You might already know that there are various housing grants for couples to offset the cost of buying a new flat, be it an HDB BTO flat or HDB resale flat. But it can be confusing trying to figure out which grant you’re eligible for, with different eligibility criteria for various situations.
So here’s our quick-and-easy guide and infographic to help you make sense of grants and budget for your HDB flat.
Various factors — such as household income — determine the HDB grant amount a couple can get. The key thing is that buyers of HDB resale flats are offered more grants than BTO (Build To Order) and SBF (Sale of Balance Flats) applicants.
This is because BTO and SBF flats are sold directly by HDB at a subsidised rate. (Open booking flats also fall under the same category as BTO and SBF flats.)
Now, let’s find out which HDB grants you may be eligible for.
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If you’re single, we have another article for you here: Quick Guide to BTO and Resale HDB Grants for Singles.
HDB grants for couples applying for BTO/SBF/Open Booking flats
Technically, only two grants are available for BTO/SBF/Open Booking flats: the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) and the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant. (The EHG replaced the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) in September 2019.)
The EHG is for first-timers, while the other grant is for second-timers. Specifically, the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant is reserved for those upgrading from a subsidised two-room flat or public rental flat.
So most BTO/SBF/Open Booking flat applicants would be looking at only the EHG, which is tiered according to household income. This means that lower-income households will receive a higher EHG grant.
If both applicants are first-timers
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG): up to S$80,000. To qualify, the average gross monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the flat application date must be within S$9,000.
If one applicant is a first-timer, and the other a second-timer
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for Singles, EHG (Singles): up to S$40,000. To qualify, half of the average monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the flat application date must be within S$4,500. For example, a couple who earned S$56,000 in the past calendar year will not be eligible for the EHG (Singles), as the average monthly income is S$4,667.
Here’s the table showing how the EHG is tiered for couples and singles:
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for Couples | Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for Singles | ||
| Average monthly household income | Grant amount | Half of the average monthly household income | Grant amount |
| Not more than S$1,500 | S$80,000 | Not more than S$750 | S$40,000 |
| S$1,501 – S$2,000 | S$75,000 | S$751 – S$1,000 | S$37,500 |
| S$2,001 – S$2,500 | S$70,000 | S$1,001 – S$1,250 | S$35,000 |
| S$2,501 – S$3,000 | S$65,000 | S$1,251 – S$1,500 | S$32,500 |
| S$3,001 – S$3,500 | S$60,000 | S$1,501 – S$1,750 | S$30,000 |
| S$3,501 – S$4,000 | S$55,000 | S$1,751 – S$2,000 | S$27,500 |
| S$4,001 – S$4,500 | S$50,000 | S$2,001 – S$2,250 | S$25,000 |
| S$4,501 – S$5,000 | S$45,000 | S$2,251 – S$2,500 | S$22,500 |
| S$5,001 – S$5,500 | S$40,000 | S$2,501 – S$2,750 | S$20,000 |
| S$5,501 – S$6,000 | S$35,000 | S$2,751 – S$3,000 | S$17,500 |
| S$6,001 – S$6,500 | S$30,000 | S$3,001 – S$3,250 | S$15,000 |
| S$6,501 – S$7,000 | S$25,000 | S$3,251 – S$3,500 | S$12,500 |
| S$7,001 – S$7,500 | S$20,000 | S$3,501 – S$3,750 | S$10,000 |
| S$7,501 – S$8,000 | S$15,000 | S$3,751 – S$4,000 | S$7,500 |
| S$8,001 – S$8,500 | S$10,000 | S$4,001 – S$4,250 | S$5,000 |
| S$8,501 – S$9,000 | S$5,000 | S$4,251 – S$4,500 | S$2,500 |
| More than S$9,000 | NA | More than S$4,500 | NA |
Source: HDB
Income criteria for EHG:
To qualify for the EHG, at least one of the applicants must have worked continuously for 12 months prior to the flat application, and must be working at the time of the flat application.
If both applicants are second-timers
- Step-Up CPF Housing Grant: S$15,000. This is for couples living in a two-room subsidised flat in a non-mature estate or public rental flat, and wish to buy a new 3-room flat in a non-mature estate. Those living in a public rental flat buying a 2-room Flexi flat from HDB in a non-mature estate may also be eligible for the grant.
If one applicant is not a Singapore Citizen (Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme)
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for Singles, EHG (Singles): up to S$40,000. To qualify, half of the average monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the flat application date must be within S$4,500. For example, a couple who earned S$56,000 in the past calendar year will be ineligible for the EHG (Singles), as the average monthly income is S$4,667.
Resale levy
Couples who buy a new HDB flat or receive a CPF Housing Grant will be required to pay resale levy (based on the size of the first HDB flat) if they plan to buy another new HDB flat or a new EC unit.
This is how the government ensures a level playing field, making sure people won’t take advantage of the property subsidies and game the housing system.
