The Singapore government has enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement scheme for 2025, which allows platform workers to receive the WIS monthly, a WIS payout hike, and increased the monthly wage limit for Singaporeans to qualify for the WIS.
With the current changes, based on the Budget, the Singaporeans who save money for retirement under the WIS can expect high savings for the future. With this benefit, the government encourages Singaporeans to save up for their retirement.
Singapore Workfare Income Supplement 2025
The Singapore government started the WIS scheme in 2007 to encourage low-wage workers, or older people working, to build savings with their supplementary income and boost their CPF (Central Provident Fund) to ensure a secure retirement for them.
The scheme offers payment in two parts, where CPF payment helps build up a retirement income for healthcare, housing, and other expenses, and the cash payment helps them manage their expenses. This year, the Singapore government has enhanced the scheme and announced many changes, such as:
- The wages limit is hiked to $3000 from $2500 for eligible Singaporeans.
- The WIS payments for a year are increased to $4900 for employees, whereas the disabled people and older people will continue to get higher payments. The self-employed people and platform workers can also expect an increase in payment based on their age group.
- The platform workers will now receive the payout every month from 2025 instead of an annual payment from March 2025. Earlier, the platform workers used to come under the self-employed category, and now there is a separate category for them.
The CPF contribution assistance helps low-income workers and helps them save up more than their wages, so these changes will help them save more for their future.
WIS Eligibility Criteria 2025
The Workfare Income Supplement is for Singaporeans who fulfill the following eligibility conditions:
- Singaporeans must fall into the employee/ self-employed/ platform worker category.
- The Singaporean minimum age for this scheme is 30 years old or above as on December 31 of the work year, or he/she must have disability at any age.
- The Singaporean monthly gross income should be between $500 and $3000 for the month they are receiving the payout.
- The Singaporeans’ average gross monthly income should not exceed the $3000 value in the past years an employees and platform workers.
- Self-employed Singaporeans must announce their trade income (if any) and make the MediSave contributions too.
- The Singaporean must own only a single property whose annual value should not exceed $21,000 for the work year.
- If the individuals have a spouse and jointly own the property, and you should not own more than one property, and your combined assessable income should not be above the mark of $70,000 for the assessment year of the preceding year.
WIS Payout Amount 2025
The Singapore government offers the WIS based on the age group and category they belong to, and based on which, the supplement payout will be divided between CPF contributions and cash payout, such as:
- Employees: The annual payout under WIS for employees will consist of 40% of cash payout and the remaining for CPF contributions. The WIS payment for employees for a year, based on the age group, will be as follows:
| Age | Annual Payment |
| 30 to 34 | $2450 |
| 35 to 44 | $3500 |
| 45 to 59 | $4200 |
| 60 and above | $4900 |
- Self-employed persons: The self-employed will receive 10% of WIS as the cash payout, and the rest will go to the MediSave account. The annual WIS payout for the self-employed person is as follows:
| Age | Annual Payment |
| 30 to 34 | $1633 |
| 35 to 44 | $2333 |
| 45 to 59 | $2800 |
| 60 and above | $3,267 |
- Platform Workers: The platform workers will get 10% of the WIS payment as cash, and the rest will go to the MediSave account; the annual payment for platform workers is as follows:
| Age | Annual Payment |
| 30 to 34 | $1633 |
| 35 to 44 | $2333 |
| 45 to 59 | $2800 |
| 60 and above | $3,267 |
WIS Payment Date & Process
The cash part of the WIS payment for any category will be processed via PayNow NRIC-linked bank account or GovCash to the recipients. The self-employed individuals receive the WIC payment once time in a year, during April of the previous work year, so they may have already received their work year 2024 payout.
Now, the left employees and platform workers who receive the monthly WIS payout receive their payment based on the following payment schedule:
| Working Month | PayNow NRIC | GovCash |
| Jan | End Mar | April 1st week |
| Feb | End April | May 1st week |
| Month (x) | (x+2) End of the Month | (x+3) 1st week |
The Singapore government has made important changes for 2025, giving recognition to the platform workers and increasing the payout, etc., increasing the chance for people to save more for their retirement.