Singapore HDB Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) Guide 2026

Statutory Overview & Government Framework

The **Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)** is an HDB housing grant for eligible first-timer households buying a new or resale HDB flat, subject to the applicable flat type, household, income, employment and property-ownership conditions. From 20 August 2024, the maximum EHG increased to **S$120,000 for eligible first-timer families** and **S$60,000 for eligible first-timer singles**. For a first-timer family buying an eligible resale flat, the EHG can be combined with the **CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (Families) of up to S$80,000** and the **Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) of up to S$30,000**, producing a theoretical maximum of **S$230,000** in housing grants before considering the household's actual eligibility. The maximum grant is not paid to every applicant: the EHG amount is determined using the household's average gross monthly income over the relevant 12-month assessment period. For first-timer families, the current EHG income ceiling is **S$9,000**. For a first-timer single buying a flat alone, the relevant EHG (Singles) income ceiling is **S$7,000**, not S$4,500. EHG is credited into the CPF Ordinary Account of eligible core applicants and can be used to offset the flat purchase price or reduce the housing loan required. An HDB **Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter** gives applicants the upfront assessment of flat eligibility, CPF housing grants and HDB housing-loan eligibility.

1. What the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) Is in 2026

The **Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)** is an income-tiered housing grant administered by HDB for eligible first-timer households buying an HDB flat. The grant can apply to eligible **new flats and resale flats**, although resale-flat buyers must first satisfy the applicable CPF Housing Grant for resale-flat conditions before receiving the EHG on a resale purchase. From **20 August 2024**, HDB increased the maximum EHG for first-timer families from S$80,000 to **S$120,000**.

The EHG is not a flat S$120,000 payment. HDB calculates the grant using the household's **average gross monthly household income** over the relevant 12-month assessment period. Lower-income first-timer families receive larger EHG amounts. For the current family EHG scale, a household with average monthly income of not more than S$1,500 may qualify for S$120,000, while a household at the maximum S$9,000 income ceiling receives S$5,000.

The grant is credited into the **CPF Ordinary Account (OA)** of eligible core applicants. It can be used to offset the purchase price of the flat or reduce the housing loan required. It is therefore housing support rather than an unrestricted cash grant. The actual grant amount and eligibility are stated in the applicant's HFE assessment.

2. 2026 EHG Income Tiers for First-Timer Families

For first-timer families, HDB currently assesses EHG using the **average gross monthly household income for the months worked during the 12-month assessment period**. The assessment period ends two months before the month in which the HFE application is made. Income of all relevant applicants and occupiers listed in the HFE application is included according to HDB's income-assessment rules.

The EHG is graduated across sixteen income bands. At the lowest income tier, a first-timer family with average monthly household income of **S$1,500 or less** can receive S$120,000. The amount falls as income rises, reaching **S$5,000 at S$8,501–S$9,000**. This means the S$9,000 figure is an eligibility ceiling for the family EHG, not an amount at which the household still receives the maximum grant.

3. EHG for Singles: The S$60,000 Maximum and the Correct Income Rule

From **20 August 2024**, eligible first-timer singles can receive an **EHG (Singles) of up to S$60,000**. This is a major increase from the previous S$40,000 maximum. The original source's statement that first-timer singles earning up to only S$4,500 can receive the EHG was too restrictive and is not the current rule for a single buying a flat on their own.

For a first-timer single buying a flat **on their own**, HDB currently lists an average gross monthly household-income ceiling of **S$7,000** for the EHG (Singles). The exact EHG amount is graduated by income, with lower-income singles receiving a higher grant. A first-timer single purchasing with parents, a non-resident spouse or another first-timer single can have different grant and income rules, so the single-person S$7,000 threshold should not be applied to every possible household arrangement.

Where two first-timer singles buy together and each is eligible for the EHG (Singles), each may receive up to S$60,000, producing up to **S$120,000 combined EHG (Singles)** before any separately applicable resale grants or PHG. HDB explicitly distinguishes the individual EHG (Singles) maximum from the overall household grant outcome.

4. Resale Flat Grant Stacking: How a Family Can Reach S$230,000

The maximum **S$230,000** figure is valid as a theoretical maximum for an eligible **first-timer family buying an eligible resale flat**. It is composed of the enhanced EHG of up to **S$120,000**, the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (Families) of up to **S$80,000**, and the PHG (Families) of up to **S$30,000**. The three grants have different eligibility requirements and are not automatically awarded together.

The CPF Housing Grant for eligible first-timer families buying a **2- to 4-room resale flat** is S$80,000, while the grant for a **5-room or larger resale flat** is S$50,000. The EHG can then add up to S$120,000, subject to the EHG's income and other conditions. PHG can provide additional support where the buyer purchases a qualifying resale flat to live with or near eligible parents or a child.

The maximum combination is therefore **S$120,000 + S$80,000 + S$30,000 = S$230,000**. It is a maximum scenario, not a standard amount for every resale buyer. For example, an eligible family earning S$7,000 receives an EHG of S$30,000, not S$120,000, so even if the household qualifies for the full S$80,000 Family Grant and S$30,000 PHG, its combined grant would be S$140,000.

