Silver Housing Bonus 2026: Up to $40,000 for Right-Sizing, Who Qualifies and How to Apply
HDB's cash bonus for seniors who move to a 3-room or smaller flat. Who qualifies, how the CPF commitment of up to $60,000 works, HDB's three worked examples, what right-sizing frees up at 2026 prices, and how it differs from the Lease Buyback Scheme and Silver Support.
The Silver Housing Bonus is a cash bonus of up to $40,000 per household from HDB. A household qualifies if a Singapore Citizen owner is 55 or older, gross income is $16,000 a month or less, and it sells its HDB flat (after the MOP) or a private home with an annual value of up to $31,000 to buy a 3-room or smaller HDB flat, and meets HDB's timing, property and net-proceeds rules. It must commit up to $60,000 of the proceeds to its CPF Retirement Accounts and join CPF LIFE; CPF housing refunds can count towards this.
Right-sizing is one of the ways HDB lists for seniors to unlock the value of a flat: sell the bigger home, buy a smaller one, and keep what is left after CPF refunds and costs. The Silver Housing Bonus (SHB) adds up to $40,000 in cash to that move, in exchange for putting part of the proceeds towards a monthly CPF LIFE income.
This guide covers the enhanced scheme that has run since 1 December 2025: who qualifies under the $16,000 income ceiling, how much you get, HDB's own worked examples, how much a move frees up at 2026 prices, how to apply without missing a deadline, and how it differs from the Lease Buyback Scheme and the Silver Support Scheme. Rules are HDB's and CPF's, as at 18 September 2026.
What is the Silver Housing Bonus?
A cash bonus of up to $40,000 per household from HDB, for seniors who sell their home and move to a 3-room or smaller HDB flat. To get it, the household commits up to $60,000 of the proceeds to its CPF Retirement Accounts and joins CPF LIFE. Since 1 December 2025, CPF housing refunds can count towards that commitment.
HDB describes it as support for "seniors who right-size to a 3-room or smaller HDB flat to supplement their retirement income" (HDB). The move itself frees up cash; the bonus is paid for turning part of it into lifelong income.
- Sell your HDB flat after its MOP, or a private home with an annual value of up to $31,000.
- Buy a 3-room or smaller HDB flat, new or resale, including a Community Care Apartment. You need a valid HFE letter first, like any other HDB buyer.
- Commit up to $60,000 of the proceeds to your CPF Retirement Accounts for CPF LIFE payouts. Your CPF housing refund from the sale can count and, if it is enough, no cash top-up is needed. The monthly income itself starts from your CPF payout eligibility age.
- Apply for the bonus within a year of the second transaction's completion.
What changed on 1 December 2025. The maximum rose from $30,000 to $40,000, and the CPF commitment can now be met from housing refunds rather than only from cash (HDB).
The bonus rewards a move you may already be planning: smaller flat, more retirement income.
Who is eligible for the Silver Housing Bonus?
At least one owner must be a Singapore Citizen aged 55 or above, gross household income must be $16,000 a month or less, and you must sell an HDB flat that has met its MOP, or a private home with an annual value of up to $31,000, and buy a 3-room or smaller HDB flat. You cannot own, or have an interest in, any private residential property at the same time, and the sale must leave positive net proceeds.
| Condition | HDB's rule (updated 23 August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Citizenship and age | At least 1 owner a Singapore Citizen, aged 55 or above |
| Income | Gross monthly household income of $16,000 or less |
| The home you sell | An HDB flat that has met its MOP, or a private home with an annual value of up to $31,000 |
| Other property | No ownership of, or interest in, any private residential property, and no more than 1 non-residential property |
| The flat you buy | A 3-room flat (not a 3-room terrace), or a 2-room or smaller flat, including a Community Care Apartment |
| Net sale proceeds | Must be positive: the selling price, minus any housing loan, the next flat's price, any resale levy and any Plus or Prime subsidy recovery |
| Timing | Book the new flat, or submit the resale application, before you sell or within 12 months of completing the sale |
| HFE letter | A valid HDB Flat Eligibility letter before you apply for a flat or take an Option to Purchase |
| Applying | Within 1 year of the legal completion of the second transaction, sale or purchase |
Source: HDB, Silver Housing Bonus. HDB assesses eligibility when you apply for the bonus. The income ceiling rose from $14,000 to $16,000 with the 24 August 2026 revision.
Can a private homeowner get it? Yes, if the home's annual value is $31,000 or less, but the bonus is smaller above an annual value of $21,000 (see below). HDB's separate seniors' eligibility page still quoted the old $21,000 limit in September 2026; the Silver Housing Bonus page's $31,000 has applied since December 2025.
One Singapore Citizen owner aged 55 or older, a home sold, a 3-room or smaller flat bought, the timing met.
How much is the Silver Housing Bonus?
