Senior Citizens’ Bonus Overview

The Senior Citizens' Bonus helps lower-income elderly who have to meet living expenses out of their savings. All Singaporeans aged 55 and above, and have an annual income of $100,000 or less, would receive the Senior Citizens' Bonus.

Who can receive Senior Citizens’ Bonus?

To receive Senior Citizens’ Bonus, you must:

• Be a Singapore citizen;
• Be aged 55 or above in the year of payout;
• Have an annual Assessable Income of $100,000 or less in the Year of Assessment preceding the year of payout; and
• Sign up for your GST Credits by 31 December of the year of payout. There is no need for a separate sign-up for Senior Citizens’ Bonus.

How much Senior Citizens’ Bonus can I receive?

The amount of Senior Citizens' Bonus you can receive depends on:

(i) The Annual Value (AV) of your home in 2007 if your NRIC address has not changed since 31 December 2007*; and

(ii) Your Assessable Income (AI) for the Year of Assessment preceding the year of payout (for example, your 2010 payout depends on your AI for Year of Assessment 2009, which is the income you earned in calendar year 2008 as assessed by IRAS);and

(iii) Your Age in the year of payout.

* Your payouts would be determined based on the AV of your home in 2007 if you have stayed in the same residence since then. If you newly qualify (i.e. new citizen or newly turned 21), your payouts would be determined based on the AV of your home in the preceding year if you stayed in the same residence. If you have changed your address, the AV of your new home in the year of change would be applied in determining your payouts from the subsequent year onwards after the change is reflected in your NRIC. For instance, if your NRIC address is changed in 2009, the AV of your new home in 2009 would be used for your 2010 payout.

The Senior Citizens' Bonus (SCB) would be based on the same tiers as the GST Credits, with 2/3 in cash and 1/3 in the CPF Medisave Account.

¹ If you have stayed in the same residence since 2007, the AV cut-offs of $5,000 and $10,000 apply. Where payouts are determined based on the AV of your home in 2008 or 2009 because you newly qualify for payouts or have changed your NRIC address in 2008 or 2009, the AV cut-offs of $6,000 and $11,000 apply.

Can I donate my GST Credits/Senior Citizens' Bonus to a charity?

You can donate your GST Credits/Senior Citizens' Bonus to a charity of your choice.

If you have signed up for your GST Credits earlier (in 2007 – 2009) and wish to donate your 2010 GST Credits/Senior Citizens' Bonus, you may do so from 31 May to 18 June 2010 at www.gstoffset.gov.sg.

If you have not signed up for your GST Credits, you can donate your 2010 GST Credits when you sign up for your 2010 GST Credits from 31 May 2010.

Calendar of important dates for 2010