SINGAPORE: "A budget for all Singaporeans" – that was how Prime Minister Lawrence Wong described Budget 2025, which was announced on Tuesday (Feb 18).
"Every Singaporean is supported from birth to old age, with more support given to those with less. No one is left behind," said Mr Wong, who is also finance minister.
From cost-of-living support to more help for those with children, here are six key takeaways for families and individuals.
To mark 60 years of nationhood, every Singaporean aged 21 and older will get S$600 (US$450) in SG60 vouchers. Seniors aged 60 and above will receive an additional S$200.
The vouchers will be given out in July and expire on Dec 31, 2026. They can be used at participating supermarkets, as well as heartland merchants and hawkers.
The SG60 package further includes a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent for the 2025 year of assessment.
Babies born this year will also receive a special gift – an initiative first announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah in November last year.
Separately, a new SG Culture pass will give Singaporeans aged 18 and above S$100 in credits for cultural performances, museum exhibitions and more.
These credits expire at the end of 2028.
Every Singaporean household will get S$800 in CDC vouchers to offset rising costs.
They will receive the first S$500 in May, and the remaining S$300 in January 2026.
As with previous CDC vouchers, half can be used at participating supermarkets, and the other half can be spent at heartland merchants and hawkers.
U-Save rebates also continue, with households getting up to S$760 – double the regular amount – to help with utilities expenses.
A new Large Families Scheme will support married couples who have or aspire to have three or more children.
For each third and subsequent Singaporean child born from Feb 18, Singaporean parents will receive up to S$16,000 more.
This extra support will take the form of:
This also applies to parents who have remarried and are caring for three or more children from previous or current marriages.
There are other one-off support measures for families with children.
Families will receive S$500 in Child LifeSG credits for each child aged 12 and below this year.
Singaporean children aged 13 to 16 will get S$500 in top-ups to their Edusave accounts, while those aged 17 to 20 will get an additional S$500 in their Post-Secondary Education accounts.
Monthly childcare fees at anchor operator preschools will be capped at S$610, down from S$640.
Similarly, in partner operator preschools, fees will not go above S$650, down from a cap of S$680.
After subsidies, a dual-income family will pay about S$300 per child, with lower- and middle-income families paying less with additional subsidies.
Families living in public housing will get an additional S$100 in Climate Vouchers on top of the S$300 from last year.
Those living in private properties will also receive S$400 in Climate Vouchers to buy more efficient appliances.
The vouchers come in a mix of denominations – S$2, S$5, S$10 and S$50 – and can be used to buy 10 types of energy- and water-efficient household products.
There will be more help for lower-income households.
The Fresh Start Housing Scheme will be enhanced, allowing second-timer families with children who live in public rental flats to get S$75,000 in grants for a new standard two-room Flexi or standard three-room flat on a shorter lease.
This is an increase from the S$50,000 in grants that eligible families under the scheme can currently receive.
Second-timer families refer to households that have previously enjoyed one housing subsidy.
ComCare Assistance scheme payouts will increase. For example, a one-person household on long-term assistance will get an extra S$120 a month, bringing the total cash assistance to S$760 a month.
Continue reading...
"Every Singaporean is supported from birth to old age, with more support given to those with less. No one is left behind," said Mr Wong, who is also finance minister.
From cost-of-living support to more help for those with children, here are six key takeaways for families and individuals.
1. SG60 giveaway
To mark 60 years of nationhood, every Singaporean aged 21 and older will get S$600 (US$450) in SG60 vouchers. Seniors aged 60 and above will receive an additional S$200.
The vouchers will be given out in July and expire on Dec 31, 2026. They can be used at participating supermarkets, as well as heartland merchants and hawkers.
The SG60 package further includes a personal income tax rebate of 60 per cent for the 2025 year of assessment.
Babies born this year will also receive a special gift – an initiative first announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah in November last year.
Separately, a new SG Culture pass will give Singaporeans aged 18 and above S$100 in credits for cultural performances, museum exhibitions and more.
These credits expire at the end of 2028.
2. More Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers
Every Singaporean household will get S$800 in CDC vouchers to offset rising costs.
They will receive the first S$500 in May, and the remaining S$300 in January 2026.
As with previous CDC vouchers, half can be used at participating supermarkets, and the other half can be spent at heartland merchants and hawkers.
U-Save rebates also continue, with households getting up to S$760 – double the regular amount – to help with utilities expenses.
3. Perks for families with three kids or more
A new Large Families Scheme will support married couples who have or aspire to have three or more children.
For each third and subsequent Singaporean child born from Feb 18, Singaporean parents will receive up to S$16,000 more.
This extra support will take the form of:
- A S$5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant, credited to the mother's account
- S$1,000 LifeSG credits a year when the child is between the ages of one and six, for a total of S$6,000 over six years
- A S$5,000 increase in the First Step Grant to the Child Development Account
This also applies to parents who have remarried and are caring for three or more children from previous or current marriages.
There are other one-off support measures for families with children.
Families will receive S$500 in Child LifeSG credits for each child aged 12 and below this year.
Singaporean children aged 13 to 16 will get S$500 in top-ups to their Edusave accounts, while those aged 17 to 20 will get an additional S$500 in their Post-Secondary Education accounts.
4. Lower caps on preschool fees
Monthly childcare fees at anchor operator preschools will be capped at S$610, down from S$640.
Similarly, in partner operator preschools, fees will not go above S$650, down from a cap of S$680.
After subsidies, a dual-income family will pay about S$300 per child, with lower- and middle-income families paying less with additional subsidies.
5. Climate vouchers
Families living in public housing will get an additional S$100 in Climate Vouchers on top of the S$300 from last year.
Those living in private properties will also receive S$400 in Climate Vouchers to buy more efficient appliances.
The vouchers come in a mix of denominations – S$2, S$5, S$10 and S$50 – and can be used to buy 10 types of energy- and water-efficient household products.
6. More support for lower-income households
There will be more help for lower-income households.
The Fresh Start Housing Scheme will be enhanced, allowing second-timer families with children who live in public rental flats to get S$75,000 in grants for a new standard two-room Flexi or standard three-room flat on a shorter lease.
This is an increase from the S$50,000 in grants that eligible families under the scheme can currently receive.
Second-timer families refer to households that have previously enjoyed one housing subsidy.
ComCare Assistance scheme payouts will increase. For example, a one-person household on long-term assistance will get an extra S$120 a month, bringing the total cash assistance to S$760 a month.
Continue reading...