Singapore Government Family Assistance

Marriage & Parenthood Schemes

What you should know

Many Singaporeans want to get married and have more children. However, some are deterred by the perceived challenges of raising a family – such as lack of time with their children, shortage of child care options, and an imbalance between work and family life. In response to these concerns, and to help Singaporeans realise their dreams of having bigger families, the Government has enhanced existing pro-family measures and introduced new initiatives to create a more conducive environment for you to start and raise a family. These schemes are aimed at making Singapore a great place for families.

Buying of new flats

HDB website

– Fiance/Fiancee  Scheme
HDB Flats which are 3-room flats or bigger can be purchased by those who are planning to get married. To be eligible for this scheme, you and your partner will have to solemnize your marriage after you collect the keys to your HDB Flats. Ensure that you do this within 3 months and then submit the marriage certificate to the Housing & Development Board.
– Staggered Downpayment Scheme
The Staggered Downpayment Scheme is designed to ease the financial burden of couples. This is where you can make 2 instalments for the downpayment of the property. This is done on a 50/50 basis where the first is paid at the signing of the Agreement of Lease occurring in the first 4 months after you made your booking. When the keys are ready for collection, you can then make the other half.
– Married Child Priority Scheme
The Married Child Priority Scheme is one of the many under the Priority Scheme that gives you a better chance of getting the HDB Flat at the BTO and SBF launches due to your situation. Besides that, there might be priority given for DBSS too. The Married Child scheme is given to those who are looking to stay near their parents.

Buying of resale flats
– Fiance/Fiancee  Scheme
– CPF Housing Grant Scheme for Family
The CPF Housing Grant is a scheme targeted to be used by Singaporeans to help them financially to buy a resale flat for purposes such as staying close to the family members and such. There is a specific scheme which is meant for the family. Where first-time buyers are able to apply for this fund for a resale flat of up to SGD120,000, families can apply for an amount not more than SGD50,000.

Social Development
– Social Development Unit�
The Social Development Unit or SDU was established in 1984 with the aim to promote better social interaction and marriage life among Singaporeans. This is more prominent among those who are graduates after it was found in 1980 that there is rising number of unmarried graduate women in Singapore.
– Social Development Service
The Social Development Network is the agency responsible for carrying out the Social Development Service in Singapore. Its major task is to promote better social interaction among Singaporeans where the SDN launches partnerships to have single people meet and interact more, thereby promoting more marriages in the country. Besides that, SDN plans and works with dating agencies to further promote these initiatives.

Having Children
– Enhanced use of Medisave for Assisted Conception Procedure
The Medisave for Assistated Conception Procedure is designed to financially help couples who are trying to get pregnant. This is carried out in light of the current situation where couples in Singapore are getting married at an older age which means it would be harder to conceive. As such, they would need to get involved in ACP or Assisted Conception Procedures like ART (Assisted Reproduction Technology). The Medisave for Assisted Conception Procedure can be used where couples can withdraw up to SGD6,000 for these treatments.

– Use of Medisave Maternity Package for Pre-Delivery Medical Expenses
The Medisave Maternity Package is available for Singaporeans to help them with pregnancy expenses. The original withdrawal limit was at SGD450 before it was doubled to SGD900 for those delivering after March 2016. For pre-delivery expenses, there are certain types of treatment that can be used by Medisave. This includes:

  • Pre-natal consultations
  • Ultrasound scans
  • Tests and medication expenses
  • Delivery expenses – can be used for both public and private centres

– Extension of Usage of Medisave to 4th and Higher Order Births
The Medisave Maternity scheme can be used up to your fourth child. Meanwhile, if you have the fifth child, you can only use Medisave if you have at least SGD15,000 in the combined amount between you and your spouse.

Ministry of Health Singapore website

– Third Child Priority Scheme to buy new flats
A housing incentive was introduced by the Housing and Development Board of Singapore to promote larger families in the country by having a third child (for those with 2 children). This is where families who own plats can now upgrade their homes to bigger ones after the third child is born. The families must first own a 3-room or bigger HDB flats and must have a third child born in which they can enjoy a 3-year retrospective allocation priority in the event that they register for a flat.

Raising Children
– Enhanced Baby Bonus�
The Enhanced Baby Bonus Scheme was introduced by the Singapore government to encourage families to have more children. This is applicable for babies born after 1 January 2015 where a bonus cash of SGD2,000 is given.

– Parenthood Tax Relief�
The Parenthood Tax Relief is a scheme provided in the form of a rebate. Parents in Singapore can now get the Parenthood Tax Rebate or PTR for the children they have. For the first child, this is up to SGD5,000 while it is SGD10,000 for the second child and SGD20,000 for the third and so on.

– Working Mother’s Child Relief

The Working Mother’s Child Relief is intended for the working mother taking care of her children. WMCR provides 15% of the earned income of the mother for the first child while it is 20% for the second child. After that, it is 25% for the subsequent children to a maximum of 100%. Besides that, the amount that can be claimed is at SGD50,000 for each child. On top of that, the working mother can make a further claim of SGD3,000 under the Grandparent Caregiver Relief scheme.

– Qualifying Child Relief�

This scheme is provided for working parents to help them and recognize them for supporting an unmarried child. The child must currently be studying and below 16 years of age and does not have any annual income of more than SGD4,000. The QCR can be claimed up to SGD4,000.

