Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
On 12 Feb, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his Budget 2026 Statement from the Parliament House, announcing a range of government schemes, including many aimed at supporting Singaporeans and their families in defraying living expenses. Here are the main ones to take note of.
S$200 – S$400 Cost-of-Living Special Payment
Firstly, yes — there will be a cash payment by the government this year. All Singaporean adults with up to S$100,000 in Assessable Income and who do not own more than 1 property will receive a Cost-of-Living Special Payment of S$200 – S$400 in Sep 2026.
S$500 CDC Vouchers
Another S$500 CDC Vouchers will also be credited to all Singaporean households in Jan 2027. As usual, this S$500 will be split in half – S$250 for purchases at participating merchants and the other S$250 to be used at participating supermarkets.
S$500 Child LifeSG credits
There is something to support parents, too. Another S$500 of Child LifeSG Credits will be given for each Singaporean child aged 12 and below. These credits will be transferred to Child Development Account (CDA) trustees in Jul 2026, via the LifeSG Mobile App.
CPF top-up of up to S$1,500
Budget 2026 takes into account Singaporeans of all ages. Eligible Singaporeans aged 50 and above will also receive a one-time top-up to their Central Provident Fund (CPF) in Dec 2026. This applies only if their CPF retirement savings fall below the Basic Retirement Sum, with the amount topped up ranging between S$500 and S$1,500.
U-Save rebates
To support Singaporean households further, there will also be U-Save rebates given through the year. Eligible Housing Development Board (HDB) households will receive up to S$570 between Apr 2026 and Mar 2027, to help them with their utilities expenses.
6 months of free access to premium AI tools
Lastly, a large portion of PM Wong’s statement for Budget 2026 covered a hot topic – artificial intelligence (AI). To help Singaporeans prepare for a changing work landscape due to AI advancements, the government is encouraging everyone to engage in further learning.
So, those who take up selected AI training courses will be provided with 6 months of free access to premium AI tools. This will allow them to experiment and apply what they have learnt.
All initiatives and schemes mentioned in this article are the main ones that stood out to us. But if you’d like a detailed rundown of every support scheme and topic covered by PM Wong, visit the official Budget 2026 website.
Another $300 CDC Vouchers can now be claimed by Singaporean households
