Need financial help with the eldercare journey? Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents who meet our admission criteria may be eligible to apply for government subsidies.
The means-test is a method to calculate the amount of subsidies you will receive from the government for care services. It ensures that the subsidies for lower-income households and higher income households are allocated appropriately.
For means-testing, the income of all family members living in the household is taken into consideration. This includes in-laws, relatives, and legally adopted children with the same residential address.
For households with income, the monthly household income per person is used to determine the amount of subsidy allocated to eligible patients.
Monthly household income refers to:
For households with no income (e.g. an elderly retired couple whose children have moved out into their own homes), the annual value of your residence will be considered instead.
Both Singapore citizens and permanent residents are entitled to subsidies for NTUC Health’s Day Care, Home Care, and Nursing Home services, depending on the monthly household income per person. Apart from the monthly household income per person, the patient may also be required to meet other eligibility criteria, such as care assessments, to qualify.
Eligibility for Subsidies on Day Care and Home Care Fees
Criteria for monthly household income per person | Subsidy Levels | |
|---|---|---|
Singapore Citizens | Permanent Residents | |
$800 and below | 80% | 55% |
$801 – $1,200 | 75% | 50% |
$1,201 – $1,900 | 60% | 40% |
$1,901 – $2,000 | 50% | 30% |
$2,001 – $2,800 | 30% | 15% |
$2,801 and above | 0% | 0% |
Eligibility for Subsidies on Nursing Home Fees
Criteria for monthly household income per person | Subsidy Levels | |
|---|---|---|
Singapore Citizens | Permanent Residents | |
$800 and below | 75% | 50% |
$801 – $1,200 | 60% | 40% |
$1,201 – $1,900 | 50% | 30% |
$1,901 – $2,000 | 40% | 20% |
$2,001 – $2,800 | 20% | 10% |
$2,801 and above | 0% | 0% |
For Home Care and Day Care clients, you may access the MediShield Life e-Service Portal using SingPass to apply for government subsidies. For enquiries, you may contact MediShieldLife at 1800 222 3399 or email hhinfo@medishieldlife.sg.
For Nursing Home clients, you may contact the Agency for Integrated Care at 1800-650-6060, or complete the application on your own through the steps below:
Step 1:
Simply approach the medical social workers in your existing polyclinic or hospital to initiate the application for subsidies through National Means Testing Systems.
Step 2:
The medical social worker will assess the patient’s conditions, family background, and financial situation to ascertain the eligibility and subsidies rate.
Step 3:
The medical social worker will advise you on your MOH Subsidy for nursing homes.
Step 4:
The Agency for Integrated Care will review your application and send the referral to NTUC Health. NTUC Health will follow up with you for pre-admission preparation.
For more information, feel free to contact us to assist you:
The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) enables Singapore Citizens from lower to middle-income households, and all Pioneers, to receive subsidies for medical and dental care at participating General Practitioners (GP) and dental clinics near their home, for:
CHAS covers Singapore Citizens for chronic conditions at participating CHAS clinics including NTUC Health Family Medicine Clinic. All Merdeka Generation seniors will also receive subsidies for medical and dental care at CHAS GP and dental clinics including NTUC Health Family Medicine Clinic (previously known as Unity Family Medicine Clinic) and Denticare Clinics.
Eligibility for Community Health Assist Scheme
| CHAS | CHAS Green | CHAS Orange | CHAS Blue | Pioneer Generation | Merdeka Generation (from 1 Nov 2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household monthly income per person (for households with income) | Above $1,800 | $1,101-$1,800 | $1,100 and below | All Pioneers receive CHAS benefits, regardless of income or AV or home | All Merdeka Generation receive CHAS benefits, regardless of income or AV of home |
| Annual Value (AV) of home (for households with no income) | Above $21,000 | $13,001-$21,000 | $13,000 and bellow |
Community Health Assist Scheme Subsidies from 1 November 2019
| CHAS Subsidies | CHAS Green | CHAS Orange | CHAS Blue | Pioneer | Merdeka | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Illnesses | Not applicable | Up to $10 subsidy per visit | Up to $18.50 subsidy per visit | Up to $28.50 subsidy per visit | Up to $23.50 subsidy per visit | |
| Chronic Conditions | Simple | Up to $28 subsidy per visit capped at $112 per year | Up to $50 subsidy per visit capped at $200 per year | Up to $80 subsidy per visit capped at $320 per year | Up to $90 subsidy per visit capped at $360 per year | Up to $85 subsidy per visit capped at $340 per year |
| Complex | Up to $40 subsidy per visit capped at $160 per year | Up to $80 subsidy per visit capped at $320 per year | Up to $135 subsidy per visit capped at $540 per year | Up to $135 subsidy per visit capped at $540 per year | Up to $130 subsidy per visit capped at $520 per year | |
| Selected Dental Services | Not Applicable | Up to $50 to $170.50 subsidy per procedure (denture,crown,root canal treatment only) | Up to $11 to $256.50 subsidy per procedure (depends on procedure) | Up to $21 to $266.50 subsidy per procedure (depends on procedure) | Up to $16 to $261.50 subsidy per procedure (depends on procedure) | |
| Recommended Health screening under screen for life | A fixed fee of $5 with screen for live invitation letter, for recommended screening test(s) and first post-screening consultation, if required | A fixed fee of $5 with screen for live invitation letter, for recommended screening test(s) and first post-screening consultation, if required | Free with Screen for life invitation letter,for recommended screening test(s) and post-screening consultation,if required | A fixed fee of $2 with Screen for life invitation letter for recommended screening test(s) and post-screening consultation, if required | ||
Unsure of your eligibility or the application process? Please call the following numbers for more information on subsidies:
Alternatively, you may contact the CHAS customer support officer at 1800-275-2427
directly, or complete the application on your own through the steps below:
Step 1:
Pick up a CHAS application form at any Community Centre or Club (CC), Community Development Council (CDC), Public Hospital, or Polyclinic. Alternatively, you may download the application form here (PDF).
