Guide to: All BTO Housing Grants (2020)

The Built-To-Order (BTO) flat allocation scheme was first introduced in 2001. Since then, government-provided grants have kept BTOs more affordable for Singaporeans. This entry compiles the available grants for Singaporeans as of 2020. The Enhanced CPF Housing Grants (EHG) are for first-time flat buyers while the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG) is for second-time buyers. These grants offset the initial selling price of BTO flats.

Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) - Up to S$80,000

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is for first-time flat buyers. It is a combination of two older housing grants, the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG). If eligible, the EHG will be credited to the individual's CPF Ordinary Account (OA). Individuals should note that there are no cash disbursements for the EHG.

Terms & Conditions

Applicants must fulfil the following requirements to qualify for the EHG.

(i) Applicants must be first-time flat buyers.

(ii) The combined monthly income should not exceed $9,000.

(iii) Applicants should have been working continuously for the past 12 months.

(iv) Applicants must be employed at the time of application.

(v) All applicants must not have owned any properties and/or land in at least 2.5 years.

Grant Amounts

Grant amounts will differ based on the applicant's gross monthly income. In short, the lower the gross monthly income, the higher the grant.

Gross Monthly Income: $3,000 & below

As an example, a household with a combined monthly income of $1,900 qualifies for a $75,000 EHG. Meanwhile, another household with a combined monthly income of $2,750 qualifies for a $65,000 EHG.

Income Bracket	Below $1,500	$1,501 - $3,000
Income Ceiling	-	$2,000	$2,500	$3,000
Amount Eligible	$80,000	$75,000	$70,000	$65,000

Gross Monthly Income: $3,001 to $6,000

In this income bracket, a household with a combined monthly income of $4,400 qualifies for a $50,000 EHG. On the other hand, a household with a higher combined monthly income of $5,900 will only qualify for a $35,000 EHG.

Income Bracket	$3,001 - $4,500			$4,501 - $6,000
Income Ceiling	$3,500	$4,000	$4,500	$5,000	$5,500	$6,000
Amount Eligible	$60,000	$55,000	$50,000	$45,000	$40,000	$35,000

Gross Monthly Income: $6,001 to $9,000

The lowest EHG amount an applicant can receive is $5,000.

Income Bracket	$6,001 - $7,500			$7,501 - $9,000
Income Ceiling	$6,500	$7,000	$7,500	$8,000	$8,500	$9,000
Amount Eligible	$30,000	$25,000	$20,000	$15,000	$10,000	$5,000

Case Studies

The following case studies illustrate two scenarios depicting successful and unsuccessful EHG applications.

Successful

Mr and Mrs Soon are first-time flat buyers. Mrs Soon is a Singaporean Citizen whereas Mr Soon is a Permanent Resident. They applied for a 4-room BTO in Tampines Green Spring in November 2019. Mr Soon has been continuously working since July 2018 while Mrs Soon only worked from January to March 2019.

	Mr Soon	Mrs Soon	Combined	Notes
Average Monthly Income (Nov 2018 - Oct 2019)	$3,200	$2,100	$5,300	Accepted	Their gross income is below the $9,000 price ceiling.
Employment Status	Full-time	Temporary	-	Accepted	At least one spouse has been employed for more than 12 months.
	> 12 months	3 months
First-time Buyers	Yes			Accepted	-
Owned Previous Properties	No			Accepted	-
Eligible for Grant	Yes			They are eligible for an EHG valued at $40,000.

Since only Mrs Soon is a Singaporean Citizen, the disbursement of EHG will be fully credited to her CPF Ordinary Account. After their grant, they are paying $354,000 for their BTO. This is about 10 per cent less from the original value ($394,000).

Unsuccessful

Mr and Mrs Raja are first-time flat buyers. Mr Raja is a Singapore Citizen whereas Mrs Raja is a Permanent Resident. They applied for a 3-room BTO in Punggol Point Cove in September 2019. Mr Raja started working full-time in July 2019 while Mrs Raja worked from January to April 2019. She has not been working since May 2019.

	Mr Raja	Mrs Raja	Combined	Notes
Average Monthly Income (May 2018 - Apr 2019)	$4,000	$3,800	$7,800	Accepted	Their gross income is below the $9,000 price ceiling.
Employment Status	Full-time	Temporary	-	Rejected	Both individuals have not been employed for more than 12 months.
	< 12 months	4 months
First-time Buyers	Yes			Accepted	-
Owned Previous Properties	No			Accepted
Eligible for Grant	No			Mr and Mrs Raja did not fulfil all the criteria required to receive the EHG.

EHG for Singles - Up to S$40,000

While singles are now eligible for the EHG, applicants must also fulfil the other Terms & Conditions listed below.

Terms & Conditions

(i) Applicants must be 35 years old and above.

(ii) The gross monthly income should not exceed $4,500.

(iii) Applicants should have been working continuously for the past 12 months.

(iv) Applicants must be employed at the time of application.

(v) All applicants must not have owned any properties and/or land in at least 2.5 years.

