Press Releases
CORRECTIONS IN PROGRESS FOLLOWING PROCESSING ISSUE IN MEANS-TEST SYSTEM
21 July 2025
Corrections to subsidy and grant levels are in progress for approximately 20,000 individuals, following the discovery of a processing issue in the Household Means Eligibility System (HOMES), a means-testing system managed by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
2. HOMES typically uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) to means-test individuals with business income. However, in January 2025, HOMES could not appropriately account for the business income of selected individuals, following changes in the data processing timelines. This led to inaccurate means-testing for individuals with business income and members of their households between 1 and 27 January 2025.
3. Around 19,000 individuals were affected for schemes under MOH. As HOMES also provides means-testing results for selected subsidy schemes across the government, around 1,000 individuals were affected for other schemes under the Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Education, and Infocomm Media Development Authority. These affected individuals represent less than 3% of all individuals means-tested during this period.
4. MOH has completed the re-assessment of these individuals. In the majority of the cases, individuals received higher than intended subsidies and/or grants while a minority received lower than intended subsidy and/or grants. MOH will adjust their means-test and subsidy tiers back to the intended levels from 21 July 2025 onwards.
5. For those who received an over-subsidy, they will not have to return the excess subsidy and/or grant amounts that have already been paid. For the minority of individuals who received lower than intended subsidies and/or grants, agencies will make good the difference.
6. Agencies will reach out to inform affected individuals progressively. There is no action required by these affected individuals. The reimbursement payments to the minority of individuals who received lower than intended subsidies and/or grants will be completed by November 2025.
7. Please refer to the Annex for the list of affected schemes.
Annex
LIST OF AFFECTED SCHEMES
Affected MOH schemes | |
Scheme name | What to expect |
CareShield Life / MediShield Life Premium Subsidies and Additional Premium Support (APS) | Affected individuals will receive the correct premium subsidies at the next policy renewal. Affected APS recipients will continue to have their premiums covered by APS, according to the approved validity period. Letters will be sent to inform the affected individuals. No action is required from individuals. |
Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) | Letters will be sent to affected CHAS cardholders outlining the actions required, if any. |
Subsidies for Long-term Care Services | Affected individuals will receive the correct subsidies from the next billing cycle or payout date. |
Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, Equipment Rental Scheme, Home Caregiving Grant and ElderFund | Affected individuals will be informed of their adjusted subsidy / payout. |
Public healthcare institutions Subsidies for day surgeries, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs/vaccines and community hospital services | From July 2025 onwards, public healthcare institutions will inform affected individuals with lower than intended subsidies of their adjusted subsidy amount and adjust their bills accordingly. Reimbursement payments will be made where applicable. No action is required from individuals. |
Affected non-MOH schemes | |
Scheme name | Follow-up actions |
Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) Preschool Subsidies and Early Intervention Schemes | ECDA will inform affected parents, preschools, and Early Intervention Centres of the adjusted subsidies from 22 July 2025. The corrected subsidies will take effect from the month of August 2025 onwards. |
Infocomm Media Development Authority DigitalAccess@Home (DAH) Scheme | The affected households will be informed from 22 July 2025. Under-subsidised households will receive the correct subsidies and be automatically reimbursed. Those with higher subsidies will continue to receive them for the remaining validity period of the household’s current DAH award. Their eligibility will be reviewed when they apply for a new DAH award. |
Ministry of Education (MOE) Higher Education Bursaries and Kindergarten Care (KCare) Additional Subsidies | The Institutes of Higher Learning will inform affected students. No action is required from the students. Affected children attending MOE KCare will have their corrected subsidies applied from August 2025 and will be notified accordingly. |
Ministry of Social and Family Development Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS) and Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) and Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) | SG Enable (SGE) will work with service providers to inform the affected individuals receiving the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS), Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS), and Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) from 22 July 2025. The corrected subsidies will apply from August 2025 onwards. |