MSF is committed to supporting families to achieve Stability, Self-reliance, and Social mobility (3S) through policies that empower them to succeed. This year, we will focus on three areas to strengthen outcomes for lower-income families:
- The ComLink+ Progress Packages will be enhanced to better support families on their journey towards achieving their longer-term goals.
- ComLink+ families’ health and social needs will be better addressed through closer collaboration with partners. [Embargoed] MSF COS 2026 Media Factsheet (MOS Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim) (5 Mar)
- From 2027, MOH will extend Healthier SG enrolment to eligible ComLink+ residents to support earlier health interventions.
- The ComLink+ Social-Health Integration model will be refined and extended to more families in 2026.
- As announced at Budget 2026, Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) will be enhanced to support children from lower- and lower-middle income families and ease cost pressures on parents.
I. Enhancements to ComLink+ Progress Packages
- MSF will introduce a Partnership Payout for all ComLink+ families that work with their family coaches or Family Service Centre (FSC) case workers to take active steps based on their action plans.
- Intermediate milestones will be added to the preschool and employment packages, with larger cash components to better support families as attending preschool and seeking employment are critical pathways to 3S outcomes for all families.
- With these enhancements, a family with two children can receive up to $10,000 annually, with stable employment and regular preschool attendance.
- Around 11,000 ComLink+ families will benefit from these enhancements.
Partnership Payout
- All ComLink+ families will receive a Partnership Payout of $500 per quarter in recognition of their commitment to improve their circumstances. This will provide steady support so families may focus on longer-term goals. o Families will receive the payout upfront and continue receiving it as long as they work with their family coaches or FSC case workers towards their goals.
- The $500 payout consists of $200 in cash and $300 in CPF contributions, so that families receive immediate support and build savings for the future.
Enhancements to Preschool Package
- An intermediate milestone will be introduced to encourage families that are making effort but are unable to achieve preschool attendance of at least 75%.
- The enrolment incentive will be removed to focus families’ attention on regular attendance, which is critical for child development.
- Part of the payout will be deposited in the child’s Child Development Account (CDA), attracting dollar-for-dollar matching under the Baby Bonus Scheme, up to the co-matching cap.
Enhancements to Employment Package
- Families will be assessed based on their total household income rather than individual earnings, recognising collective family efforts and providing more flexibility for families facing varying circumstances.
- The package will include an intermediate milestone to encourage families that may not be able to achieve a gross monthly household income of $2,000 at present.
- Part of the payout will be deposited into CPF accounts, to help families build savings for the future.
II. Enhancements to Health Support
Extension of Healthier SG Enrolment to ComLink+ Residents Below 40
- Healthier SG is a nationwide initiative that helps Singaporeans take proactive steps to manage their health, prevent the onset of chronic diseases, and support healthier lifestyles.
- Currently, Healthier SG enrolment is for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 40 years and above.
- From 2027, MOH will extend Healthier SG enrolment to eligible ComLink+ residents aged 25 to 39 years old. Under the expanded enrolment, newly eligible ComLink+ participants will benefit from the existing Healthier SG benefits, including:
- Support from a trusted family doctor; o Fully subsidised, personalised Health Plan from their family doctor;
- $20 worth of Healthpoints after their first Health Plan consultation;
- Special subsidies for Healthier SG screening tests and vaccinations (for Singapore Citizens) where eligible; and o Access to selected medications for chronic diseases at their enrolled Healthier SG clinic at prices comparable to polyclinics, where eligible.
- The health needs of ComLink+ individuals under 25 will continue to be supported by other programmes. For example, “Grow Well SG” is a national health promotion strategy to enhance preventive care and inculcate healthier lifestyles in children up to 12 years old, with plans to expand the initiative to older age groups in future phases. Those with more complex health issues may be supported through the ComLink+ Social-Health Integration trial (see below).
Expansion of ComLink+ Social-Health Integration Trial
- ComLink+ families tend to have higher prevalence of chronic diseases. Financial pressures, limited health literacy, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system can also contribute to poorer health outcomes that further compound their everyday challenges.
