A CareShield Life claim pays monthly cash for life once an accredited assessor finds you cannot do at least three of six activities of daily living. A claim starting in 2026 pays from about S$689 a month, according to MOH. ElderShield, the older scheme, pays $300 or $400 a month for five or six years.
The claim itself is a two-step process run through the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). This guide covers the definition, the payouts, the steps, and the grants that families often miss. For what care actually costs, see our companion pieces on nursing home costs and long-term care costs at home and in day care.
What Counts as Severe Disability: The Six ADLs
Both schemes use the same test. You are severely disabled if an MOH-accredited assessor finds you unable to perform at least three of these six activities of daily living (ADLs), as listed by CPF Board:
- Washing: bathing or showering.
- Dressing: putting on and taking off clothes.
- Feeding: eating once food is prepared.
- Toileting: using the toilet and managing hygiene.
- Walking or moving around: indoors, room to room, on level surfaces.
- Transferring: from a bed to an upright chair or wheelchair, and back.
CareShield Life payouts continue for as long as you remain unable to do three or more.
CareShield Life Claim Payouts in 2026
CareShield Life covers Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents born in 1980 or later automatically from age 30. Those born in 1979 or earlier can choose to join if they have no pre-existing disability, MOH says.
After the 2025 review, MOH doubled the yearly growth rate of payouts from 2% to 4%. Its published figures for a claim starting in each year are:
| Year a claim starts | Monthly payout, from |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $689 |
| 2027 | $717 |
| 2028 | $745 |
| 2029 | $775 |
| 2030 | $806 |
Payouts for those not yet claiming rise each year until 67 or a successful claim, whichever is earlier. MOH says existing claimants continue on their current payouts. Your own figure depends on birth year and claim age, and is shown on the CPF website.
ElderShield Payouts
Many people born before 1970 hold ElderShield instead. It is closed to new applicants.
| Scheme | Monthly payout | For up to |
|---|---|---|
| ElderShield 300 | $300 | 60 months (5 years) |
| ElderShield 400 | $400 | 72 months (6 years) |
| CareShield Life | From $689 (2026 claims) | Life, while severely disabled |
ElderShield holders without severe disability can apply to join CareShield Life. If accepted, the ElderShield policy is replaced and premiums already paid are taken into account.
Supplements. Great Eastern, Income and Singlife sell supplements that add to ElderShield or CareShield Life, such as higher monthly payouts. MOH says premiums can be paid from MediSave up to $600 per calendar year per person insured, and you can claim from both if you meet each one’s criteria.
The short version: The test is three of six ADLs, checked by an accredited assessor. CareShield Life pays for life, from $689 a month for 2026 claims. ElderShield pays $300 or $400 a month for a fixed number of years.
How to Make a Claim
- Book an assessment. Find an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor on the AIC website. The fee is $100 at a clinic or $250 for a house call, reimbursed with the first payout if you are assessed as severely disabled. CPF Board says the first CareShield Life assessment fee is waived.
- Submit the claim. Log in with Singpass to AIC’s e-service, eFASS, and submit the claim online.
If a parent cannot act for themselves, the person applying may need legal authority, such as a Lasting Power of Attorney. AIC’s hotline is 1800-650-6060.
Other Help Families Can Claim
These schemes sit alongside the insurance payouts. Each has its own rules.
MediSave Care. Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 30 and above with severe disability can withdraw cash from MediSave, according to CPF Board: $200 a month with a balance of $20,000 or more, stepping down to $50 at $5,000. A spouse’s MediSave can top this up, within the $200 total.
Home Caregiving Grant. For someone cared for at home who permanently needs help with at least three ADLs, AIC’s grant pays a month:
| Household income per person | Grant a month |
|---|---|
| $1,500 and below | $600 |
| $1,501 to $3,600 | $400 |
| $3,601 to $4,800 | $200 |
The care recipient cannot live in a nursing home or similar institution. A doctor completes a Functional Assessment Report, and applications go through eFASS.
ElderFund. For lower-income Singapore Citizens aged 30 and above who are severely disabled and not covered by CareShield Life or ElderShield, ElderFund pays up to $250 a month. AIC’s criteria include household income of $1,500 or less per person and a MediSave balance below $10,000.
What To Do Next
- Log in to the CPF website, open the healthcare dashboard and check “Long-term care insurance” for your scheme and any supplement.
- Do the same with a parent, with their consent. Check whether it is ElderShield 300, which pays for only five years, or ElderShield 400, which pays for six.
- If someone already needs daily help, book an assessment through AIC; the grants above often need one anyway.
- See how CareShield Life premiums are paid from MediSave.