$30,000 if you commit $60,000 to your CPF Retirement Accounts and buy a 3-room flat, and $40,000 if you commit $60,000 and buy a 2-room or smaller flat, including a Community Care Apartment. Commit less and the $30,000 part is pro-rated at $1 for every $2. Owners selling private homes with an annual value above $21,000 get less.
| Home you sell | Flat you buy | Bonus | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDB flat, or private home with annual value of $21,000 or less | 3-room (not a 3-room terrace) | Up to $30,000, at $1 for every $2 committed | $30,000 |
| HDB flat, or private home with annual value of $21,000 or less | 2-room or smaller, including a Community Care Apartment | Up to $30,000, plus $10,000 not pro-rated | $40,000 |
| Private home with annual value above $21,000, up to $31,000 | 3-room (not a 3-room terrace) | Up to $10,000, at $1 for every $6 committed | $10,000 |
| Private home with annual value above $21,000, up to $31,000 | 2-room or smaller, including a Community Care Apartment | Up to $10,000, plus $10,000 not pro-rated | $20,000 |
Source: HDB. The commitment is capped at $60,000 per household and by the Full Retirement Sum, and depends on your net sale proceeds.
HDB's three worked examples, all met from CPF housing refunds with no cash top-up:
| Household | Sale | Next flat | Net proceeds | Committed to CPF | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr and Mrs Tan | 5-room in Yishun, $705,000 | New 3-room in Woodlands, $275,000 | $285,000 | $60,000 | $30,000 |
| Mr and Mrs Bala | 5-room in Yishun, $705,000 | New 2-room Flexi, 30-year lease, $83,000 | $507,000 | $60,000 | $40,000 |
| Mr Ahmad and Mdm Siti | Private home, annual value $25,000, $970,000 | New 2-room Flexi, 30-year lease, $83,000 | $872,000 | $60,000 | $20,000 |
HDB's net proceeds deduct the outstanding loan ($100,000 for both 5-room sales, none for the private home) and the resale levy ($45,000 for the Tans, $15,000 for the others).
The extra $10,000 for a 2-room or smaller flat is paid whatever you commit.
How much cash does right-sizing free up?
At national median resale prices in 2026 H1, selling a 4-room and buying a 3-room frees $187,000 before costs, and a 5-room to a 3-room $297,000. That gross gap is usually far bigger than the bonus; CPF refunds, any loan, any resale levy (if applicable) and fees come out of it first.
| Move | Median price of the flat you sell | Median price of the flat you buy | Gross gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-room to 3-room | $630,000 | $443,000 | $187,000 |
| 4-room to 2-room | $630,000 | $375,000 | $255,000 |
| 5-room to 3-room | $740,000 | $443,000 | $297,000 |
| 5-room to 2-room | $740,000 | $375,000 | $365,000 |
| Executive to 3-room | $910,000 | $443,000 | $467,000 |
| Executive to 2-room | $910,000 | $375,000 | $535,000 |
PropKaki analysis of HDB resale registrations, national medians for 2026 H1. The gap is gross: before CPF refunds with accrued interest, any outstanding loan, the resale levy, stamp duty, legal and agent fees, and the bonus itself.
Two things change the numbers for your own move:
- Where you buy and sell. These are national medians across every town. Prices in your own town can sit well above or below them, so price your own flat and the one you would buy.
- Buying new on a short lease. A 2-room Flexi on a 15- to 45-year lease, open to buyers aged 55 and above, costs far less than a resale flat; HDB's examples use one at $83,000 on a 30-year lease. The lease must last every buyer and spouse to at least 95 (so a 30-year lease needs everyone to be 65 or older), there is no HDB loan, and the flat cannot be sold or rented out: it goes back to HDB. See our 2-room Flexi guide.
The move frees the money; the bonus is the sweetener. Run the gap for your own two flats first.
How do you apply for the Silver Housing Bonus?
Through HDB. Book the new flat, or submit the resale application, before you sell or within 12 months of completing the sale. HDB explains the application at the completion appointment of your second transaction, and you must apply within 1 year of that completion date.
- Get a valid HFE letter before you apply for a new flat or take an Option to Purchase on a resale flat.
- Line up the two transactions. Book the new flat, or submit the resale application, either before you sell your current home or within 12 months of completing that sale.
- Complete both. At the completion appointment of the second transaction, sale or purchase, HDB tells you how to apply.
- Apply within 1 year of that second completion, and commit the required amount to your CPF Retirement Accounts.
CPF confirms that you apply "through HDB" (CPF).
If you sell first, you have 12 months from the sale's completion to book the next flat or submit the resale application; then 1 year from the second completion to apply for the bonus.
Silver Housing Bonus or Lease Buyback Scheme: which fits you?