5. Proximity Housing Grant (PHG): Family and Single Amounts

The **Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)** is available for qualifying buyers of resale HDB flats who live with or near their parents or child, subject to HDB's household, citizenship, age and proximity conditions. For eligible families, the grant is **S$30,000 when living with the parents or eligible child, or S$20,000 when living within 4 km**. For eligible singles, the corresponding amounts are **S$15,000 when living with the parent and S$10,000 when living within 4 km**.

PHG is therefore not simply a universal S$30,000 grant. The amount depends on household type and whether the qualifying family relationship is in the same flat or within the applicable proximity distance. HDB's proximity test uses the current simplified **within-4-km** rule for the 'near' category.

PHG can be combined with the applicable EHG and CPF Housing Grant where the buyer satisfies the relevant rules. However, PHG's own conditions must be met separately. The buyer cannot claim PHG merely because parents live somewhere in Singapore; the relationship, citizenship, property and distance conditions must all be satisfied.

6. HFE Letter: The Main Starting Point for Housing Grant Eligibility

Applicants should obtain an **HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter** before committing to a flat purchase. HDB describes the HFE as a holistic assessment that tells applicants upfront whether they are eligible to buy a new or resale flat, how much CPF housing grant support they may qualify for and whether they can obtain an HDB housing loan.

For income assessment, HDB considers the incomes of the persons listed in the HFE application over the **12-month assessment period**, with the assessment period ending two months before the month of the HFE application. For example, an HFE application submitted in May uses the applicable preceding 12-month period ending two months before the application month under HDB's published income-assessment methodology.

The HFE application also requires accurate disclosure of property ownership or interest. HDB generally requires applicants and occupiers listed in the HFE application not to own or have an interest in local or overseas private residential property and not to have disposed of such private residential property in the **30 months before the HFE application**, based on the legal completion date, subject to the applicable scheme-specific rules.

7. Employment and Income Assessment: Why the 12-Month Period Matters

For EHG purposes, HDB does not simply use the applicant's current monthly salary. The relevant assessment generally uses the **average gross monthly household income** over the applicable 12-month period. HDB also requires the applicant and/or core members to have **worked continuously for at least 12 months and still be working at the time of the HFE application** for the standard EHG employment condition.

This is important for applicants whose salaries changed recently. A person who received a promotion shortly before applying may still have an EHG amount influenced by the earlier lower salary months in the 12-month assessment period. Similarly, a recent period of unemployment can affect the assessment according to HDB's income-declaration rules and the months actually worked.

HDB's published income tables should therefore be used rather than a simple 'current salary × 12' calculation. All applicants and occupiers included in the HFE application can affect the household assessment, and the precise inclusion rules depend on the household structure.

8. Remaining Lease and EHG Pro-Rating

For an eligible resale flat, the flat's remaining lease can affect the EHG amount. HDB states that a resale flat must have **more than 20 years of remaining lease**, and to receive the full EHG amount the remaining lease must be sufficient to cover the **youngest core member to age 95**. If the lease does not satisfy the full-coverage condition, the EHG can be **pro-rated**.

This means the income tier alone does not determine the final EHG. Two households with identical income and identical household composition can potentially receive different grants if they buy flats with materially different remaining lease lengths. Applicants should check the lease information for the specific resale flat before assuming the full EHG amount.

The lease condition is especially important for older resale flats and for households with a young applicant or occupier. The 'age 95' test is tied to the youngest core member, not merely the age of the oldest applicant.

9. How EHG Is Credited and What Happens When You Later Sell the Flat

Eligible EHG is credited into the **CPF Ordinary Account of the eligible core applicants**. It can be used to offset the purchase price of the flat or reduce the housing loan required. Occupiers who are not eligible core applicants cannot use their CPF savings, including grants received, for the flat purchase or loan servicing.

The grant is not a cash payment to the buyer. It becomes part of the CPF savings used in connection with the property. When the flat is later sold, the CPF Board's housing-refund rules generally require the CPF savings used for the property, including applicable housing grants, to be refunded to CPF together with the **accrued interest**. The grant therefore does not simply disappear from the member's CPF history because it has been credited to the property purchase.

The exact refund amount depends on the member's actual CPF usage and the applicable sale rules. A seller should therefore distinguish between the original grant amount and the **grant plus accrued interest** that may have to be restored to CPF at sale. This is also why the maximum grant should not be described as a pure cash discount on the purchase price.

10. 2026 EHG Examples: How Income Changes the Real Grant

The quickest way to understand the EHG is to compare households at different income levels. A first-timer family with average monthly household income of **S$4,000** can qualify for an EHG of **S$80,000**. At S$7,000, the EHG falls to **S$30,000**. At the top of the S$9,000 family income ceiling, the EHG falls to **S$5,000**.

These examples show why the statement 'families can get S$120,000' needs context. The maximum amount is reserved for the lowest income tier, while households approaching the ceiling receive much less. The same principle applies to first-timer singles, whose EHG (Singles) is also income-tiered.

For a qualifying resale family, an S$80,000 Family Grant and S$30,000 PHG could be added to the EHG. Using the S$7,000-income example, the theoretical combined package would be **S$30,000 + S$80,000 + S$30,000 = S$140,000**, not S$230,000. The S$230,000 maximum applies only where the household qualifies for the full S$120,000 EHG as well as the maximum resale Family Grant and maximum PHG.

Step-by-Step Claim & Disbursal Process

Statutory Benchmark Metrics