Those buying a resale flat won’t have to pay resale levy.
HDB grants for couples applying for resale flats
If both applicants are first-timers
- Family Grant: S$50,000 for four-room flats or smaller and S$40,000 for five-room flats or larger. To qualify, your monthly household income must not be more than S$14,000 (or S$21,000 for extended family applicants).
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG): up to S$80,000. To qualify, the average gross monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the resale flat application date must be within S$9,000.
- Proximity Housing Grant (PHG): S$30,000 (if you’re going to live with your parents/children), or S$20,000 (if you’re going to live within 4km of your parents/children). Scroll down for more info on this.
One applicant is a first-timer, and the other is a second-timer
- Family Grant: up to S$25,000 for four-room flats or smaller and S$20,000 for five-room flats or larger, with monthly household income capped at S$14,000 (or S$21,000 for extended family applicants). Previously, this grant was called the Half-Housing Grant, in which the amount is half of what you would get from the Family Grant. Now this grant falls under the Family Grant.
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) for Singles: Up to S$40,000. The grant amount is based on the income, with the maximum grant amount being S$40,000. Likewise, half of the average gross monthly household income must be within S$4,500.
For applicants who have previously received a Singles Grant
- Top-Up Grant: up to the Family Grant amount you are eligible for, minus any previously received grant amounts (e.g. under the Single Singapore Citizen Applicants scheme). This is for those who have previously bought a house as a single from HDB, or the resale market and received Singles Grants, and later got married. Those who bought under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme and received Singles Grant, and their spouse (or child) received SC or SPR status at a later date may also be eligible for the Top-Up Grant.
- Proximity Housing Grant (PHG): S$30,000 (if you’re going to live with your parents/children), or S$20,000 (if you’re going to live within 4km of your parents/children). As for the proximity condition, your parents or children can either be living in public housing or private property. There’s no income ceiling for the PHG.
If both applicants are second-timers
- Step-Up CPF Housing Grant: S$15,000. This is for couples living in a two-room subsidised flat in a non-mature estate or public rental flat, and wish to buy a resale 3-room flat in a non-mature estate. Those living in a public rental flat buying a 2-room resale flat in a non-mature estate may also be eligible for the grant.
Citizen Top-Up Grant
For Singapore Citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident (SC/SPR) households with a household member obtaining Singapore Citizenship status, they are also eligible for a Citizen Top-Up Grant of S$10,000. This household member can either be:
- The SPR spouse originally listed in the flat application gets Singapore Citizenship
- An SC child who is born to the SC applicant/owner and spouse listed in the flat application
- The SPR parent/child/sibling listed in the flat application gets Singapore Citizenship
This Citizen Top-Up Grant is akin to a reimbursement for the household. This is because SC/SPR households have to pay an extra S$10,000 when they buy a BTO flat, or get S$10,000 lower in grant amount when they buy a resale flat.
For more information about HDB resale grants, check out our detailed article: HDB Resale Grants: How much can you get?
HDB flats for sale
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What if one of the applicants has yet to graduate/ORD from National Service?
HDB announced that for BTO applications from May 2018 onwards, the income assessment can be deferred until key collection for full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and student applicants. One of the applications must also be aged 30 years old and below at the point of application. The deferment of income assessment for these couple applicants still qualifies them to apply for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG).
You can head over to HDB’s website for more information about the Deferred Income Assessment.
How will the HDB grants for couples be disbursed?
All grants will be credited into the CPF Ordinary Accounts (CPF OA) of eligible Singapore Citizen applicants. For couples, the grant amounts are split equally into the two CPF OA accounts. No cash will be disbursed.
Do take note that when you sell your house, you’ll need to refund the grant amount plus accrued interest (of 2.5% per year) back to your own CPF account. This is on top of any CPF savings used to pay for your house.
The first S$60,000 of the housing grants will be credited back to your CPF OA account, while the remaining grant amount will be put into your CPF Special Account / Retirement Account and Medisave Account.
(Single and aged 35 and above? Find out what grants you may be eligible for when buying a BTO or resale HDB flat.)
What do you think about the BTO and resale HDB grants? Let us know in the comments below.
If you found this article helpful, 99.co recommends How to get enough money to buy a property in Singapore and Deciding between HDB loan vs bank loan? Here’s a quick reference.
Frequently asked questions
The EHG is a housing grant that you can apply if you’re a first-timer applicant buying a BTO flat or resale flat, with a gross monthly household income of not more than S$9,000.
If you’re a first-timer getting a BTO flat, you can get up to S$80,000 HDB grant. The maximum grant amount is double (up to S$160,000) if you apply for a resale flat.
No, you don’t have to return it to HDB or CPF. What you need to do, though, is to refund it back to your own CPF account, plus any other CPF monies used to pay for the house and accrued interest, when you sell your house.
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