The Silver Housing Bonus is for moving: from 55, sell and buy a 3-room or smaller flat, for up to $40,000. The Lease Buyback Scheme is for staying: from 65, sell the tail end of your lease to HDB and keep living there, for a bonus of up to $30,000. You can receive one bonus or the other, not both.
| Silver Housing Bonus | Lease Buyback Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| You move out | Yes, to a 3-room or smaller flat | No |
| Age | A Singapore Citizen owner aged 55 or above | All owners aged 65 or above |
| Income ceiling | $16,000 | $16,000 |
| Bonus | Up to $40,000 | Up to $30,000 (3-room or smaller), $15,000 (4-room), $7,500 (5-room or bigger) |
| CPF commitment | A net increase of up to $60,000 | A top-up to the retirement sum, first |
| Your next home | A flat you own, under the normal rules; a Community Care Apartment or short-lease 2-room Flexi cannot be sold or rented out, and goes back to HDB | The same flat, which can only go back to HDB |
Sources: HDB Silver Housing Bonus and Lease Buyback Scheme pages; HDB's monetisation hub: "flat owners may enjoy either the SHB or LBS bonus but not both".
Read our guide to the Lease Buyback Scheme if staying put matters more than the cash.
Moving? The Silver Housing Bonus. Staying? The Lease Buyback Scheme.
Is the Silver Housing Bonus the same as Silver Support or the Seniors' Bonus?
No. The Silver Housing Bonus is a cash bonus from HDB for right-sizing. Silver Support is a separate quarterly cash payment from CPF for Singapore Citizens aged 65 and above who had low incomes during their working years; it is automatic and needs no application. The Seniors' Bonus was a special GST Voucher cash payout announced in 2022.
Silver Support Scheme. You qualify automatically if you are a Singapore Citizen aged 65 or above, your total CPF contributions by 55 were up to $140,000 (and, if you were self-employed or a platform worker, your average yearly net trade income between 45 and 54 was up to $27,600), you live in a 1- to 5-room HDB flat (and neither you nor your spouse owns a 5-room or larger flat, private property or several properties), and your household income per person is up to $2,300 a month (CPF). Payments per quarter:
| HDB flat type | Household income per person of $1,500 or less | Above $1,500, up to $2,300 |
|---|---|---|
| 1- and 2-room | $1,080 | $540 |
| 3-room | $860 | $430 |
| 4-room | $650 | $325 |
| 5-room (lived in, not owned) | $430 | $215 |
Source: CPF, updated 17 September 2026. Seniors on ComCare Long-Term Assistance receive $430 a quarter.
The Seniors' Bonus was announced in 2022 as a special GST Voucher cash payout for less well-off seniors, paid over three years from 2023. We found no current official page for it, so check govbenefits.gov.sg for the payouts you qualify for today.
Right-sizing earns the Silver Housing Bonus. Silver Support depends on your CPF contributions by 55, your household income and the flat you live in, so moving to a smaller flat can change it too.
What is the biggest mistake people make with the Silver Housing Bonus?
Missing a clock. The new flat must be booked, or the resale application submitted, before you sell or within 12 months of completing the sale, and the bonus application must go in within 1 year of the second completion. Buying a 3-room terrace, or keeping another private home, also rules you out.
The bonus is not automatic. It depends on getting the sequence right:
- The 12-month gap. Sell first and wait too long to book the next flat, and the move no longer qualifies.
- The 1-year application window, counted from the legal completion of the second transaction.
- The wrong next flat. A 3-room terrace is excluded; a 3-room or smaller flat, including a Community Care Apartment, is not.
- Negative net proceeds. If the sale does not cover the loan, the next flat and any levy, there is no bonus.
Diarise both dates the day you decide to move.
Official sources
Check HDB and CPF directly before you sell.
Methodology and sources
Where every figure comes from, and what we deliberately did not claim.
Official figures and rules. Eligibility, amounts, the CPF commitment, timing and HDB's three worked examples are from HDB's Silver Housing Bonus page (updated 23 August 2026) and monetisation hub (23 August 2026), with the Lease Buyback comparison from HDB's Lease Buyback pages (25 August and 24 July 2026), read on 18 and 19 September 2026; CPF's FAQs confirm the amount and that you apply through HDB. Silver Support criteria and amounts are from CPF's page (updated 17 September 2026). The Seniors' Bonus description is from a gov.sg explainer of 29 June 2022.
Proprietary figures. The right-sizing gaps are PropKaki's analysis of HDB resale registrations: national median prices by flat type for 2026 H1, the latest complete half-year. How we work: PropKaki methodology.
What we have not claimed: how much your own sale will free up; your CPF LIFE payout; whether the bonus can be recovered later, on which neither HDB's page nor CPF's FAQ says anything; or the current status of the Seniors' Bonus. This is a practical explainer, not legal or financial advice. Check hdb.gov.sg and cpf.gov.sg before you rely on it.
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Take any point from this analysis and apply it to your own project, budget or decision.
PropKakiFor most buyers this year, staying well within budget beats trying to time the market.