Financial help for families in Singapore: where to start, ComCare, ComLink+ and fee help

You can get financial help for families in Singapore through one front door: a Social Service Office (SSO) or the ComCare hotline on 1800 222 0000. The SSO looks at your whole situation, then gives ComCare cash help or links you to other support. ComCare and student care fee help take a Singpass application on SupportGoWhere. Preschool and school fee help goes through your child's centre or school.

Where to start, step by step

1. Call the ComCare hotline on 1800 222 0000 if you don't know where to begin. MSF answers Monday to Sunday, 7am to 12 midnight.
2. Look up your options on SupportGoWhere. It's the government's support finder, and you can apply for several schemes there with Singpass.
3. Gather your papers. For ComCare, that's the latest bank balance of everyone at home, plus payslips or a medical certificate if they apply to you.
4. Apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance online, or at your nearest SSO. The usual guide is $800 or less a month per person. Earn more? An SSO can still assess you.
5. Ask your preschool about extra subsidies when you enrol. The centre helps you apply, and Child Care Financial Assistance goes on the same form.
6. Apply for Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) on SupportGoWhere up to six months before your child starts student care.
7. Ask your child's school about the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS). The limit is $4,000 a month in household income, or $1,000 per person.
8. Check your self-help group. CDAC, Mendaki, SINDA and the Eurasian Association each add their own help.
9. Contact a Family Service Centre if money worries come with stress at home. No referral needed.

If you need help today

For urgent cash, ask for ComCare Interim Assistance. MSF has enhanced it from 17 August to 31 December 2026. Eligible households get at least $250 a month, for up to three months. It's for lower-income households in public housing who aren't on ComCare yet, and you can apply even if your income is above the usual $800 per person. Apply on SupportGoWhere, or go to an SSO or a Community Club or Centre.

If you can't get to an SSO because of mobility issues, call 1800 222 0000 and an SSO will contact you to set an appointment. If anyone is in danger, call the police on 999. To report abuse or family violence, MSF's National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline is 1800-777-0000, open 24 hours. Our family violence help guide has the next steps. If the stress is wearing you down, see our list of mental health helplines for parents.

Which scheme helps with what

ComCare: financial assistance for low-income families

ComCare is MSF's help with daily living costs. Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) is for families who can't work for a while or earn a low income. Long-Term Assistance is for people permanently unable to work. Interim Assistance is the urgent, temporary kind.

SMTA can cover monthly cash, household bills such as rent and utilities, and medical help at public healthcare institutions. MSF says it's typically granted for 3 to 6 months at first, then renewed if you still need it.

To qualify, your household must be Singapore Citizens or PRs, with at least one citizen. The guide is a monthly household income of $800 or less per person. Already on SMTA and need more? Ask your SSO for a review. Until 31 December 2026, MSF adds at least 5% or $50 a month, whichever is higher, for up to three months.

Being on ComCare, or renting an HDB rental flat, also gets your child the maximum preschool subsidies under ECDA's Special Approval. For full-day childcare that's $300 basic and $467 additional, with a $3 minimum co-payment.

ComLink+ for families with children in rental flats

ComLink+ gives you a family coach from the SSO, or a case worker at a Family Service Centre, who works with you on longer-term goals. You're eligible if you have children under 21 and live in public rental housing. Families outside rental flats qualify too if they're eligible for KidSTART or have a school-going child at risk of long-term absenteeism.

Families who take steps towards their goals get top-ups called ComLink+ Progress Packages. These include a $500 Partnership Payout each quarter for staying in touch with your coach, up to $250 a quarter when your preschooler attends regularly, and up to $1,250 a quarter for stable work. Total payouts have a lifetime cap of $50,000. If you think you qualify and nobody has contacted you, call MSF on 1800 111 2222 or visit your SSO.

KidSTART is a separate programme for children aged 0 to 6 from low-income families, and it supports mothers from pregnancy. Our KidSTART guide covers who qualifies and how to join.

Help with childcare fees on a low income

Every citizen child in an ECDA-licensed infant or childcare centre gets the Basic Subsidy. Your child also gets the means-tested Additional Subsidy if the mother, or a single father, works and your household earns $12,000 a month or less. That limit rises to $15,000 from 1 January 2027.

For a full-day place, a working mother gets $300 basic plus up to $467 additional for childcare, or $600 plus up to $710 for infant care. If your household earns $6,000 a month or less, or $1,500 per person, a child in childcare gets the full subsidies even if you're not working. From 1 January 2027 that limit is $7,500, or $1,700 per person. Our childcare subsidy calculator works out your share.

