There are tonnes of information freely accessible online about CPF housing grant.
Nothing surprising there, after all buying an HDB in Singapore is a hot topic amongst Singaporeans. Coupled with the fact that about 80% of Singaporeans live in an HDB and you get a mass of articles generated about it.
However, it can be challenging to wade through everything to find out your eligibility for various grants. Fortunately, the Stacked Homes Team has taken the liberty to create an innovative CPF housing grant quiz. Now you can easily find out what housing grants you are eligible for in under 2 minutes! You can try it out here.
Oh, you are still here? Want to know more?
Let’s dive right in.
CPF Housing Grants for new HDB
If you are applying for an apartment as a first-timer, you will be eligible for two different types of grants, Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG).
Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG)
- Two room Flexi or Larger
- $5,000 income ceiling for couple
- $2,500 income ceiling for singles
- Up to $40,000
Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG)
- Three room flexi, four room or 5 room in non-mature estate
- Two room flexi in non-mature estate
- $8,500 income ceiling for couple
- $4,250 income ceiling for singles
- Up to $40,000
Here is how much grants are available based on your household monthly income over 12 months.
Average Monthly Household Income over 12 Months |
AHG |
SHG |
Total |
Up to $1,500 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $80,000 |
$1,501 to $2,000 | $35,000 | $40,000 | $75,000 |
$2,001 to $2,500 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $70,000 |
$2,501 to $3,000 | $25,000 | $40,000 | $65,000 |
$3,001 to $3,500 | $20,000 | $40,000 | $60,000 |
$3,501 to $4,000 | $15,000 | $40,000 | $55,000 |
$4,001 to $4,500 | $10,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
$4,501 to $5,000 | $5,000 | $40,000 | $45,000 |
$5,001 to $5,500 | – | $35,000 | $35,000 |
$5,501 to $6,000 | – | $30,000 | $30,000 |
$6,001 to $6,500 | – | $25,000 | $25,000 |
$6,501 to $7,000 | – | $20,000 | $20,000 |
$7,001 to $7,500 | – | $15,000 | $15,000 |
$7,501 to $8,000 | – | $10,000 | $10,000 |
$8,001 to $8,500 | – | $5,000 | $5,000 |
Now let’s take a look at the housing grants available to you for resale HDB:
If you are a first-timer couple gazing at a resale HDB flat, the number of subsidies that you are eligible for has increased. In the new Singapore Budget 2017, the CPF Housing Grant that was previously capped at $30,000 has been increased to $40,000 for couples who purchase five-room flats and bigger, and to $50,000 for those who buy four-room apartments or smaller from the resale market. Combined with the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Proximity Housing Grant (PHG), you are now able to take up to a maximum of $110,000 in subsidies.
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Here are the CPF housing grants possible for resale HDB:
- Family Grant
- Half Housing Grant
- Singles Grant
- Additional Housing Grant (AHG)
- Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)
Here’s the summarised breakdown:
Family Grant
- At least 21 years of age during submission of flat application
- Both owners have to be first-time applicants
- 4-room and below will get $50,000
- 5-room and above will get $40,000
Half Housing Grant
- At least 21 years of age during submission of flat application
- One owner has to be a first-time applicant
- 4-room and below will get $25,000
- 5-room and above will get $20,000
Singles Grant
- 35 years of age when applying
- All owners have to be first-time applicants
- 4-room and below $25,000
- 5-room and above $20,000
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Additional Housing Grant (AHG)
A first-timer household may be eligible for one of the following AHGs:
- AHG for families of up to $40,000
- AHG for singles of up to $20,000
Additional Housing Grants (AHG) are open to first-timer households where at least one applicant has worked continuously for a year before applying for the flat and is still working when the resale HDB flat application is successfully submitted.
AHG for Family
The AHG benefit is based on the average gross monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the request for the apartment.
Up to $1,500 | $40,000 |
$1,501 to $2,000 | $35,000 |
$2,001 to $2,500 | $30,000 |
$2,501 to $3,000 | $25,000 |
$3,001 to $3,500 | $20,000 |
$3,501 to $4,000 | $15,000 |
$4,001 to $4,500 | $10,000 |
$4,501 to $5,000 | $5,000 |
AHG for Singles
Additional Housing Grant (AHG) is also open to:
- First-Timer/Second-Time couples
- Orphan Scheme Applicants
- Singles living with their parents
AHG grant amount will be based on the average gross monthly household income for a full year before the submission of the application for the flat.
Half of average monthly household income over 12 months | AHG for singles |
Up to $750 | $20,000 |
$751 to $1,000 | $17,500 |
$1,001 to $1,250 | $15,000 |
$1,251 to $1,500 | $12,500 |
$1,501 to $1,750 | $10,000 |
$1,751 to $2,000 | $7,500 |
$2,001 to $2,250 | $5,000 |
$2,251 to $2,500 | $2,500 |
Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)
The Proximity Housing Grant helps families who want to purchase a resale HDB flat to reside near their parents and/or married child/children. Eligible singles can also benefit from the PHG if they obtain a resale HDB flat with their parents. You can apply for this if you are a first-timer or second-time buyer of a resale HDB flat.
Proximity Housing Grant
Family | Singles |
$20,000 | $10,000 |
Now that you have gone through all that information, here are some important things that you need to take note of regarding the CPF housing grants.
-
CPF grants are not given in cash
If you are eligible, these grants will be credited directly to your CPF account; there will be no cash disbursed. This money can then be utilised to offset the purchase price of the flat, efficiently reducing the amount of loan required.
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If you sold your flat, you have to return the grants back
If you do sell your flat, all of the CPF money that was used to purchase it plus the grants will have to be returned to your CPF Ordinary Account. This WILL also include the amount of interest you would have accrued if the money was not withdrawn to purchase the flat.
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There will be a resale levy if you buy another subsidised flat
If you have sold your first apartment that is bought with a CPF housing grant, you ought to pay a resale levy (of up to $50,000) when you buy another flat. However, according to HDB, you can request to waive the levy. It must be said that HDB does not allow a full waiver, but will accede to requests for a partial waiver depending on circumstances. You can find out more here (Link no longer available on Channel News Asia).
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Proximity Housing Grant affects your parents/married child too
If you are taking up the Proximity housing grant, do remember that they have to remain within the same town or 2 km of your flat for the next five years. So if you want the flexibility, it might be wise to consider if the $20,000 grant for this would be worth it.
There you go, these are all the important things you have to know about the CPF housing grants. Share it around if you think this helps!
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