Grant Amounts

Grant amounts will differ based on the applicant's gross monthly income. In short, the lower the gross monthly income, the higher the grant.

Gross Monthly Income: S$1,000 & below

As an example, an applicant with a gross monthly income of $900 qualifies for a $37,500 EHG.

Income Bracket	Below $750	$751 - $1,000
Income Ceiling	-	-
Amount Eligible	$40,000	$37,500

Gross Monthly Income: $1,001 to $3,000

In this income bracket, an applicant with a gross monthly income of $1,900 qualifies for a $27,500 EHG. On the other hand, an applicant with a higher combined monthly income of $2,800 will only qualify for a $17,500 EHG.

Income Bracket	$1,001 - $2,000				$2,001 - $3,000
Income Ceiling	$1,250	$1,500	$1,750	$2,000	$2,250	$2,500	$2,750	$3,000
Amount Eligible	$35,000	$32,500	$30,000	$27,500	$25,000	$22,500	$20,000	$17,500

Gross Monthly Income: $3,001 to $4,500

The lowest EHG (for singles) amount an applicant can receive is $2,500.

Income Bracket	$3,001 - $4,000				$4,001 - $4,500
Income Ceiling	$3,250	$3,500	$3,750	$4,000	$4,250	$4,500
Amount Eligible	$15,000	$12,500	$10,000	$7,500	$5,000	$2,500

Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG) - S$15,000

The Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG) is for second-time flat buyers who want to upgrade to a larger flat. Successful applicants can use the SUHG to buy the following housing units:

• 2-room Flexi BTO
• 3-room BTO (non-mature estates)
• 3-room Resale (non-mature estates)

All successful applicants will receive a S$15,000 grant regardless of their income bracket.

Terms & Conditions (2-room Flexi BTO)

Applicants must fulfil the following requirements to buy a 2-room Flexi BTO using the SUHG.

(i) Applicants must be staying in a public rental flat.

(ii) The gross monthly income should not exceed $7,000.

(iii) Applicants should have been working continuously for the past 12 months.

(iv) Applicants must be employed at the time of application.

The following case study illustrates an unsuccessful SUHG application for a 2-room Flexi BTO.

Case Study

Mr and Mrs Ding are current owners of a 2-room flat in Punggol. They had bought the unit from HDB in 2012. They are interested in a 2-room Flexi BTO unit in Tampines. Mr Ding is a Permanent Resident while Mrs Ding is a Singapore Citizen and both have been working since July 2013.

	Mr Ding	Mrs Ding	Combined	Notes
Average Monthly Income	$1,600	$3,000	$4,600	Accepted	Their gross income is below the $7,000 price ceiling.
Employment Status	Full-time	Full-time	-	Accepted	Both individuals have been employed for more than 12 months.
	> 12 months
Current Property	2-room HDB Unit			Rejected	They are not living in a public rental flat.
Eligible for Grant	No			Mr and Mrs Ding did not fulfil all the criteria required to receive the SUHG.

Terms & Conditions (3-room BTO)

Applicants must fulfil the following requirements to buy a 3-room BTO using the SUHG.

(i) Applicants must be staying in a 2-room subsidised flat.

(ii) The gross monthly income should not exceed $7,000.

(iii) Applicants should have been working continuously for the past 12 months.

(iv) Applicants must be employed at the time of application.

The following case study illustrates a successful SUHG application for a 3-room BTO.

Case Study

Mr and Mrs Wadiyah are current owners of a 2-room unit in Clementi. They bought the unit from HDB in 2001. They are interested in a 3-room BTO unit in Tengah. Both Mr and Mrs Wadiyah are Singapore citizens and have been working since June 2015.

	Mr Wadiyah	Mrs Wadiyah	Combined	Notes
Average Monthly Income	$3,000	$3,000	$6,000	Accepted	Their gross income is below the $7,000 price ceiling.
Employment Status	Full-time	Full-time	-	Accepted	Both individuals have been employed for more than 12 months.
	> 12 months
Current Property	2-room HDB Unit			Accepted	-
Eligible for Grant	Yes			They are eligible for the SUHG valued at $15,000.

Since both Mr and Mrs Wadiyah are Singapore Citizens, their CPF Ordinary Accounts will be accredited S$7,500 each.

Applications

The EHG and SUHG require the following income documents as proof of the individual's eligibility. Prepare and submit these during the flat booking appointment.

For employed persons

• EHG Application Form
• 12 months of payslips OR a Letter from Employer
• CPF Yearly Statement of Account for the current year and the immediate past year
• CPF Contributions Statement such as this one
• IRAS Notice of Assessment (for self-employed individuals)
• Valid Business Profile from Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) OR License of Trade (for self-employed individuals)

For students (with stipends)

Some full-time tertiary students conduct research and teaching work for the university while pursuing their studies. This kind of work warrants a stipend. Prepare and submit the following documents during the flat booking appointment.

• A letter from the university/ education institution that includes (i) Duration of study and (ii) Nature of study
• [A copy of] the signed contract between the student and institution awarding the stipend

While such employed students can apply for BTO grants, they must still fulfil the other Terms & Conditions outlined above.