ElderFund

ElderFund is a discretionary government assistance scheme for lower-income Singapore Citizens aged 30 and above who have severe disabilities and long-term-care needs. The monthly cash support can be used for a helper, care services or daily expenses. ElderFund is a means-tested assistance route, not long-term-care insurance and not an automatic payment for everyone with a disability (AIC, accessed Aug 2026).

Eligibility conditions

The care recipient must be a Singapore Citizen aged 30 or above and living in Singapore. The standard means-test conditions are monthly household income per person of S$1,500 or less and a MediSave Account balance below S$10,000. AIC says applications from Singaporeans who do not meet those conditions but cannot afford the long-term care needed may be considered case by case (AIC, accessed Aug 2026).

The care recipient must require full assistance with at least three of the six activities of daily living and undergo a severe-disability assessment. An applicant outside a nursing home must be assessed by an MOH-accredited severe-disability assessor; a nursing home may help submit a Resident's Assessment Form. A diagnosis or low income alone does not establish eligibility (AIC, accessed Aug 2026).

For a non-nursing-home applicant, the assessment fee is paid first and reimbursed if the assessor finds the person severely disabled; AIC's FAQ gives a range of S$100 for a clinic assessment to S$250 for a home visit. A regular doctor or therapist is not automatically authorised to perform the assessment: the assessor must be on the MOH-accredited list. AIC may later require reassessment to confirm continued eligibility, although a person assessed as permanently severely disabled normally does not need future reassessment unless new information suggests improvement (AIC, accessed 11 September 2026).

Payout and duration

Eligible recipients can receive up to S$250 a month for as long as they continue to meet the criteria. AIC may process an application within four weeks, and approved payouts are made to the nominated bank account in the following month, potentially including the month of application. A nursing-home resident may nominate the nursing home as payee to offset nursing-home fees, and AIC says payouts may be suspended or ceased if there is a conflict, inconsistency or domestic dispute about the nominated account (AIC, accessed 12 September 2026). Unlike a fixed-term illustration, the current page states there is no cap on duration while eligibility continues; the government may review the payout amount over time, and AIC may require reassessment in some cases (AIC, accessed 12 September 2026).

Application and boundaries

Applications can be made through AIC's e-Services for Financing Schemes (eFASS) using Singpass, with assistance from a nursing home, or by hard copy through AIC. A caregiver may apply for a person who lacks mental capacity under the routes AIC describes, such as a donee, deputy or qualifying family member; a nursing home can also help submit the application or receive a nominated payout. Applicants must not be CareShield Life or ElderShield policyholders or supplement-plan policyholders, active recipients of those schemes, or eligible for or receiving IDAPE. ElderFund is also distinct from IDAPE and Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme: AIC describes ElderFund as covering a wider age group from 30, while IDAPE and PioneerDAS serve specific older cohorts. The scheme should not be confused with MediFund or ComCare, which have different safety-net purposes (AIC, accessed 11 September 2026).