Government Raises Annual Value Threshold for Social Support Schemes from January 2025 to Provide Continued Support for Singaporeans
29 Nov 2024 With effect from 1 January 2025, the Government will increase the Annual Value (AV) threshold that is used across social support schemes to provide continued support to Singaporeans. More than 1 million residential properties1 will be covered.
2 Currently, various Government social support schemes provide tiered benefits to ensure that Singaporeans with greater needs receive more support. Alongside criteria such as income, the AV of the individual’s residential property may be used as an indicator of means. These social support schemes include the GST Voucher scheme, MediShield Life premium subsidies, and the Workfare Income Supplement scheme.
3 Social support schemes currently provide benefits based on two AV tiers: (i) first AV tier of up to $21,000, and (ii) second AV tier of more than $21,000 and up to $25,000. Individuals living in properties with lower AVs receive more support.
4 The Government has reviewed the coverage of AV thresholds. To ensure that the AV thresholds used for social support schemes continue to provide support to Singaporeans, the second tier of the AV thresholds will be increased from 1 January 2025. The changes are as follows:
| Existing AV thresholds | Revised AV thresholds (from 1 January 2025) | |
| First AV Tier | Up to $21,000 | Up to $21,000 |
| Second AV Tier | More than $21,000 and up to $25,000 | [New] More than $21,000 and up to $31,000 |
5 The first AV tier of up to $21,000 remains unchanged and will continue to cover all HDB flats. With the revised second AV tier of up to $31,000, more than 3 in 4 residential properties including lower-value private properties, can be eligible for social benefits.
6 An individual or household’s eligibility for social support schemes in a given year is determined by the preceding year’s AV. In order to determine an individual’s or household’s eligibility for the first or second tier of 2025 benefits, the household’s or individual’s 2024 AV will be used. Please refer to the Annex for an illustration on the use of AV in determining eligibility for social support schemes.
7 The Government will continue to review our social support schemes, including their eligibility criteria, to ensure that Singaporeans with greater needs receive more support.
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[1] Residential properties include both HDB and private properties.
ANNEX
Illustration of the Use of AV in Determining Eligibility for Social Support Schemes
Example: GST Voucher – Cash
Eligibility criteria and benefits in 2024
| Singaporeans Aged 21 Years and Above in Reference Year with Assessable Income (AI)* of $34,000 and below, and Owns 0 to 1 Property | 2023 AV of Residential Property | |
| First AV Tier AV ≤ $21,000 | Second AV Tier $21,000 < AV ≤ $25,000 | |
| GSTV – Cash in 2024 | $850 | $450 |
Eligibility criteria and benefits in 2025
| Singaporeans Aged 21 Years and Above in Reference Year with Assessable Income (AI)* of $34,000 and below, and Owns 0 to 1 Property | 2024 AV of Residential Property | |
| First AV Tier AV ≤ $21,000 | (Revised) Second AV Tier $21,000 < AV ≤ $31,000 | |
| GSTV – Cash in 2025 | $850 | $450 |
Worked Example of Benefits in 2024 and 2025
In 2024, an eligible individual who lives in a residential property with 2023 AV of $24,000 (i.e., within second AV tier of $21,000 < AV ≤ $25,000) would have received $450 in GSTV – Cash.
In 2025, if the eligible individual’s 2024 AV had increased to $27,000 (i.e., within the revised second AV tier of $21,000 < AV ≤ $31,000), he/she will continue to receive $450 in GSTV – Cash.
If the AV thresholds had not been revised, this individual would not receive the GSTV – Cash support in 2025.