More than 2.4 million adult Singapore citizens are due S$400 to S$600 under the Enhanced Budget 2026 Cost-of-Living Special Payment this September, the Ministry of Finance said. PayNow-NRIC credits started from 9 September; bank crediting runs to 17 September and GovCash to 24 September.
Who gets how much
You need to be a Singapore citizen living here, aged 21 or older in 2026, with assessable income for YA2025 of up to S$100,000, and own no more than one property. The cash amount then follows assessable income and the annual value of your place of residence.
Households with AI up to S$22,000 and AV up to S$15,000 get S$600. The floor across eligible adults is S$400 once AI sits above S$39,000 or AV sits above S$31,000. The full grid is on the govbenefits Budget 2026 page.
September payment timetable
No application is required. PayNow-NRIC is the default if your NRIC is linked. Recipients who missed the 30 August linking cut-off still receive the money by bank crediting by 17 September, or via GovCash by 24 September if no bank account is on file.
MOF says eligible people get an SMS from gov.sg before and after the credit. The message will not ask for a reply, a click-through or bank log-in details. Call ScamShield on 1799 if a message looks wrong.
Check your amount
Log in to govbenefits.gov.sg with Singpass to see eligibility and quantum. The Enhanced COL Special Payment is separate from CDC vouchers, U-Save and the B2026 CPF Top-Up later in the year.
