Central Provident Fund (CPF) was started on 1 July 1995 and is administered by CPF Board. It is a compulsory comprehensive social security network which aims to provide working Singapore Citizen (SC) and Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) with sense of security and confidence in their old age. Your monies in the CPF’s can be used to fund the purchase of Singapore Public Housing – by Housing Development Board (HDB) resale flat in the open market. To buy HDB resale flat at subsidy, you can apply for CPF Housing Grant for the resale flat purchase, if you meet the criteria set by HDB resale and CPF rulings.

Generally you are not eligible for CPF Housing Grant Scheme in cases where you have previously enjoyed a housing subsidy from HDB, or you and all co-applicants are undischarged bankrupts, or own any of the private residential property (including HUDC flat, Executive Condominium), houses, building, land and commercial property in both local or overseas, or have not disposed of these properties within 30 months prior to the application, or if you are buying a 1-room flat or a resale flat of any flat type that has been announced for redevelopment under the Selective Enbloc Redevelopment Scheme.

If you are cleared by the prerequisites, you are entitled to apply one of the CPF Housing Grant Scheme, and later upgrade to another scheme if further qualified for higher grant. The catch is, you need to commit 5 years of minimum occupation period before you are eligible to sell your resale flat in the open market. Also you will be required to pay a resale levy should you choose to purchase another flat directly from HDB. The amount of resale levy is ranged from $15,000 for 2-room flat to the highest of $50,000 for Executive flat.

There are 7 CPF Housing Grant Schemes targeting to different eligible buyers. Family Grant Scheme is cater for married couples who are first-timer applicants. You must be Singapore Citizen (SC), at least 21 years old, must include at least one listed occupant who is SC or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR), and form a family nucleus such as your spouse and children (if any), or your parents and siblings, or your children under your legal custody (if widowed or divorced). The average monthly household income ceiling must not exceed $8,000. Under this scheme, SC with SC household shall entitle CPF subsidy of $30,000 while SC with SPR household shall entitle $20,000.

Higher-Tier Family Grant Scheme is targeting the same recipients as mentioned above, but choose to buy a resale flat near their parents’/married child’s house, where parents are staying with you in the resale flat, or your parents and married child are the owner-occupant of property in the same town or within 2 km. SC with SC household shall entitle more CPF subsidy of $40,000 while SC with SPR household shall entitle $30,000.

The CPF grants are flexible for upgrade with the changing household profile. For instance, when your SPR family member eventually takes up SC or when you have a SC child, you can enjoy the full housing subsidy by applying for the CPF Top Up Grant to Family Grant. This Top Up Grant is also targeting to Singles SC who subsequently get married. They can apply for the Top-Up Grant for their existing flat or when they buy another resale flat, if their eligibilities matched.

If your average monthly household income ceiling over the last 1 year is $5,000 and below, you can also apply for the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) Scheme in addition to the eligible Family Grant, Higher-Tier Family Grant, or CPF Top-up Grant. The AHG is meant to give extra financial assistance to people in lower-income brackets. The amount of AHG you will be eligible for is graded based on income ceiling. For examples, if your income ceiling is $1,500 or below, you’ll entitle the AHG of $40,000. The AHG reduce to $5,000 for income ceiling fall between $4,500 and $5,000,

Government has comprehensive schemes to assist SC who are Singles, also known as unmarried or divorcees. To qualify for the Single Grant Scheme, you must be at least 35 years old who are buying the resale flat to live on your own. Alternatively you can also apply with another Singles jointly up to maximum 4 applicants. Your income ceiling must be $3,000 and below if buying a 5-room or smaller resale flat. If you are living on your own, you can get $11,000 CPF subsidy. In joint applicants the subsidy will be $22,000. Singles who choose to live with their parents are eligible for the Higher-Tier Single Grant Scheme, which entitle you $20,000 CPF subsidy.

If you are a first-timer SC who marries a second time and if your spouse has previously enjoyed a housing subsidy, you can apply for the Half Housing Grant Scheme, which entitle you CPF subsidy of $15,000. If you are buying a resale flat near parents/married child like in the Higher-Tier Family Grant, the CPF subsidy will increase to $20,000.

In summary, CPF Housing Grant money can be used to offset the purchase price of the HDB resale flat from the open market, thereby reducing the housing loan amount a buyer needs to secure. You may consult reliable realtor for further advice on your eligibility to apply for CPF housing grant. A professional property agent should furnish you the latest Government, HDB and CPF rulings and transparent information such as recent transaction and current market trend to help you be well informed so that you can buy a HDB resale flat safely and at fair or subsidized price.