income in the year of assessment 2025 that exceeds $100,000, and not own more than one property.

No application is needed.

The quantum of the payment is tiered according to the annual value of a person’s home, as indicated in their NRIC as at Dec 31, 2025, to better support those with lesser means, MOF said.

For example, an adult Singaporean whose home has an annual value of more than $31,000, and who has an assessable income of up to $100,000, will receive $400. An adult Singaporean whose home has an annual value of up to $15,000, and has an assessable income of up to $22,000, will get $600.

Citizens may check their eligibility at the govbenefits website by logging in with their Singpass. They are also encouraged to link their NRIC to PayNow by Aug 30 to receive their payment earlier.

Others will receive the payment via GIRO by September 17 and via GovCash by September 24.

Eligible recipients will be notified via SMS before and after the payment has been credited. Those without a SingPass-registered mobile number will be informed through a letter sent to their address on their NRIC.

MOF said the SMS notification from “gov.sg” will only inform citizens of their benefits. Citizens will not be asked to reply to the SMS, click on any links, or provide any information to the sender.

The ministry also stressed that government officials will not ask the public to transfer money or disclose bank login details over the phone.

The $1 billion support package is on top of the $155 billion previously committed in Budget 2026, which was Singapore’s largest budget on record.

Also, as part of the support measures announced in April, active platform workers, private-hire car drivers and taxi drivers started receiving $200 in cash from the end of that month. This is to cushion the impact on their earnings, which have been hit by the sharp increase in fuel prices after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

In addition, in June, the Government brought forward the disbursement of $500 in CDC vouchers by half a year for some 1.38 million households to help with their daily expenses.

Separately, on July 29, Second Minister for Finance Jeffrey Siow announced that households and businesses will get another $900 million in government support to cushion the continued impact of high energy prices caused by uncertainty in the Middle East.

This includes $300 more in CDC vouchers for every household, as well as additional rebates in October 2026 and January 2027 to offset higher utility bills.

-The Strait Times