A CPF nomination is one of the simplest pieces of paperwork an older parent can complete, and one of the most commonly left undone. It decides who receives their CPF savings when they pass away, and in what shares. Without one, the money still reaches the family eventually, but by a slower route, with a fee deducted and a split fixed by law rather than by your parent. This guide explains what happens without a nomination, why a will does not cover CPF, how to make or change one, and how adult children can help an ageing parent get it done.
It comes up often in our work with families arranging care for an elderly parent. Planning a helper or caregiver tends to widen into the other things worth sorting while a parent is well.
This is a general explainer, not legal or financial advice. Rules change, so check the official CPF Board pages we link to before acting.
What a CPF nomination actually does
A nomination is a written instruction to the CPF Board naming the people who should receive your CPF savings after your death and the percentage each one gets. According to the CPF Board’s page on making a nomination, it covers the savings in the Ordinary, Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts, as well as any CPF LIFE premium balance.
Just as important is what it does not cover. CPF Board lists properties bought using CPF savings, Dependants’ Protection Scheme payouts and investments made under the CPF Investment Scheme as falling outside a nomination. A parent’s HDB flat, for example, is not passed on through their nomination, even if CPF money paid for it.
Anyone aged 16 and above can make a nomination. It is free to make, and CPF Board says nominees are not charged when they claim.
Why a will does not cover CPF savings
This surprises many families. CPF Board states plainly that CPF savings cannot be included in your will because they do not form part of your estate. A will leaving everything to the children does not include CPF.
So a will and a nomination do different jobs, and most older parents need both. The will deals with the estate: bank accounts, property held in their own name or as a tenant-in-common, and personal belongings. The nomination deals with CPF. If you are helping a parent with one, it is worth checking the other at the same time. Our guide to making a Lasting Power of Attorney covers a third document that belongs on the same list, because it decides who can act for your parent if they lose mental capacity.
What happens to CPF savings without a nomination
If a member passes away without a nomination, CPF Board pays the savings in their Ordinary, Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts to the Public Trustee’s Office. The Public Trustee then distributes the money to family members under the intestacy laws or, for Muslims, according to the inheritance certificate.
- It takes longer. CPF Board says the claiming process through the Public Trustee can take up to six months.
- It costs money. The Public Trustee deducts an administrative fee based on the CPF savings before distributing them, so the family receives less.
- The split is fixed by law. Your parent’s wishes play no part, and family members may need to provide documents proving their relationship to the deceased.
Who gets what under the intestacy rules
For non-Muslims, the Intestate Succession Act sets the order. As MoneySense summarises in its guide to intestacy, a surviving spouse with children receives half and the children share the other half equally. If there is a spouse but no children, the spouse receives half and the deceased’s parents share the other half equally. If there is no spouse, children share everything equally.
The gaps matter. MoneySense points out that elderly parents are excluded if the deceased leaves a spouse and children. A grandparent who wanted to help a grandchild, or an adult child who gave up work to care for them, cannot direct that without a nomination.
Types of nomination
CPF Board offers more than one form of nomination, which is worth knowing before your parent sits down to do it.
- Cash nomination. This is the default and the most common. Nominees receive the savings in cash. It can be made online with Singpass.
- Enhanced Nomination Scheme. Instead of cash, the savings go into the nominees’ own CPF accounts. CPF Board explains this in its note that savings are distributed in cash by default.
- Special Needs Savings Scheme. Designed for parents of a child with special needs, it pays the savings out to that child monthly rather than as a lump sum.
For the enhanced and special needs options, CPF Board asks members to contact it directly.
How to make or change a nomination
CPF Board’s guide to the simple steps for making a nomination sets out the process. Online is quickest if your parent is comfortable with Singpass.
- Gather the details. Your parent needs their Singpass, plus each nominee’s full name, NRIC or FIN number and contact details.
- Choose the shares. Decide who receives what percentage. More than 15 nominees requires a visit to a CPF service centre.
- Line up two witnesses. Witnesses must be 21 or older, must not lack mental capacity and must have Singpass. Neither your parent nor any nominee can be a witness. Witnesses confirm the intention to nominate but cannot see who has been nominated.
- Submit and let the witnesses complete their part. Both witnesses must complete witnessing within 7 days of submission. CPF Board says it then processes the nomination within four working days.
