Up to 20,000 to get subsidy adjustments after system error

Adjustments will take effect from 21 July 2025.

About 20,000 people will have their subsidy and grant levels adjusted after an error in the government’s Household Means Eligibility System (HOMES) led to inaccurate means-testing earlier this year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced.

The ministry said the issue affected individuals with business income due to changes in data processing timelines.

Between 1 and 27 January 2025, HOMES failed to correctly process income data from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), resulting in wrong subsidy calculations.

Roughly 19,000 people were affected under MOH schemes, and another 1,000 under programmes by agencies including the Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Education, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority. This represents less than 3% of all individuals assessed during that period.

MOH has completed the reassessments. Most affected individuals received more subsidies than they were entitled to, while a smaller group received less. Adjustments will take effect from 21 July 2025.

Those who received too much will not need to repay the excess. Those who got less will receive reimbursement by November 2025.

Agencies will contact affected individuals.