The Silver Support Scheme is one of the quieter pieces of Singapore’s safety net for older people. There is no form to fill in and no queue, so many families only learn about it when a letter arrives in December. This guide explains what the scheme is, who qualifies, how much it pays each quarter and when the money arrives. It also covers the other help a lower-income senior may be able to get.
We write this for adult children as much as for seniors themselves. Many of the families we work with are caring for a parent at home, sometimes with a live-in helper. Silver Support is usually the first scheme to check, because it is automatic and it is cash.
We are a maid agency, not financial advisers. Everything below comes from official sources, linked so you can check the current figures, and the CPF Board is the right place to ask about your family’s own situation.
What the Silver Support Scheme is
According to the CPF Board’s Silver Support page, the scheme provides continuing support for Singapore Citizens aged 65 and above who had low lifetime incomes and now have little or no family support or retirement resources. It started in 2016, and the quarterly cash amounts were raised in 2025.
Three features make it different from most other support:
- It is automatic. The CPF Board reviews every Singapore Citizen aged 65 and above each year. Nobody needs to apply.
- It is cash. The money is paid into a bank account and can be spent on anything, from groceries to transport to medical bills.
- It is ongoing. Eligibility is reassessed every year, so a senior who did not qualify one year may qualify the next if their circumstances change, and the reverse is also true.
Who qualifies: the three tests
A Singapore Citizen aged 65 or above will generally qualify if they meet all three of the following criteria, as set out by the CPF Board.
1. Low lifetime wages
Total CPF contributions made by age 55 must be no more than $140,000. For self-employed persons and platform workers, there is an extra condition: average annual net trade income between ages 45 and 54 must be no more than $27,600.
2. Housing type
The senior must live in a 1- to 5-room HDB flat. Neither the senior nor their spouse may own a 5-room or larger HDB flat, private property, or more than one property. One detail often gets missed: a senior may live in a 5-room flat owned by, say, a son or daughter without being disqualified, as long as they do not own it themselves.
3. Low household income
The senior must live in a household with a monthly income per person of up to $2,300. The threshold was raised from $1,800 to $2,300, as noted in a 2025 written parliamentary answer from MOM. Because it is a per-person figure, the number of people living together matters as much as how much they earn. If you are unsure who counts as part of the household for this test, ask the CPF Board directly rather than guessing.
How much Silver Support pays
Payments are made every quarter. The amount depends on two things: the type of HDB flat the senior lives in, and the household’s monthly income per person. These are the current quarterly amounts published by the CPF Board.
Household income per person of $1,500 or less
- 1- and 2-room flat: $1,080 a quarter
- 3-room flat: $860 a quarter
- 4-room flat: $650 a quarter
- 5-room flat: $430 a quarter
Household income per person above $1,500 and up to $2,300
- 1- and 2-room flat: $540 a quarter
- 3-room flat: $430 a quarter
- 4-room flat: $325 a quarter
- 5-room flat: $215 a quarter
As an illustration only, a senior in a 3-room flat whose household income works out to under $1,500 per person would receive $860 a quarter, or $3,440 over a full year, if they meet the other two tests.
Seniors on ComCare Long-Term Assistance
There is a separate rule for seniors aged 65 and above who receive ComCare Long-Term Assistance. The CPF Board says they qualify for Silver Support automatically and receive a flat $430 a quarter, whatever their flat type and household income.
When and how the money is paid
Payments begin in the quarter in which a senior turns 65. Each payment is credited at the end of the quarter before the period it covers:
- For January to March: the last week of December of the year before.
- For April to June: the last week of March.
- For July to September: the last week of June.
- For October to December: the last week of September.
The money goes to the bank account linked to the senior’s NRIC through PayNow. If there is no PayNow-NRIC account, it goes to a bank account registered with the government for government payments. Seniors with neither receive it through GovCash. Eligible seniors receive a notification letter every December.
The practical step for families is to make sure your parent has a bank account linked to PayNow with their NRIC.
Checking eligibility and asking for a review
The CPF Board’s page points seniors to the government payouts dashboard for Silver Support, where they can log in with Singpass to check eligibility and payment details. When we checked in October 2026, the page also said that CPF’s hotlines were temporarily unavailable and directed people to its Text Us service instead. Check the page for the current contact options.
What if your parent seems to fit the profile but did not qualify? MOM has said that seniors facing unique situations can appeal to the CPF Board, and that each appeal is reviewed holistically, case by case. The example MOM gave was a senior who is estranged from working children living in the same home, and so receives no financial support from them.
