Singapore will be stated to be the most effective locations on the earth to lift a household. Our nation is secure, the schooling system is world-class, and there are numerous advantages in place that encourage working ladies like me to proceed constructing our profession whereas elevating our youngsters.
However let’s be actual – elevating youngsters in Singapore isn’t low cost. Whereas some FIRE (Monetary Independence, Retire Early) advocates have stated that having youngsters will maintain you again from monetary independence, I urge to vary. As an alternative, I imagine that with correct planning and clever budgeting, we are able to nonetheless have the perfect of each worlds.
That’s additionally why yearly, I tune in to see what advantages households will get in our Authorities’s Funds Assertion. Extra importantly, I wish to understand how these advantages might help me and my family.
Should you’re feeling overwhelmed by the assorted advantages introduced through the Funds, fret not as a result of on this article, I’ll be focusing primarily on the perks particular to households with youngsters.
BUDGET 2025 FOR FAMILIES
Decrease preschool charges
You probably have a toddler, right here’s a giant win! The price caps for childcare anchor operators will now be lowered to $610 per thirty days ($30 much less), and $650 per thirty days ($30 much less) for associate operators.
With this modification kicking in subsequent January, childcare will grow to be extra reasonably priced, which is nice information for working dad and mom like me. My youngest youngster remains to be finding out at an anchor operator, so I’m trying ahead to paying much less for his childcare charges from subsequent yr onwards!
In case your youngster is aged 5 or beneath, you too, will have the ability to profit from decrease preschool charges that take impact from January 2026.
$500 LifeSG / Edusave / PSEA credit per youngster
Every Singaporean youngster will obtain $500 within the type of both LifeSG credit (for these aged 12 and beneath), or a top-up to their Edusave Account or Put up-Secondary Training Account (for these aged 13 to twenty).
Since we have now 2 youngsters beneath 12 years previous, which means our family can be receiving a complete of $1,000 in Youngster LifeSG Credit. I intend to make use of these to pay for my youngsters’ pharmacy purchases every time they fall sick, particularly since they have an inclination to go to the physician a number of instances a yr.
These credit will be accessed through the LifeSG app and can be utilized on-line or in-person at retailers that settle for PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR. Alternatively, in case you have a OCBC checking account, you may as well convert them to money through the use of the LifeSG app to switch to your PayNow-NRIC linked checking account, after which withdraw it as money from OCBC ATMs.
In case your youngsters are older, you need to use the top-up to their Edusave / PSEA Accounts to pay for education-related bills like permitted college charges or enrichment programmes.
When: In July 2025
$800 CDC Vouchers
Singaporean households will obtain a complete of $800 in CDC Vouchers.
You need to use these on your family grocery runs and create a enjoyable grocery checklist together with your youngsters on what it’s best to get to feed the entire household! You may as well pay for your loved ones’s meals at hawker centres, or alternatively, use them to pay for haircuts, eye check-ups and even dental remedies on your youngsters!
Methods to use: Log into RedeemSG through your Singpass and use them at collaborating supermarkets, hawker stalls, or heartland retailers that settle for CDC Vouchers.
When: $500 in Might 2025, remaining $300 in January 2026
$600 – $800 SG60 Vouchers
All Singaporean adults aged 21 and above this yr will get $600 in SG60 vouchers, whereas Singaporean seniors aged 60 and above this yr will get $800.
The SG60 Vouchers can be utilized in any respect collaborating companies beneath the CDC Voucher scheme, which implies half of the vouchers can be utilized at collaborating heartland retailers and hawkers, and the opposite half can be utilized at collaborating supermarkets.
Methods to use: Log into RedeemSG through your Singpass and use them at collaborating supermarkets, hawker stalls, or heartland retailers that settle for CDC Vouchers.
When: July 2025
$100 SG Tradition Move
I’ve been paying to carry my youngsters to a number of performs and theatre experiences as I wish to expose them to the humanities. Now, with the SG Tradition Move, you need to use it to buy tickets for eligible native arts and heritage actions akin to exhibitions, experiences and performances to take pleasure in them collectively as a household!
Methods to use: Particulars to be introduced.
When: From September 2025, and legitimate to be used until 31 December 2028
$100 SG60 ActiveSG Credit score High-Up
In case you are an current ActiveSG member, you’ll obtain a $100 SG60 ActiveSG Credit score High-Up. Should you’re new to ActiveSG (like my youngest son, who hasn’t signed up but), you’ll get a complete of $200 in credit.
