SINGAPORE: Singaporean households will get a total of S$800 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers this financial year— S$500 from May 13 and another S$300 in January 2026—as announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in February as part of the Assurance Package enhancement in Budget 2025, but many online have questioned if the support really helps long-term.
One netizen called the vouchers meant to help households manage daily expenses a “short-term gain, long-term pain,” while another described it as “as good as painkillers,” as it’s not a long-term solution. Another commenter noted that not increasing the goods and services tax (GST) would be more helpful than the vouchers.
Meanwhile, one commenter pointed out, “The problem with these vouchers is that they’re only usable at limited places, only solve the problem temporarily, and inevitably raise the cost of living. Why are we moving from a cashless country to a voucher country?”
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the S$500 CDC vouchers coming in May will be allocated equally as per earlier rounds of the scheme: S$250 for spending at supermarkets and S$250 for use at participating hawkers and heartland merchants. Singaporean households will receive another S$300 in CDC vouchers in January next year.
Earlier in January, Singaporean households received S$300 CDC vouchers, valid until the end of the year.
According to Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, more than 1.28 million Singaporean households claimed the CDC vouchers in January. She added that of the nearly S$300 million given out, around S$142 million was used at participating hawkers and heartland merchants, while S$157 million went to participating supermarkets.
The CDC voucher scheme is estimated to cost the government S$1.06 billion for this financial year. More information on how to claim the May vouchers will be announced soon. /TISG
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)