CPFB | Paying out CPF when you pass away

Updates on 20 Apr 2021

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Notifying CPF
Distribution
Things to note
Application
Resources
FAQs
Articles

Notifying CPF

Report the demise of a CPF member

Find out more about how the CPF Board will be notified of a death.

Citizenship of deceased

Deceased was a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

There’s no need to inform the CPF Board. The relevant agencies will inform us. We’ll contact you to withdraw the deceased’s savings only if you’re one of the deceased’s nominees.

Deceased was a foreigner with a CPF account

You’ll need to report the death at a CPF Service Centre or by post. In both cases you’ll need to provide specific documents:

The deceased’s original death certificate and current passport duly cancelled due to his/her demise, or a copy certified by an official from a Singapore Overseas Mission with his/her official seal/stamp
A letter from the relevant authority confirming the deceased’s identity number, if the death certificate doesn’t show it
Evidence of your relationship with the deceased
Your identity card or passport, and contact details

Distribution

What gets distributed upon a member’s death

Find out what will get distributed when a member passes away.

Savings in Ordinary, Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts

All savings in the deceased person’s CPF accounts will be distributed. Retirement Account (RA) savings which were used for buying an annuity from an approved insurer, or deposited with a participating bank, will likewise be distributed.

Discounted Singtel shares (SDS)

A deceased member’s SDS will be distributed to the nominee(s) in the proportion indicated in the deceased member’s CPF nomination. The shares will either be transferred to the nominee’s personal CDP Account or sold, based on the nominee’s instructions.

Learn more

Unused CPF LIFE premiums

If the deceased had a CPF LIFE plan, any unused annuity premiums will be distributed.

How CPF savings are distributed

The distribution process depends on whether deceased made a nomination or not

The deceased had made a valid CPF nomination

CPF savings will be distributed to the nominee(s). If you’re a nominee, we’ll contact you within 10 working days from notification of the member’s demise. You can then apply to make a withdrawal from the deceased’s CPF account and receive his/her CPF savings in cash or GIRO.

Making a nomination is important, easy and ensures that your CPF savings will be distributed according to your wishes, at no cost, when you pass away.

CPF Nomination Scheme

The deceased did not have a valid CPF nomination

CPF savings will be forwarded to the Public Trustee Office for distribution in line with Singapore’s intestacy laws.

Quick tip

The CPF savings of non-Muslim members who haven’t made a nomination will be distributed in line with the Intestate Succession Act.

For Muslim members who haven’t made a nomination, their CPF savings will be distributed in line with the Administration of Muslim Law Act.

Things to note

Other policies

Using MediSave to pay final hospitalisation bill

Member had signed a Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF)

MediSave and MediShield Life/Integrated Shield Plan will be automatically used to pay the final hospitalisation bill.

If no MCAF was signed

The deceased’s spouse, parents, child (if age 21 or older), or donee/deputy can sign the form at the hospital within two weeks of the member’s demise. This should be done as soon as possible, as hospitals have to submit a MediSave claim before the member’s CPF savings are distributed.

If there’s no immediate family or donee/deputy, other relatives of the deceased can sign the MCAF, with the approval of the Ministry of Health. The hospital can help you obtain this approval.

Withdrawing or claiming from other schemes

Claiming investments

For any investments under the CPF Investment Scheme, administrators/executors can claim investments and cash balances from the product provider or agent bank, as it will form part of the deceased’s estate.

Claiming under the Dependants’ Protection Scheme (DPS)

If the deceased was insured under the DPS, the CPF Board will inform the insurers, which will either be Great Eastern Life or NTUC Income. They will then send claim application details to the deceased's address.

You can also contact these insurers directly until 1 April 2021. After this date, you may only reach out to Great Eastern Life.

Great Eastern Life NTUC Income

Housing matters

Home Protection Scheme (HPS)

If an outstanding housing loan was insured by the deceased under the HPS, we’ll get in touch and tell you how to claim. You can also make a claim via my cpf digital services. You’ll need a scanned copy of the death certificate.

Make a claim

Waiver of CPF used for property

There’s no need to refund the CPF savings that the deceased had used to buy a property. The property won’t be covered by CPF nomination and will be part of the estate.

The deceased’s share in a property with a joint tenancy automatically passes to the remaining owner(s).

If there’s a tenancy-in-common or property was solely owned, the deceased's share will be inherited under their will if they had written one. Otherwise, intestacy laws will apply.

Education loans

Waiver for CPF Education Loan Scheme

If the deceased used CPF savings under the CPF Education Loan Scheme, there’s no need to repay either the CPF savings used or any accrued interest.

Terminating healthcare policies

MediShield Life/Integrated Shield Plan, CareShield Life and ElderShield

If the deceased was insured under MediShield Life/Integrated Shield Plan, the respective cover automatically ends. We’ll refund any unused premiums to the payer's MediSave Account. The unused period is the number of days remaining in the policy year from the date the member passed, excluding the day of their demise.

If the deceased was insured under CareShield Life and ElderShield, refunds to the payer's MediSave Account will be made only if the insured passes away within the first 60 days of the first policy year.