Budget 2025: $800 CDC Vouchers, $500 Education Top-ups & Key Family Benefits

Budget 2025 will introduce more support across the board, targeted at helping households cope with the cost of living.

On Feb 18, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech measures to provide additional support for larger families, seniors, lower-income families and those with disabilities. Here's a look at what benefits Singaporean families will get.

For all households

1. $800 in CDC vouchers 

All households will receive $800 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, with $500 to be disbursed in May and the remaining $300 in January 2026.

2. More rebates for utilities

Eligible households living in Housing Board flats will receive up to $760 in U-Save rebates in 2025 to offset their utility expenses. 

The payments will be disbursed in April and October 2025.

For all families

1. $500 in credits for each Singaporean child aged 0 to 12

Accessible through the LifeSG application, these credits can be used on household expenses like groceries and utilities. 

Children aged one to 12 in 2025 will receive them in July, while credits for those born in 2025 will be disbursed in April 2026. 

2. $500 top-ups to Edusave or Post-Secondary Education (PSEA) accounts for older children

Students aged 13 to 16 will receive the top-up in their Edusave account, while those aged 17 to 20 will receive it through their PSEA. 

The top-ups, which will be disbursed in July, support education-related expenses like approved school fees and enrichment programmes.

For families with three or more young children

Eligible parents with three or more children will receive additional support of up to $16,000 per child as part of the new Large Families Scheme. 

1. Doubling First Step Grant 

Parents will receive $10,000 through the Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant for every third and additional Singaporean child born from Feb 18 onwards. 

This is double the $5,000 they already receive for every child.

The CDA can be used for approved expenses like pre-school fees and healthcare costs. 

2. More MediSave top-ups 

Parents will receive $5,000 through the mother’s MediSave account for every third and additional Singaporean child born from Feb 18 onwards. 

This Large Family MediSave Grant can be used to offset the mother’s pregnancy and delivery expenses, as well as approved dependant’s medical bills and hospitalisation fees.

This new grant is in addition to the current MediSave Grant for Newborns, where up to $4,000 is given to each newborn’s MediSave account.

3. $1,000 a year in LifeSG Credits until children turn six

Parents will receive $1,000 annually in Large Family LifeSG Credits for every third and additional Singaporean child.

Families that already have three or more children aged six and below in 2025 will also receive the $1,000 in credits every year for their third or additional children until they turn six.

Credits will be accessible through the LifeSG application, and can be used to help with household expenses like groceries and utilities. 

The credits will be disbursed in September for eligible children turning one to six in 2025, and in April in following years. 

For seniors

1. Cash matching for MediSave top-ups from Jan 2026

For eligible seniors aged 55 to 70, the Government will match every dollar of voluntary cash top-ups to their MediSave accounts, capped at $1,000 a year. 

The scheme will run for the next five years. 

2. Upgrading programme extended to private property households

Seniors living in private property households will be able to benefit from a home upgrading programme from 2026 to 2028. 

The Enhancement for Active Seniors programme, which is currently only eligible to those in public housing, offers senior-friendly fixtures like ramps and grab bars.

3. Increase in Home Caregiving Grant 

Seniors who need permanent assistance will receive up to $200 more in grants to support caregiving needs, up from a cap of $400 currently.

For vulnerable families

1. Increase in ComCare assistance

Lower-income households will from April 2025 receive higher rates of temporary and permanent assistance to meet basic living expenses.

2. More support for families in rental flats to buy homes

More families with children living in public rental flats will be able to purchase a two or three-room new flat on a more affordable shorter lease.

Currently, only families who have already used one housing subsidy are eligible for such leases. The Fresh Start Housing scheme will expand to families who are first-time buyers, and grants for eligible families will increase from $50,000 to $75,000. 

For people with disabilities

1. Matching retirement savings  

A scheme helping Singaporeans with lower retirement savings will be extended to people with disabilities of all ages from January 2026.

The Matched Retirement Savings Scheme provides a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for cash top-ups made to the CPF Retirement Account,  and is currently only eligible to seniors aged 55 and above.

Now, those disabilities under the age of 55 will receive the dollar matching on cash top-ups to their CPF Special Account. 

2. Higher subsidies for adult disability services, more for those born in 1969 or earlier

Subsidy rates for adult disability services will be raised by up to 15 percentage points, with additional long-term subsidies for Singaporeans born in 1969 or earlier. 

The subsidies will also be expanded to more households as the maximum qualifying per capital household income will be raised to $4,800.

3. Matching top-ups by caregivers

Lower and middle-income caregivers who set aside money in trust accounts in the Special Needs Trust Company for their loved ones with a disability will get a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $10,000.

This article was originally published on The Straits Times.

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