When your employer becomes bankrupt or enters liquidation, the High Court, company’s shareholders or creditors (depending on the company’s situation) will appoint an Official Assignee (for bankruptcy) or Official Receiver/Liquidator (for company liquidation) to investigate into the individual/company's conduct and assets. CPF Board will file claims for your outstanding CPF contributions with the appointed official on your behalf.
Any proceeds realised by the Official Assignee or Official Receiver/Liquidator will be paid in the
order* of priority as accorded by the law. The bankruptcy, liquidation or winding up process will take time, and could take years to complete for complex cases. If you wish to know more about the bankruptcy, liquidation or winding up process, you can visit
Ministry of Law – Insolvency Office website.
Whilst employers are obligated to pay CPF contributions, owed contributions may not be recoverable despite CPF Board's enforcement actions when employers face insolvency. You can contact the Official Assignee or Official Receiver/Liquidator directly to find out the status of the bankruptcy, liquidation or winding up process.
We would like to take this opportunity to advise employees that if your employer is in financial difficulties, while CPF Board will continue to take enforcement actions, employees should be mentally prepared that the CPF owed may not be recoverable. In such situation, to avoid adding to the amounts owed, employees may wish to assess their situation carefully and consider approaching Workforce Singapore for job switch assistance.
*Costs and expenses incurred by the Official Assignee or Official Receiver/Liquidator, costs of applicant for the bankruptcy or winding up order, salary (including allowance or reimbursement), retrenchment benefits or ex gratia payments under employment contracts, amounts due in respect of workmen’s compensation under the Work Injury Compensation Act must be paid before it can be paid to employee’s CPF.
