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S$200 more CDC vouchers, extra cash payout in Dec: New S'pore cost-of-living package
These measures are part of a new S$1.1 billion support package announced by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
SINGAPORE – Singaporean households will receive an additional S$200 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers in 2024 to help manage the rising cost of living.
Some 2.5 million eligible adult Singaporeans will also be getting an additional cash payout of up to S$200 in December.
These were some of the measures – part of a new S$1.1 billion support package – announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (28 September) that are aimed at helping citizens cope with rising prices. This package includes a S$0.8 billion enhancement to the Assurance Package, bringing it to over S$10 billion.
In a press release, the Ministry of Finance said, "While inflation has come down from its peak, households are still dealing with the impact of price increases in various areas." The ministry also noted that the government has provided assistance to Singaporeans "through Budget and off-Budget measures since the start of last year".
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In total, these measures mean that eligible Singaporeans will receive up to S$800 cash in December, while households will receive a total of S$500 in CDC vouchers next year.
CDC vouchers
The additional CDC vouchers will be allocated equally: S$100 for spending at participating heartland merchants and hawkers, and S$100 for spending at participating supermarkets.
The 2024 CDC vouchers should be claimed digitally from 3 January 2024. The vouchers can be claimed any time during their validity period, and will expire at the end of 2024.
U-Save rebates, PTV vouchers
Other measures announced on Thursday include more U-Save rebates to help households with the latest increase in water prices, as well as subsidies and vouchers to help manage the increase in public transport fares announced recently.
An additional S$20 per quarter of U-Save rebates will be disbursed from January 2024 to December 2025 for some 950,000 Singaporean households. This works out to a total of S$80 each year for the next two years.
These rebates will be disbursed together with the regular U-Save rebates, the ministry said, "and will cushion the impact of the increases in carbon tax and water price in 2024 and 2025".
"Over 2024–2025, the additional U-Save rebates will, on average, fully offset the increase in utility bills for 1- to 2-room HDB flats, about 80 per cent of the increase in utility bills for 3- to 4-room HDB flats, and about 65 per cent of the increase in utility bills for larger flats," it added.
Public transport vouchers (PTVs) worth S$50 each for resident households with monthly household income per person of not more than $1,600 will also be given. The PTVs, which will be disbursed from end-December 2023, can be used to top up fare cards or buy monthly travel or concession passes.
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