– Handicapped Child Relief

The expenses to take care of a handicapped child is a lot higher. As such, parents who are taking care of them would be able to claim the Handicapped Child Relief of up to SGD7,500 from their annual income.

Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore website

Caring Children
– Grandparent Caregiver Relief
The Grandparent Caregiver Relief is a scheme provided for working mothers who have children to take care of at home. This is usually carried out by their parents, parents-in-law, grandparents or grandparents-in-law. The Caregiver must be staying in Singapore at the year of assessment and the applicant can apply for relief of up to SGD8,000.
– Statutory Childcare Leave
The Centre-Based Infant & Child Care Subsidy is catered to parents with children by making child care services more affordable. Those who are eligible could apply for this subsidy of up to SGD600 for infant care and a maximum of SGD300 for child care respectively. Besides that, families where the mother is working and a monthly household income of not more than SGD7,500 can apply for the Additional Subsidy while those in the lower bracket of income will be eligible to get slightly higher subsidies.
– Government-Paid Maternity Leave
– Centre-Based Infant & Child Care Subsidy 
– Concession on Foreign Maid Levy

Balancing Work and Family
– Work-Life Works! (WOW) Fund
The Work-Life Works! (WOW) Fund is provided to companies that aim to make WOW part of their working culture. By offering the incentives for the companies, they can promote better and more harmonious working employees through schemes that help them to achieve better balance between work and play.

For Enquiries on: Numbers Email for Queries
Baby Bonus 1800 253 7707 [email protected]
Childcare Leave 6317 1182 [email protected]
Maternity Leave Reimbursement issues 1800 227 1188 [email protected]
Maternity Leave Disputes 6317 1182 [email protected]
Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession 6483 5122 [email protected]
Work Life Works Fund 6438 5122 [email protected]
Use of Medisave 1800 225 4122 [email protected]
Tax Measures 1800 356 8300 [email protected]
Child care or infantcare subsidy 1800 258 5812 [email protected]
CPF Grant Top Up 1800 225 5432 [email protected]

Baby Bonus
The Baby Bonus Scheme in Singapore is an initiative to encourage families to have more children. As the government of Singapore is aware that bringing up a child can be costly, Baby Bonus or Child Development Co-Savings Scheme was derived to help families financially. In this package, parents will enrol into the Marriage and Parenthood Package. This comes with:

  • Cash Gift – Between SGD8,000 and SGD10,000 per child
  • Child Development Account
  • Baby Bonus One-Stop Service

Childcare Leave
The Childcare Leave provision in Singapore is a statutory leave provided for working parents with children below 7 years of age. This is usually covered by the CDCA or Childcare Development Co-Savings Act or the Employment Act in Singapore. Among the purposes used for the Childcare Leave include:

  • To spend time with your child on the first day of school
  • Taking care of a child who is sick
  • Bringing your child for medical check-ups or immunisation

Maternity Leave Reimbursement
Working mothers who have given birth to a child are provided with maternity leave. To be eligible for this, the child must be registered as a Singapore citizen and the working mother is legally married to the father of the child. Besides that, the mother must be attached to the employer or have been self-employed for 3 months continuously before giving birth on or after 1 January 2017. That will then provide the mother with a 16 weeks maternity leave. The government will reimburse the salary for the 8 weeks of the 16 for the first and second child and the full 16 weeks for the third and fourth.

Maternity Leave Disputes
Due to some complications, there will be instances when there will be disputes and misunderstandings related to maternity leave. In such situations, it would be best to have these issues sorted out by the relevant authorities. Under these circumstances, applicants can contact one of the following:

Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession
There is a levy concession in Singapore for those here that need extra care from foreign domestic workers or FDW. Employers will be able to enjoy financial assistance under this scheme of SGD60 monthly. This can be used for those that need FDW to help in taking care of children or grandchildren, aged persons and persons with disabilities. Each employer can apply for up to 2 FDW schemes.

Work Life Works Fund
Work-Life Works stems from the Work-Life Strategy which is adopted by employers to help create better work-life balance amongst its employees. This is necessary in light of the rising living standards and the many issues happening in the working life today. There are many Work-Life Programmes available to achieve this balance. Among them include the FWAs or Flexible Work Arrangements where employers could enjoy up to SGD7,000 in incentives for implementing this system.

Use of Medisave
Medisave is one scheme that Singaporeans can use to help with medical treatment payments. This medical savings scheme is managed by the government where individuals will put a portion of their income to help in paying for these treatments. This can be used either for themselves or their immediate family members. Among the services that can be paid for with Medisave includes hospitalization, day surgery and some types of outpatient treatment. There is a certain withdrawal limit that can be taken out from Medisave that can be used to pay for medical premiums, certain inpatient and outpatient services and for long-term care.

Tax Measures
Tax Measures in Singapore refers to the areas by which tax can be collected. This is important for the taxpayers as they will be able to know where and how they can get more tax reliefs whether it is for having children, taking care of them or in providing caregivers.
Child care or Infant Care Subsidies
In Singapore, parents could apply for subsidies to help them take care of children and infant. This is in light of the rising standard of living and most particularly to take care of children. All Singaporean families are eligible to apply for these subsidies while those whose household income is below SGD7,500 could get what is known as the Additional Subsidy.

CPF Grant Top Up
Singaporeans with CPF can top up their Housing Grant. This is for those who got the CPF Housing Grant through the purchase of a resale flat or when they buy a BTO Flat from HDB as a single individual and then marrying a PR or a Singaporean citizen.