OVER 2.4 million Singaporeans will receive a one-off cash payout of up to S$600 from Sept 9 as the Government steps up efforts to cushion households from rising living costs.
The Cost-of-Living Special Payment, announced in Parliament in April, is part of a nearly S$1 billion support package targeted at households and businesses affected by higher prices.
Eligible recipients must be Singapore citizens living in Singapore and aged at least 21 in 2026. They must also have an assessable income of no more than S$100,000 for the 2025 year of assessment and own no more than one property.
No application is required.
The Straits Times, on Thursday, reported that the payment ranges from S$400 to S$600 and is tiered according to the annual value of the recipient’s home, based on the property information recorded in their NRIC as at Dec 31, 2025.
The system is designed to provide greater support to Singaporeans with lower incomes and lower-value homes.
An adult Singaporean with an annual home value of more than S$31,000 and assessable income of up to S$100,000, for instance, will receive S$400.
An adult with an annual home value of up to S$15,000 and assessable income of up to S$22,000 will receive the maximum S$600.
Eligible citizens can check their status through the Government’s benefits portal using Singpass.
They are encouraged to link their NRIC to PayNow by Aug 30 to receive the payment earlier.
Those who do not receive the payout through PayNow will receive it via GIRO from Sept 17, while payments through GovCash will be made from Sept 24.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said eligible recipients would receive SMS notifications before and after their payments were credited.
Those without a mobile number registered with Singpass will instead be notified by letter sent to their NRIC-registered address.
MOF also warned Singaporeans to be vigilant against scams.
Official SMS notifications from "gov.sg" will only provide information about benefits. Recipients will not be asked to reply, click on links or provide personal information.
The ministry stressed that government officials would never ask members of the public to transfer money or disclose bank login details over the telephone.
The payout is part of a broader package of measures introduced this year to help Singaporeans cope with higher costs.
The nearly S$1 billion package comes on top of S$155 billion allocated under Budget 2026, Singapore’s largest Budget on record.
Active platform workers, private-hire car drivers and taxi drivers also began receiving S$200 in cash from the end of April to cushion the impact of higher fuel costs following US and Israeli strikes against Iran.
In June, the Government brought forward by six months the distribution of S$500 in Community Development Council vouchers to about 1.38 million Singaporean households to help with daily expenses.
On July 29, Second Minister for Finance Jeffrey Siow announced a further S$900 million support package for households and businesses amid continued uncertainty over energy prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
The package includes an additional S$300 in CDC vouchers for every household, along with rebates in October 2026 and January 2027 to help offset higher utility bills. - August 13, 2026
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