Fees still hard after both subsidies? Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) is for households earning $3,500 or less, or $875 per person, who face difficult family circumstances. A one-time Start-Up Grant of up to $1,000 covers enrolment costs such as the deposit and uniform. You apply for both with your preschool, on the same form as the subsidy.

Kindergarten, student care and school

Citizen children at Anchor Operator or MOE kindergartens get KiFAS if the household earns $12,000 a month or less, or $15,000 from 2027. Households earning $1,900 or less, or $650 per person, can also get a KiFAS Start-Up Grant of up to $240 a year. Try our KiFAS calculator.

SCFA pays up to $290 a month towards fees at an MSF-registered student care centre, plus a Start-Up Grant of up to $400. Both parents need to work at least 56 hours a month. The household income limit is $4,500 for families of four or fewer, rising to $6,500 from January 2027. Our SCFA calculator shows both, and the student care centres guide helps you pick a centre.

MOE FAS helps citizen students in government and government-aided schools with school fees and other expenses. You apply through your child's school. Since January 2026, FAS students also get 70% of their monthly school bus fares covered, MOE says. Students who need more help, or who don't qualify, can ask the school about its own school-based assistance.

CDC Vouchers go to every Singaporean household. The June 2026 tranche is $500. Our CDC vouchers guide explains how to claim.

Self-help group schemes for families

CDAC's Family Assistance Programme is for Chinese Singapore Citizen or PR households earning up to $2,400 a month, or $800 per person. It can pay household bills, including childcare and student care fees, and give grocery vouchers. Apply on the myCDAC portal with Singpass, and a caseworker contacts you within 7 working days. CDAC's enquiry line is 6603 5599.

SINDA's financial assistance schemes are open to families with a per capita income of $1,600 or less, who also get full fee waivers for SINDA programmes. The SINDA Bursary pays $110 a month for primary school students. SINDA's line is 1800 295 3333.

The Eurasian Association's Family Support Services helps families who meet any one of its tests, such as a per capita income of $800 or less, or being unable to work while caring for children. Its Special Emergency Fund covers sudden costs, such as urgent home repairs or a short spell without work. Call 6447 1578 (ext. 210).

Mendaki's own programmes centre on education. Its Support Network page lists community partners for money help, among them SSOs and emergency funds.

Single parents, PRs and families just over the limit

Most of these schemes need a citizen in the household. ComCare takes citizens and PRs with at least one citizen at home. Preschool subsidies, KiFAS and MOE FAS are for citizen children. SCFA covers citizen children, and PR children with a citizen in the immediate family.

Single parents use the same schemes. ECDA treats a single father as the main applicant after a divorce, separation or the mother's death. Our single parent benefits guide covers leave and Baby Bonus for unwed and single parents.

Just above a limit? Ask anyway, because SSOs still assess households above the ComCare guideline who face financial difficulties. To talk it through, try a Family Service Centre or a parent support group. For housing, see HDB schemes for families with kids. For the payouts every family gets, use the new parent money checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What financial assistance is there for a low income family in Singapore?

Start with ComCare, which gives monthly cash and help with bills. Fee help then comes from ECDA for preschool, MSF for student care and MOE for school. Families with children in rental flats can join ComLink+. Your self-help group may add grants.

How do I apply for ComCare in Singapore?

Apply online on SupportGoWhere with Singpass, or visit your nearest Social Service Office. Have the latest bank balance for every household member ready. Call 1800 222 0000 if you need help with the form.

Is there help with childcare fees for a low income family?

Yes. The Additional Subsidy goes to working households earning up to $12,000 a month, and households earning $6,000 or less get full childcare subsidies whether or not the mother works. Households earning $3,500 or less who face hard circumstances can add CCFA. Your preschool applies with you at enrolment.

Can a Family Service Centre give financial help?

ComCare cash comes through SSOs. A Family Service Centre gives casework and counselling, and links you to the right scheme. To find the FSC for your area, call 1800 222 0000 or use MSF's online directory.

What is ComLink+ and how do I join?

ComLink+ is MSF's longer-term help for families with children under 21 in public rental flats, and for some families eligible for KidSTART. You get a family coach, and Progress Packages add cash as you reach goals. Not approached yet? Call 1800 111 2222 or visit your SSO.