These ActiveSG credit will turn out to be useful for bringing your youngsters to public sports activities amenities akin to gyms or swimming swimming pools.
$100 will pay for as much as 40 ActiveSG health club visits, or over 50 visits to numerous swimming complexes positioned throughout Singapore!
Alternatively, how about signing up for a ActiveSG academy or membership, which presents varied sports activities for youngsters?
When: June 2025
As much as $400 in Local weather Vouchers
Every eligible HDB family will obtain a further $100 in Local weather Vouchers this yr, which provides on to final yr’s $300 of Local weather Vouchers. Every eligible family dwelling in a non-public residential property may also be entitled to $400 in Local weather Vouchers this yr.
If you should change to extra energy- and water-efficient family home equipment or fixtures akin to fridges, LED lights or perhaps a washer – you need to use your Local weather Vouchers to offset the associated fee at collaborating retailers akin to Finest Denki, Courts, Achieve Metropolis, Harvey Norman and even FairPrice, Large and Chilly Storage.
Eligible households can declare their Local weather Vouchers on-line at RedeemSG by logging in with their Singpass accounts.
When: April 2025
U-Save and S&CC rebates
These are nothing new by now, however nonetheless value mentioning right here as eligible Singaporean HDB households can be receiving as much as $760 of U-Save to offset their utilities bills. They may also rise up to three.5 months of Service and Conservancy Costs (S&CC) rebates to defray their S&CC.
No motion is required because the U-Save rebates can be mechanically mirrored in your utilities payments when the time comes. Your S&CC Rebate can be mechanically credited to your family’s S&CC account managed by your respective City Council.
When: April, July, October 2025, and January 2026
FOR LARGE FAMILIES
Should you intend to have (or have already got) 3 or extra youngsters, there are extra help measures for you in Funds 2025.
$1,000 Giant Household LifeSG Credit yearly
This profit is a game-changer. For the primary time ever, households with 3 youngsters or extra can be receiving $1,000 in LifeSG credit yearly from when the kid turns 1 to six to assist offset every day bills.
That’s an additional $6,000 value of credit from the third youngster onwards that folks can be getting!
Larger CDA Grants for the third youngster onwards
If the present advantages aren’t sufficient to persuade you to have extra youngsters, the Authorities additionally introduced that they’ll be rising the Youngster Growth Account (CDA) First Step Grant by $5,000 for every 3rd and subsequent youngster born from 18 Feb 2025.
CDA financial savings can be utilized to pay for childcare, medical bills and schooling, so this helps to additional offset prices.
$5,000 Giant Household MediSave Grant
What’s extra, moms will obtain a further $5,000 of their MediSave for every third and subsequent youngster.
Sure, you need to use this to offset your supply charges if you happen to resolve to have your third youngster – and even use it on your medical check-ups or insurance coverage premium.
Funds 2025 positively brings excellent news for households, particularly in case you have a number of youngsters. Whereas elevating youngsters in Singapore isn’t low cost, it’s good to know that the Authorities is stepping in to assist defray a few of our bills.
For me, the decrease childcare charges and annual LifeSG credit are the largest wins. What about you? Which a part of Funds 2025 helps your loved ones essentially the most? Let me know within the feedback! 😊
MY THOUGHTS
Decrease childcare charges was one thing that many dad and mom have been trying ahead to, so it was nice to see additional discount in price caps introduced on this yr’s Funds. Having paid near $1,500 per thirty days in childcare charges for my 2 youngsters (in an anchor operator) for the previous few years, I understand how vital these charges will be for a lot of dad and mom.
What’s extra, I may also be utilizing the $500 Youngster LifeSG Credit, $800 CDC Vouchers, $600 SG60 Vouchers, $100 SG60 ActiveSG Credit score High-Up and $100 SG Tradition Move credit to pay for our family requirements, entrance charges to public swimming swimming pools and catch extra native performs or exhibitions with my youngsters.
I’m heartened to see extra incentives introduced this yr to assist help households with youngsters of all ages and defray the prices of elevating youngsters in Singapore. As the advantages get disbursed over the following few months, I’m trying ahead to utilizing them in our every day lives.
Use the Assist for You Calculator right here to estimate the quantity of advantages you’ll be getting from Funds 2025!
Disclosure: This text is delivered to you in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance. All opinions and concepts on utilization are mine.