Step 2:
Fill up the application form. Family members with the same residential address only need to submit one application form with the necessary supporting documents.
Step 3:
Send the completed and signed application form to P.O Box 680, Bukit Merah Central Post Office, Singapore 911536. Application will be processed within 15 working days. From September 2019, Singaporeans can also apply for CHAS online using Singpass.
Step 4:
Successful applicant will receive a CHAS card that indicates the subsidy tier they are eligible for. All family members with the same residential address will also receive their cards.
For more information, please visit Community Health Assistant Scheme website.
To support ageing in place, the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) provides support for seniors who receive government funded home care or care within the community, and require mobility and assistive devices for daily independent living.
The following SMF subsidies are available:
Eligibility for subsidies on SMF for Assistive Devices
Generic Assistive Devices
Motorised Devices
Eligibility for Subsidies on SMF for Home Healthcare Items
Unsure of your eligibility or the application process?
You may contact Singapore Silver Line at 1800-650-6060 directly, or complete the application on your own through the steps below:
Step 1:
Get a copy of the SMF application form from any AIC Link locations, or download the Application Form for Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (PDF).
Step 2:
Fill up the application form with a copy of your NRIC, medical reports, and financial assistance documents.
Step 3:
Send the completed and signed application form to Senior Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) at No. 7 Maxwell Road #04-01 MND Complex Annex B Singapore 069111.
Step 4:
You will be notified of your application outcome by AIC.
For more information, please visit AIC's page for Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund.
The Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (IDAPE) is an assistance scheme for seniors who were not eligible for ElderShield due to their age or pre-existing disabilities.
If you fall under this category and meet the eligibility criteria, you can receive $150 – $250 monthly cash payout for up to 72 months.
The cash payout can be used to care for the disabled IDAPE claimant, for medical bills, nursing costs, and the hiring of foreign domestic worker.
You may nominate yourself, a caregiver (18 years old and above), or NTUC Health’s nursing home (if the senior is residing in our nursing home) to receive your IDAPE payment.
Eligibility for IDAPE Assistance Scheme
Unsure of your eligibility or the application process?
You may contact Singapore Silver Line at 1800-650-6060 directly, or complete the application on your own through the steps below:
Step 1:
Submit your household means test declaration to Ministry of Health. You may download the Means-Test Application Form (PDF) here.
Step 2:
Prepare your IDAPE application form and supporting documents. You may download the Application Form For Schemes Administered by Agency for Integrated Care (PDF) here.
Step 3:
Contact an IDAPE-appointed assessor for disability assessment. You may check the list of assessors here. The following fees apply:
| Type of Assessment | Born before 1 Oct 1932 | Born on or after 1 Oct 1932 |
|---|---|---|
| Visit to the appointed assessor | $10 | $50 |
| House call | $40 | $150 |
Step 4:
Submit your IDAPE application documents to the assessor, who will submit the documents to Agency for Integrated Care. You will be notified of your application outcome in writing.
For more information, please visit Silver Pages’ Resource Library on IDAPE.
Pioneers who have disabilities and require permanent help with activities of daily living, can receive a life-long cash assistance of $100 each month to support their care expenses.
Eligibility for PioneerDAS
| Criteria | Cash Payout |
|---|---|
| 1. You must be a Pioneer living in Singapore, must have been born before 1950 and must have become a Singapore citizen before 1987 | $100 |
| 2. You must need permanent help with at least three out of six activities of daily living (i.e eating, bathing dressing, transferring, toileting, walking or moving around) |
Unsure of your eligibility or the application process?
You may contact Singapore Silver Line at 1800-650-6060 directly, or complete the application on your own through the steps below:
Step 1:
Pick up the application forms at any Community Centre or AIC Link locations. Alternatively, you may follow the instructions on AIC's page.
Step 2:
Visit any clinic with the Functional Assessment Report for the disability assessment. The cost of an assessment may vary with the clinic you visit. If you are permanently bedridden, a memo or document from your doctor to certify the start date of your disability is sufficient. You may also use your Eldershield or IDAPE approval letter in lieu of a Functional Assessment Report.
Step 3:
Send the completed forms to the Agency for Integrated Care at No. 7 Maxwell Road #04-01, MND Complex Annex B, Singapore 069111.
Step 4:
You will be notified of your application outcome by the Agency for Integrated Care.
For more information, please visit the AIC's page for the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme page for more information.
The Merdeka Generation Package is for Singaporeans born from 1 January 1950 to 31 December 1959, and who became a Singapore Citizen on or before 31 December 1996.
The package is also given to seniors who did not receive the Pioneer Generation Package, but were born on or before 31 December 1949, and became a Singapore Citizen on or before 31 December 1996. Benefits include:
You may check your eligibility for the Merdeka Generation Package by visiting this page.
For assistance on the Merdeka Generation Package application, you may contact the Merdeka Generation Package support staff at 1800-2222-888 or email contactus@merdeka.gov.sg.
For more information, please visit the Merdeka Generation website.
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