- In 2025, MSF and MOH trialled a new model of support to address the health needs of ComLink+ families. Family coaches and healthcare staff worked together to:
- Set health goals that were aligned with families’ goals and circumstances. This included preventive measures such as adopting a healthier diet, regular exercise, and attending recommended health screenings.
- Streamlined service delivery so that families found it easier to get support.
- MSF and MOH will build on our learnings from this trial to refine the model and onboard more families in the first half of 2026.
- The extended trial will focus on health issues that prevent families from achieving the 3S.
- For example, childhood asthma prevents children from attending school, and symptoms such as chronic pain make it hard for adults to work.
- Family coaches will continue to support families by nudging them towards positive health behaviours, sharing basic health information, and working with families to improve their health outcomes. They will also integrate the necessary health interventions into each family’s overall action plans.
- Individuals who are enrolled onto Healthier SG will primarily be supported by their Healthier SG family doctor on health matters, including developing a Health Plan.
- Families who have more complex health issues (e.g., families with multiple health conditions and pressing social concerns) can also receive additional assistance from the healthcare clusters through their family coach.
III. Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) Eligibility Criteria
- All Singapore Citizen (SC) and Permanent Resident (PR)* children enrolled in Student Care Centres (SCCs) that administer the SCFA are eligible for means tested subsidies under the SCFA, if their families meet specific income criteria.
- Both parents must be working at least 56 hours per month each. Household income is determined based on either:
- For families with 4 or fewer family members in the same household: Gross Monthly Household Income (“HHI”), which is the combined average gross monthly income of both the applicant and the spouse; or
- For larger families with 5 or more family members in the same household: Per Capita Income (“PCI”), which is the total average gross monthly household income of all family members in the household divided by the number of family members in the household. *To be eligible for the SCFA, PR children must have at least one immediate family member who is a Singapore Citizen.
- SCFA applications may be submitted up to 6 months prior to enrolment. Successful applicants will be granted in-principle approval and guaranteed SCFA provision upon confirmed enrolment at the SCC. The maximum SCFA assistance period will also be extended from 24 months to 36 months.
Enhancements
- MSF will increase the monthly HHI threshold from $4,500 to $6,500, raise the corresponding PCI threshold, and update the income tiers. This is expected to benefit around 13,000 students and their families.
- Assuming enrolment at an SCC at the median fee of $295, families at the lowest income tier will continue to pay $5 per child per month. Families at higher income tiers will pay between $10 to $118 less per child per month.
- The changes to the SCFA income tiers will be implemented on 1 Jan 2027.
IV. Skills Upgrading Support (SUS) Pilot
- Many ComLink+ families have younger work-capable individuals with lower educational qualifications. They may have dropped out of education and have been unable to return due to the financial opportunity cost of upskilling. The pilot seeks to enable them to upskill and secure better employment by addressing their families’ basic living expenses if they stop work. This will improve their households’ financial resilience in the long run.
- The ComLink+ Skills Upgrading Support Pilot launched in January 2026 targets ComLink+ individuals aged 18 to 39 who are currently in lower wage jobs or have dropped out of school previously to work.
- Under this Pilot, MSF will address the financial opportunity cost by providing:
- Support for basic living expenses at ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance rates; and
- A financial incentive of $500 for every quarter that individuals sustain their education.
- The support can be given for up to 3 years, depending on course duration.
- Supportable courses under the pilot are scoped to ensure clear learning outcomes which enable clients to improve employment prospects:
- Full-time full qualification courses, such as NITEC/ Higher NITEC and polytechnic diplomas
- Selected vocational courses offered by (a) MOE-funded institutions, (b) Workforce Skills Qualifications-accredited courses, or (c) Post Secondary Education Account (PSEA)-eligible courses. Examples of supportable vocational courses include WSQ Diploma in Infocomm Technology, WSQ Higher Certificate in Healthcare (Nursing), and the Advanced Certificate in Early Years offered by the National Institute of Early Childhood Development.