SINGAPORE: For each third and subsequent child born from Tuesday (Feb 18), Singaporean parents will receive up to S$16,000 (US$11,900) more in financial support under a new scheme for large families, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Tuesday (Feb 18).
Speaking during his Budget 2025 speech in parliament, Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said: “Couples with more children often worry about additional costs, because the demands grow with each additional child.”
The new Large Families Scheme will support married couples who have or aspire to have three or more children, he added.
This applies to parents who have remarried and are caring for three or more children from previous or current marriages, said the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) under the Prime Minister’s Office.
The government expects to spend about S$80 million on the initiative each year, according to NPTD.
Parents will receive a S$5,000 Large Family MediSave grant for each third and subsequent Singapore citizen born from Tuesday, said Mr Wong.
The grant will be credited into the mother’s MediSave account, and can be used to offset either her pregnancy and delivery expenses, or family members’ healthcare expenses.
Parents will also receive S$1,000 each year in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent child between the ages of one and six, or a total of S$6,000 over six years, said Mr Wong.
Like those received by national servicemen, these credits can be accessed by the child’s Child Development Account trustee through the LifeSG mobile app, and can be used at any online or physical merchant that accepts payments via PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR.
Families which already have three or more children aged six or below – born between Jan 1, 2019 and Feb 17 this year – will also receive S$1,000 each year for each eligible child until they turn six, said NPTD in a press release on Tuesday.
The LifeSG credits will be disbursed in September. In the following years, a child’s eligibility will be determined on Mar 1, and the credits disbursed in April.
Finally, all third and subsequent Singapore citizen children born from Tuesday will receive S$10,000 in their Child Development Accounts under the First Step grant. This is double the original amount.
This can be used for preschool fees and healthcare costs incurred by the child or their siblings, said Mr Wong.
The government also aims to work with corporate partners to provide a “broad range” of privileges and deals for large families, said NPTD. Thirty companies across sectors including food and beverage, retail and transportation have come on board so far.
The announcements on Tuesday for large families join a suite of marriage and parenthood measures rolled out by the Singapore government in recent years.
They include six additional weeks of shared paid leave for new parents, from Apr 1; and 10 additional weeks from the year after.
The Baby Bonus was also increased in 2023 to encourage more children.
According to NPTD surveys, more than a third of married couples want to have three or more children, but fewer couples are actually doing so.
The proportion of married, female Singapore residents aged 40 to 49 who have three or more children decreased from 24 per cent in 2014 to 18 per cent in 2024, numbers from the Department of Statistics showed.
In 2023, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate also dropped below 1.0 for the first time.
On Tuesday, Mr Wong also announced other one-off support measures in this space.
Families will receive S$500 in Child LifeSG credits for each child aged 12 and below this year. The credits will be disbursed in July for children aged one to 12 this year, and in April 2026 for those born 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.
The families of about 455,000 children are expected to benefit from the Child LifeSG credits and about 300,000 students will benefit from the top-ups to their Edusave and Post-Secondary Education accounts.
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Speaking during his Budget 2025 speech in parliament, Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said: “Couples with more children often worry about additional costs, because the demands grow with each additional child.”
The new Large Families Scheme will support married couples who have or aspire to have three or more children, he added.
This applies to parents who have remarried and are caring for three or more children from previous or current marriages, said the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) under the Prime Minister’s Office.
The government expects to spend about S$80 million on the initiative each year, according to NPTD.
Parents will receive a S$5,000 Large Family MediSave grant for each third and subsequent Singapore citizen born from Tuesday, said Mr Wong.
The grant will be credited into the mother’s MediSave account, and can be used to offset either her pregnancy and delivery expenses, or family members’ healthcare expenses.
LIFESG CREDITS
Parents will also receive S$1,000 each year in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent child between the ages of one and six, or a total of S$6,000 over six years, said Mr Wong.
Like those received by national servicemen, these credits can be accessed by the child’s Child Development Account trustee through the LifeSG mobile app, and can be used at any online or physical merchant that accepts payments via PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR.
Families which already have three or more children aged six or below – born between Jan 1, 2019 and Feb 17 this year – will also receive S$1,000 each year for each eligible child until they turn six, said NPTD in a press release on Tuesday.
The LifeSG credits will be disbursed in September. In the following years, a child’s eligibility will be determined on Mar 1, and the credits disbursed in April.
Finally, all third and subsequent Singapore citizen children born from Tuesday will receive S$10,000 in their Child Development Accounts under the First Step grant. This is double the original amount.
This can be used for preschool fees and healthcare costs incurred by the child or their siblings, said Mr Wong.
The government also aims to work with corporate partners to provide a “broad range” of privileges and deals for large families, said NPTD. Thirty companies across sectors including food and beverage, retail and transportation have come on board so far.
FEWER COUPLES HAVING BIG FAMILIES
The announcements on Tuesday for large families join a suite of marriage and parenthood measures rolled out by the Singapore government in recent years.
They include six additional weeks of shared paid leave for new parents, from Apr 1; and 10 additional weeks from the year after.
The Baby Bonus was also increased in 2023 to encourage more children.
According to NPTD surveys, more than a third of married couples want to have three or more children, but fewer couples are actually doing so.
The proportion of married, female Singapore residents aged 40 to 49 who have three or more children decreased from 24 per cent in 2014 to 18 per cent in 2024, numbers from the Department of Statistics showed.
In 2023, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate also dropped below 1.0 for the first time.
On Tuesday, Mr Wong also announced other one-off support measures in this space.
Families will receive S$500 in Child LifeSG credits for each child aged 12 and below this year. The credits will be disbursed in July for children aged one to 12 this year, and in April 2026 for those born 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.
The families of about 455,000 children are expected to benefit from the Child LifeSG credits and about 300,000 students will benefit from the top-ups to their Edusave and Post-Secondary Education accounts.
Continue reading...