From February 2025 onwards, the Assurance Package (AP) Seniors’ Bonus and MediSave top-ups will provide supplementary assistance towards the cost of living for senior citizens of Singapore in furtherance of government support for this population group. Cost of living assistance and healthcare subsidies specifically target those eligible seniors.
Assurance Package Seniors’ Bonus: Cash Payouts
Under the AP Seniors’ Bonus, around 850,000 lower-income senior Singapore citizens aged 55 and above would get cash payouts between $200 and $300 for cash disbursement.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for AP Senior’s Bonus, seniors must be aged 55 or above in 2025, be a permanent resident of Singapore with only one property in possession, and their home’s annual value as at 31 July 2024 would not exceed $31,000. Eligible seniors will also have to be of an assessable income, based on earnings in 2022 (the Year of Assessment 2023), not exceeding $34,000.
Payout Amounts
Seniors aged above 65 with homes having a value of not more than $21,000 will be given a payout amount of $300. Those seniors aged 65 and above with a home value over $21,000 but not exceeding $31,000 would receive $200.
The following are the categories and amount of payout namely that for the senior citizens 55 to 64 whose houses value is up to $21,000: $250. Between $21,000 and $31,000: $200.
Disbursement Method and Dates
Ways to get cash payouts include: PayNow will link with an NRIC bank account before 27 January 2025. For this category, the cash payout will be on 5 February 2025. A bank account will require additional details to receive the payout via GIRO by 13 February 2025. Seniors who do not opt for either of these methods will receive their payouts through GovCash by 21 February 2025.
Assurance Package MediSave Top-up
Moreover, an additional MediSave top will be given in the amount of $150 to about 2 million Singaporeans aged 20 years and below as well as aged 55 years and above. The top accounts would then be credited to their CPF accounts automatically from 11 February 2025. This initiative is part of the AP MediSave movement and is aimed at helping meet some healthcare expenses while also accumulating medical savings for use in retirement.
Notifications and Scam Warnings
An SMS will notify the eligible recipients after the benefits are credited in February 2025. For recipients without an NRIC-registered mobile number registered with Singpass, or otherwise failing to receive an SMS, a letter will be sent to the last known address on their NRIC.
Thus to prevent scams, SMS notifications will only come from “gov.sg” and will not request replies, personal information, or links. Payments will not be communicated by the government through WhatsApp or any other messaging platforms.