A January 2026 MOM answer on Silver Support appeals added that the most common appeals follow a change in circumstances, such as moving home or a change in household income per person. Seniors who tell the CPF Board about their updated circumstances will have their eligibility reassessed. So if a working family member moves out, retires or loses a job, it is worth getting in touch with the CPF Board rather than waiting for the next annual review.
Other financial support for elderly parents on lower incomes
Silver Support is rarely the whole picture. Here are other official schemes that often sit alongside it. Each has its own rules, so treat this as a list of things to look into, not a promise of eligibility.
Matched Retirement Savings Scheme
Under the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, the government matches cash top-ups to an eligible senior’s CPF retirement savings dollar for dollar, up to $2,000 a year and $20,000 over their lifetime. It is for Singapore Citizens aged 55 and above, living in Singapore, whose retirement savings are below the Basic Retirement Sum ($110,200 for 2026), with an average monthly income of no more than $4,000, a home with an annual value of no more than $21,000, and no more than one property. Anyone can make the top-up, including children. There is no need to apply. Note that top-ups which attract the matching grant do not qualify for tax relief.
ComCare Long-Term Assistance
MSF’s ComCare Long-Term Assistance is for people who are permanently unable to work because of old age, illness or disability, and who have limited or no income and little or no family support. You can check eligibility and apply through SupportGoWhere, or call the Social Service Office on 1800-777-0000, a 24-hour line.
Home Caregiving Grant
If your parent needs permanent help with at least three of the six activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing or moving around, the Home Caregiving Grant from AIC pays $600, $400 or $200 a month depending on household income per person. It is for people living at home rather than in a nursing home. Our guide to the Home Caregiving Grant walks through the assessment and application.
A lower levy if a helper cares for your parent
If you employ a helper and live with a parent who is a Singapore Citizen aged 67 or above, you may qualify for the concessionary levy of $60 a month instead of $300, provided the parent is listed as a household member in FDW eService and the other MOM conditions are met. Our guide to the maid levy and its concessions sets out the details.
For the wider question of how families pay for care over time, see our articles on CareShield Life and caregiving and on nursing home costs compared with a live-in caregiver.
What this means for families caring for a parent at home
Silver Support is not meant to cover the cost of care. What it does is give a senior some money of their own each quarter, which matters for independence and dignity.
When an older parent’s needs grow, the bigger decisions are usually about who provides day-to-day care. Some families share it among siblings, some use day care or respite care, and some bring in a live-in helper with elderly caregiving experience.
Related guides: Home Caregiver Singapore: When an Elderly Parent Needs Help and Maid for Elderly Care Singapore: How Agencies Screen Helpers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to apply for Silver Support for my parent?
No, there is no application, because the CPF Board automatically reviews every Singapore Citizen aged 65 and above each year and sends eligible seniors a notification letter in December.
Can my parent get Silver Support if they live in my 5-room flat?
Possibly, because the CPF Board allows a senior to live in, but not own, a 5-room HDB flat, provided neither they nor their spouse owns a 5-room or larger flat, private property or more than one property, and they meet the wage and household income tests.
How much is the highest Silver Support payment?
The highest current amount is $1,080 a quarter, for seniors living in a 1- or 2-room HDB flat with a household income of $1,500 or less per person, according to the CPF Board’s published table.
What can we do if our circumstances change during the year?
Tell the CPF Board, because MOM has said seniors who report updated circumstances, such as a move or a change in household income per person, will have their eligibility reassessed rather than waiting for the annual review.
Are Permanent Residents eligible for Silver Support?
No, the CPF Board describes the scheme as support for Singapore Citizens aged 65 and above, so Permanent Residents do not qualify, though they may be able to get other forms of help such as the Home Caregiving Grant, which has its own residency rules.
Conclusion
Silver Support gives lower-income Singapore Citizens aged 65 and above a regular quarterly payment, with no application needed. Eligibility depends on lifetime CPF contributions, housing and household income per person, and the amount ranges from $215 to $1,080 a quarter. If a parent seems to fit but has not received a letter, check the payouts dashboard and contact the CPF Board, especially after a change in the household.
Look too at the schemes around it, from matched CPF top-ups to ComCare and the Home Caregiving Grant, and confirm the latest figures with each agency, because thresholds are reviewed from time to time.
If your parent’s care needs are growing and you are weighing up help at home, we are happy to talk it through. 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.