- Keep a note of it. Tell the nominees, or at least the family member who will handle matters later, that a nomination exists.
If your parent cannot do it online
CPF Board says officers at any ServiceSG Centre can help complete the online nomination. Your parent can also book an appointment at a CPF service centre at least one working day ahead, bringing their NRIC or passport and photocopies of the nominees’ identity documents. If they cannot find witnesses, CPF staff can act as witnesses there.
Changing an existing nomination
A new nomination replaces the old one, so changing it follows the same process. CPF Board suggests reviewing it regularly, and especially after life events such as a birth, a divorce or the death of a nominee.
Marriage, CPF LIFE and other details families miss
Marriage cancels an existing nomination
CPF Board states that upon marriage, any existing nomination is revoked. This matters for parents who remarry later in life. Divorce, by contrast, does not revoke a nomination, so a former spouse can remain a nominee until the member makes a new one.
CPF LIFE and nominations
Starting CPF LIFE payouts does not make a nomination pointless. CPF Board explains that when a member passes away, the remaining CPF LIFE premium balance is paid out together with any other CPF savings. CPF Board also explains that payouts are drawn from the premium first, and that interest earned on the premium does not form part of the amount paid to beneficiaries. The nomination decides who receives the balance.
When nominees are contacted
With a nomination in place, CPF Board says it generally reaches out to nominees within 10 working days of being notified of the member’s passing.
Helping an elderly parent make their nomination
For many families the hardest part is the conversation, not the form.
- Raise it as housekeeping, not a forecast. Framing it alongside other admin, such as updating contact details or setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney, takes the weight out of it.
- Let your parent decide. The nomination is theirs. Your role is to explain the options and help with the mechanics, not to suggest shares that favour you.
- Check that it already exists. Your parent can log in to CPF with Singpass to see whether they have a nomination and when it was made. An old nomination may name a late spouse or predate a marriage.
- Do it while they are well. Guidance from the Office of the Public Guardian states that a donee may not make or revoke a CPF or insurance nomination for the person who made the LPA. CPF Board’s position is that once a member lacks mental capacity, only the courts can make or revoke a nomination for them, which is slower and harder for everyone.
So handle it early, particularly if a parent is showing memory changes. Our guide to the early signs of dementia covers what to look out for. Families who are also arranging day to day support can read about when a helper makes the difference for an elderly parent, or look at what our elderly caregiver placements involve.
Related guides: Maid for Elderly Care Singapore: How Agencies Screen Helpers and Dementia Caregiver at Home: Daily Routines for Your Helper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I include my CPF savings in my will?
No. CPF Board states that CPF savings do not form part of your estate and cannot be included in a will. To decide who receives them, you need to make a separate nomination with CPF Board, which is free and can be done online with Singpass.
What happens to CPF if there is no nomination in Singapore?
CPF Board pays the savings to the Public Trustee’s Office, which distributes them to family members under the intestacy laws, or the inheritance certificate for Muslims. The process can take up to six months and an administrative fee is deducted, so the family receives less than they would through a nomination.
Who can be a witness for a CPF nomination in Singapore?
Two witnesses are needed. They must be at least 21, have mental capacity and, for online nominations, have Singpass. The member and the nominees cannot be witnesses. At a CPF service centre, CPF staff can witness the nomination if the member has no one else.
Does getting married cancel a nomination?
Yes. CPF Board states that any existing nomination is revoked upon marriage, so a member who marries or remarries should make a new one. Divorce does not revoke a nomination, so it is wise to review it after a divorce as well.
Can someone with an LPA make a nomination for my parent?
No. The Office of the Public Guardian’s guidance states that a donee cannot make or revoke a nomination on the donor’s behalf. That is why it is best for a parent to make or update their nomination while they still have mental capacity.
Conclusion
A nomination is quick to make, costs nothing and spares the family months of paperwork and a deducted fee. It also lets your parent decide who receives their CPF savings, instead of leaving it to a formula that may exclude the people they most want to help. Because a will cannot cover CPF and a Lasting Power of Attorney cannot create a nomination later, the window to do it is while your parent is well and able to decide for themselves.
Put the nomination on the same list as the will and the LPA, check what already exists, and for anything complex, such as blended families or special needs dependants, speak to CPF Board or a qualified professional.
Planning ahead often goes hand in hand with arranging the right care at home for an elderly parent. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.
The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.
