HDB grants can cut your flat purchase price by up to $230,000. But knowing you might qualify for something isn't the same as knowing exactly what you'll get.

This guide walks you through a 5-step process to determine your full HDB grant entitlement for 2026. By the end, you'll have a clear picture — no guesswork required.

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Step 1: Income Assessment

Your household income is the single biggest factor in determining grant eligibility. It directly affects your Enhanced Housing Grant (EHG) amount.

EHG Income Tiers (Families)

Average Monthly Household Income	EHG Amount
$1,500 or less	$120,000
$1,501 – $2,000	$110,000
$2,001 – $2,500	$105,000
$2,501 – $3,000	$95,000
$3,001 – $3,500	$90,000
$3,501 – $4,000	$80,000
$4,001 – $4,500	$70,000
$4,501 – $5,000	$60,000
$5,001 – $5,500	$55,000
$5,501 – $6,000	$50,000
$6,001 – $6,500	$40,000
$6,501 – $7,000	$30,000
$7,001 – $7,500	$25,000
$7,501 – $8,000	$20,000
$8,001 – $8,500	$10,000
$8,501 – $9,000	$5,000
Above $9,000	$0

EHG Income Tiers (Singles)

Average Monthly Income	EHG Amount
$750 or less	$60,000
$751 – $1,000	$55,000
$1,001 – $1,250	$52,500
$1,251 – $1,500	$47,500
$1,501 – $1,750	$45,000
$1,751 – $2,000	$40,000
$2,001 – $2,250	$35,000
$2,251 – $2,500	$32,500
$2,501 – $2,750	$27,500
$2,751 – $3,000	$25,000
$3,001 – $3,250	$20,000
$3,251 – $3,500	$15,000
$3,501 – $3,750	$12,500
$3,751 – $4,000	$10,000
$4,001 – $4,250	$5,000
$4,251 – $4,500	$2,500
Above $4,500	$0

Note: EHG amounts step down as income rises (the decrease per $500 band is not uniform). Figures verified against HDB and CPF Board, and kept in sync with our calculators.

How HDB Calculates Your Income

HDB averages your gross monthly household income over the 12 months before application. They include:

• Basic monthly salary
• Fixed allowances (transport, meals, phone, shift)
• Employer CPF contributions (for self-employed)
• Bonuses, prorated monthly (only non-performance bonuses)
• Part-time and freelance income (averaged)

They exclude overtime pay and variable performance bonuses.

Pro tip: If you or your spouse had an unusually high month (large bonus, OT spike), wait until it falls outside the 12-month window before applying. The difference could mean $5,000–$10,000 in additional EHG.

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Step 2: Citizenship Mix

Your buyer combination determines which grants you're eligible for and at what rates.

Citizenship Matrix

Buyer Combination	EHG	CPF Housing Grant	Proximity Grant	Step-Up Grant
SC + SC	Full	Up to $80,000	Full	Full
SC + SPR	Full (SC criteria)	Up to $60,000	Full	Full
SC + Foreigner	Not eligible	Not eligible	Eligible (SC link)	SC portion
SPR + SPR	Not eligible	Not eligible	Eligible (SPR link)	Not eligible
Single SC	Up to $60,000	Up to $40,000 (resale)	Full (proximity rules)	N/A

Note: SC + Foreigner couples are only eligible for the Proximity Housing Grant.

Singles CHG restriction: The $40,000 CPF Housing Grant for singles is only valid for 4-room or smaller flats in non-mature estates.

Singles CHG income ceiling: Singles claiming the CPF Housing Grant ($40,000) must have a monthly income of $7,000 or less.

Key takeaways:

• SC+SC gets the maximum. Every grant type is available at the highest tier.
• SC+SPR still gets solid support. You'll lose $20,000 in CPF Housing Grant compared to SC+SC, but EHG and PHG remain untouched.
• SPR-only buyers have the narrowest options. No EHG, no CHG, limited Step-Up. The Proximity Housing Grant is the main avenue for support.

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Step 3: First-Timer vs Second-Timer Status

Your status as a first-timer or second-timer affects nearly every grant.

Who Is a First-Timer?

You're a first-timer if:

• You (and your spouse, if joint) have never owned or purchased a subsidised HDB flat
• You've never taken a CPF Housing Grant
• You've never transferred ownership of an HDB flat

If you previously bought a resale flat with no CPF Housing Grant, you may still be treated as a first-timer for grant purposes in some scenarios (check with HDB).

Who Is a Second-Timer?

You become a second-timer once you've owned a subsidised flat. This changes your grant picture significantly:

Grant	First-Timer Access	Second-Timer Access
EHG	Full	Eligible (lower income cap applies in some cases)
CPF Housing Grant	Up to $80,000	Not eligible
Proximity Housing Grant	Full	Full
Step-Up Grant	N/A	$15,000 (upgrading from 3-room or smaller)

The big loss: second-timers cannot claim the CPF Housing Grant. That's up to $80,000 off the table.

The silver lining: the Step-Up Grant partially offsets this if you're upgrading from a smaller flat.

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Step 4: Flat Type and Location

The final two variables that affect your grant eligibility.

BTO vs Resale

Grant	Available for BTO?	Available for Resale?
EHG	Yes	Yes
CPF Housing Grant	No	Yes
Proximity Housing Grant	No	Yes
Step-Up Grant	Yes	Yes

If you're buying a BTO, your grant options are limited to EHG (and Step-Up if applicable). Resale buyers get the full grant menu.

Proximity to Parents (PHG Only)

To claim the PHG, you must be buying a resale flat:

Living Arrangement	PHG Amount	Required Proof
Living with parents/child in the same flat	$20,000	Application declaration + proof of relationship
Living within 4km of parents/child	$10,000	Application declaration + address proof

The 4km radius is measured by the shortest driving distance between the two HDB blocks, not a straight-line distance. HDB performs this calculation automatically.

