CPF Housing Grant eligibility is a factor most prospective homeowners will consider when buying an HDB flat. For first-timers eyeing a flat in Singapore, getting an HDB Grant will probably be the most important aspect of financing their properties, as grants help make homes more ‘affordable’.
As the title ‘CPF Housing Grants’ suggests, HDB grants are credited into your CPF Ordinary Account (OA) via CPF top-up and must be returned to your CPF account once you sell the flat. While some people may believe in not using your CPF to pay for your house, HDB grants can make it easier to own a home in a country where houses are expensive.
But with so many CPF Housing Grant eligibility criteria, trying to apply for one can get pretty confusing. With a focus on HDB Grants for couples and families – comprising at least one Singapore Citizen (SC), the other spouse a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) – we’ll explain in this article everything you need to know about CPF Grants, including BTO Grant eligibility and grants for resale flats, and how you can qualify for them.
Table of contents:
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Families) (EHG)
- CPF Housing Grants for Resale Flats (Families)
- Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)
- Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG)
- Family Grant Vs Half-Housing Grant (CPF Housing Grant)
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility for Couples and Families
| HDB Housing Grant | It can be used to buy this type of HDB flat |
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Families) (EHG) | BTO and resale flats |
| CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (Families) | Resale flats |
| Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) | Resale flats |
| Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG) | If you currently own a 2-room flat that was bought from HDB after October 1955, or a resale HDB flat with a CPF Housing Grant, you’re eligible to buy a 3-room BTO or resale flat
If you currently live in a public rental flat, you’re eligible to buy a BTO flat (2-room Flexi or 3-room) and a resale flat (2-room) |
| CPF Housing Grant (Family Grant) | Executive Condominium (EC) unit |
| CPF Housing Grant (Half-Housing Grant) | EC unit |
1. Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Families) (EHG)
| Income ceiling | CPF grant calculation amount |
| Not more than $1,500 | $80,000 |
| $1,500 to $2,000 | $75,000 |
| $2,000 to $2,500 | $70,000 |
| $2,501 to $3,000 | $65,000 |
| $3,001 to $3,500 | $60,000 |
| $3,501 to $4,000 | $55,000 |
| $4,001 to $4,500 | $50,000 |
| $4,501 to $5,000 | $45,000 |
| $5,001 to $5,500 | $40,000 |
| $5,501 to $6,000 | $35,000 |
| $6,001 to $6,500 | $30,000 |
| $6,501 to $7,000 | $25,000 |
| $7,001 to $7,500 | $20,000 |
| $7,501 to $8,000 | $15,000 |
| $8,001 to $8,500 | $10,000 |
| $8,501 to $9,000 | $5,000 |
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility for EHG
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | First-timer applicant couples and families who haven’t previously received a CPF Grant |
| Employment | One applicant must’ve worked continuously for at least 12 months before applying for the HFE letter |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years, and long enough to cover the younger spouse up to 95 years old |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying |
Who Is Considered a First-timer for HDB Flats?
- Not the current owner of, hasn’t sold, and hasn’t been a recipient of any CPF Grant for the purchase of a flat bought directly from HDB, a Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat, or an EC bought from the developer
- Hasn’t sold an HDB flat with re-housing benefits under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), or received other housing subsidies including enjoying SERS benefits or the privatisation of Housing and Urban Company (HUDC) estate
Interest in property happens when you:
- Buy a property
- Obtain it as a gift
- Inherit it
- Own, acquire, or dispose of it through an intermediary
Read more about the CPF Housing Grant eligibility conditions for fiancé and fiancées, married couples and/or parent(s) with children (relevant for the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG)), multi-generation families, and non-residents (relevant for the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)).
2. CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (Families)
| Household | HDB grant calculation amount when buying a 2- to 4-room HDB resale flat | HDB grant calculation amount when buying a 5-room or bigger HDB resale flat |
| First-timer SC-SC couples | $80,000 | $50,000 |
| First-timer SC-SPR couples | $70,000 | $40,000 |
| First- and second-timer SC-SC couples | $40,000 | $25,000 |
Read more about the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (Families) announcements by Mr Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, during the Budget 2023 statement on 14 February 2023.
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility for Resale Flats (Families)
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | First-timer couples and families, or
First-timer SCs whose spouses previously received CPF Grant |
| Income ceiling | $14,000, or
$21,000 if purchasing with an extended or multi-generation family |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying for the HFE letter Mustn’t be buying an HDB flat announced for SERS |
3. Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)
| Household | HDB grant calculation amount |
| Living with your parents/child | $30,000 |
| Living within 4km of your parents/child | $20,000 |
PHG Eligibility
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | Couples and families who haven’t previously received the PHG |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying for the HFE letter |
Read our full review of the PHG.
4. Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG)
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | Couples and families who’ve taken one housing subsidy |
| Income ceiling | $7,000 |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying for the HFE letter |
5. Family Grant Vs Half-Housing Grant (CPF Housing Grant)
| Income ceiling | Family Grant amount (for SC-SC households) | Family Grant amount (for SC-SPR households) | Half-Housing Grant amount (if you are a first-timer SC and your co-applicant is a second-timer who has previously taken one housing subsidy) |
| $10,000 or lower | $30,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 |
| $10,001 to $11,000 | $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| $11,001 to $12,000 | $10,000 | None | $5,000 |
SC-SPR households who apply for the CPF Housing Grant can receive an additional $10,000 when the SPR converts to an SC by applying for the Citizen Top-Up housing subsidy within six months of eligibility.
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