To help ease the strain of everyday expenses, the Singapore government has implemented the Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme which enables families to receive up to S$1,920. This was part of the Assurance Package which was announced in a Budget 2024 speech by the Finance Minister, Lawrence Wong. The purpose of the program is to try and stimulate economic activity in the heartlands. Although there have been speculations regarding the S$1,920 amount, the confirmed allocation as of now is S$300 for 2025 which is to be distributed in two installments alongside additional complementary supplements.
Who is Eligible and Where to Apply
Eligibility is restricted to Singapore citizens. Households with at least one Singapore citizen are permitted to claim the vouchers. Any person with the status of permanent resident or foreign citizen is not eligible. It is however mandatory to possess a Singpass account. Claims can be submitted through the official CDC website where a QR code is sent through SMS, this code can be used at participating merchants until the end of 2025. For those not as digitally inclined, reaching out to community centers with your NRIC allows for physical vouchers to be printed.
Spending in Your Neighborhood
To stimulate local economic performance, CDC vouchers can be spent at hawker stalls, kopitiams, mini-marts, traditional medicine halls, tailors, bicycles repair shops with the sign “CDC Vouchers Accepted Here” and even at NTUC FairPrice, Giant, Sheng Siong, Cold Storage, Prime Supermarket and Hao Mart. This wide acceptance ensures that families can use the vouchers from buying fresh food to household staples.
Maximizing Your Benefits
Being financially savvy always. Treat your CDC vouchers as a budget for the month, assigning portions for groceries, toiletries, and meals. Supermarket sales are a gold mine for savings, and many outlets allow CDC vouchers to be used in conjunction with loyalty points and in-store discounts. Households can share claim links through the CDC portal, which allows multiple family members to claim benefits without working against each other.
The name of S$300 for 2025, split in two phases, has been floating around the internet and social media has added their own twist. The larger number is most likely a result of combining the other assistance schemes like Utilities-Save rebates or GST Voucher payouts which some households also claim. It is always wise to remember that any unspent vouchers will expire on 31 December 2025, so plan your redemptions wisely.