Important: Your parents can live in private property — the PHG still applies. The parent only needs to be a Singapore Citizen or PR.

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Step 5: Second-Timer Upgrade Grants

If you are a second-timer upgrading from a 3-room or smaller flat to a 4-room or larger flat (non-mature estate only), you may qualify for the Step-Up Grant of $15,000.

Note: Step-Up Grant cannot be combined with the CPF Housing Grant.

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Detailed Eligibility Matrix

Here's every grant cross-referenced by buyer profile:

📋 Quick-Reference Eligibility Cheat Sheet

Buyer Profile	Max Grant Potential	Key Restrictions
SC+SC First-Timer (Resale, near parents)	Up to $220,000	Must meet EHG income ceiling ($9k)
SC+SPR First-Timer (Resale, near parents)	Up to $200,000	CHG capped at $60,000
Single SC First-Timer (BTO)	Up to $60,000	EHG only. Income ceiling $4,500
Second-Timer (Upgrading from 3-room)	Up to $135,000	EHG + Step-Up ($15k). Cannot claim CHG

SC+SC Family, First-Timer, Buying Resale, Near Parents

Grant	Status	Amount
EHG (income-dependent)	✅ Eligible	$5,000 – $120,000
CPF Housing Grant	✅ Eligible	$80,000
Proximity Housing Grant (within 4km)	✅ Eligible	$20,000
Maximum total		Up to $220,000

SC+SPR Family, First-Timer, Buying Resale, Living with Parents

Grant	Status	Amount
EHG (income-dependent)	✅ Eligible	$5,000 – $120,000
CPF Housing Grant	✅ Eligible	$60,000
Proximity Housing Grant (live together)	✅ Eligible	$30,000
Maximum total		Up to $210,000

Single SC, First-Timer, Buying BTO

Grant	Status	Amount
EHG (income-dependent)	✅ Eligible	$5,000 – $60,000
CPF Housing Grant	❌ Not eligible	$0
Proximity Housing Grant	❌ Not eligible (BTO)	$0
Maximum total		Up to $60,000

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Real Example: $6,000/Month Couple

Let's trace through the process for a real buyer:

Profile: Lee and Tan, both SC, first-timers, combined income $6,000/month, buying a resale 4-room flat, Tan's parents live 2km away.

Step 1 — Income:

$6,000/month → EHG of approximately $50,000

Step 2 — Citizenship:

SC+SC → full CPF Housing Grant eligibility → $80,000

Step 3 — First-Timer:

Full access to all grants → no restrictions

Step 4 — Flat Type & Location:

Resale in non-mature estate, parents within 4km → PHG of $20,000

Total Grant Entitlement:

$50,000 + $80,000 + $20,000 = $150,000

If the resale flat costs $520,000, their effective price drops to $370,000 — and their monthly mortgage on a 2.6% HDB loan (25 years, 80% LTV) would be roughly $1,340.

That's less than many couples pay in rent.

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Common Eligibility Mistakes

Mistake 1: Assuming You Earn Too Much

The EHG cuts off at $9,000/month for families. The median household income in Singapore is around $10,000, but there's a wide distribution. Many dual-income couples starting out fall within the EHG range. Always check — don't self-disqualify.

Mistake 2: Not Checking Proximity

If either set of parents lives within 4km of your target resale flat, you're leaving up to $20,000 (families) on the table by not claiming PHG. And if you're willing to live together, it's $30,000. Use the HDB Calculator Grant Checker to verify your PHG distance.

Mistake 3: Forgetting the 12-Month Income Window

A bonus that falls in month 9 of your 12-month lookback could reduce your EHG by a full tier. Time your application carefully or consult HDB about excluding one-off windfalls.

Mistake 4: Previous Private Property Ownership

⚠️ Crucial Update: If you or your spouse owned private property in the last 30 months, you are not eligible for the EHG or CPF Housing Grant. This includes any private residential property, whether in Singapore or overseas. The 30-month wait-out period applies from the date of disposal of the private property.

Mistake 5: Mixing Up Grant Types

The EHG applies to BTO and resale. The CPF Housing Grant is resale only. The PHG is resale only. Many BTO buyers assume they get the same grants — they don't.

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Your Next Step: Verify in 2 Minutes

You've learned the rules. Now get your actual numbers:

• HDB Calculator Grant Checker — plug in your income, citizenship mix, flat type, and parents' address. See your exact grant entitlement in under 2 minutes. No sign-up required.

• HDB Calculator Affordability Calculator — subtract your grants from the purchase price and see your real monthly instalment.

• HDB Grant Guide 2026 — detailed breakdown of every grant type, stacking rules, and maximisation strategies.

• BTO vs Resale 2026 — compare grant outcomes for BTO versus resale buyers.

For more questions, visit the HDB Calculator FAQ.

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Key Takeaways

• Start with your income: the EHG is the first and most important grant to assess, decreasing by $5,000 for every $500 income increase — time your application around bonus-heavy months.
• Check your citizenship mix carefully: SC+SC gets the maximum CHG ($80,000), SC+SPR gets $60,000, and SC+Foreigner couples only qualify for the Proximity Housing Grant.
• Singles face tighter restrictions: the $40,000 CPF Housing Grant only applies for 4-room or smaller flats in non-mature estates, and EHG is capped at $60,000.
• Second-timers lose the CPF Housing Grant but can claim the $15,000 Step-Up Grant when upgrading from a 3-room or smaller flat — it cannot be stacked with CHG.
• Always verify proximity to parents: the PHG can add $10,000–$20,000 to your grant total, and it's one of the most commonly overlooked grants.

Always verify with HDB and CPF Board before making property decisions.