The Government has credited a total of $68 million in Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) grants on 7 January 2022 to the Retirement Account (RA) of 117,000 Central Provident Fund (CPF) members for cash top-ups received in 2021. Nine in 10 members had received the maximum annual matching grant of $600. Members can log in to their CPF account to view the credited grant.
Apart from top-ups made by members and their loved ones, the CPF Board is heartened that seven community partners1 have made goodwill top-ups to more than 500 seniors in 2021 thereby enabling them to receive the matching grant and enjoy higher monthly payouts in retirement.
The MRSS was launched in 2021 to help seniors who have yet to meet the prevailing Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) save more for their retirement. Under the MRSS, every dollar of cash top-up made to eligible2 members will be matched by the Government, up to an annual cap of $600. The scheme will run till 2025. Eligible members who make full use of the MRSS could accumulate up to an additional $8,300 in their RA, which translates into $45 more in monthly payouts for life3.
Eligible members are automatically assessed every year and no application is needed. In 2022, 435,000 members are eligible for the MRSS, out of which 35,000 members are newly eligible. These members would have received a notification via e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp or post in January 2022 informing them of their eligibility. Members can also use the eligibility checker at cpf.gov.sg/MRSSchecker to check if they qualify for MRSS.
Mr Tan L S, aged 61, said “My children started topping up to my wife’s and my CPF account last year. As I was eligible for MRSS, I also received the $600 matching grant from the Government. My children told me that they will continue to top up our Retirement Account and I can benefit from the matching grant. I’m happy that my children are looking out for us and our retirement.”
Director, Retirement Savings Department, Ms Ong Woei Jiin said, “CPF is the foundation of retirement for Singaporeans and through MRSS, many seniors were able to build up more retirement savings. For members eligible for MRSS in 2022, we would like to encourage them and their loved ones to make their top-ups as early as possible so that they could earn more interest over the year.”
To receive the matching grant of up to $600 for 2022, cash top-ups have to be made to eligible members before the end of this year. Top-ups need not be in a lump sum and can be done in small amounts regularly (for example, $60 monthly over 10 months) throughout the year. Anyone, including members, their loved ones or the community, can make cash top-ups to eligible members. The matching grant from the Government will be credited in January 2023. For greater convenience, members can top up electronically via the CPF website or CPF Mobile app. Visit cpf.gov.sg/mrss to find out more about the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme.
1 These community partners are Bukit Timah Citizens’ Consultative Committee, Hong Kah North Grassroots Organisations, PAP Community Foundation (Yuhua Branch), Woodlands Citizens’ Consultative Committee, Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre, Fei Yue Community Services and Tsao Foundation.
2 To be eligible for the matching grant, CPF members must be between age 55 and 70, with less than the prevailing BRS in their RA. The BRS for 2022 is $96,000. Other eligibility criteria include: (i) average monthly income of not more than $4,000; (ii) annual value of residence of not more than $13,000; and (iii) ownership of not more than one property. The MRSS will run for five years for a start, from 2021 to 2025.
3 This assumes that the eligible member was age 55 in 2021 with $40,000 in his RA and topped up $600 each year for five years. Under the MRSS, he would receive an additional $6,000 from the top-ups to his RA and the matching grants from the Government. This amount would earn interest of up to 6% per annum and grow to $8,300 by the time he reaches age 65.
