Debated in Parliament on 6 May 2026.
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the Ministry's assessment of the current level of awareness of the CPF Reduced Life Expectancy Scheme among eligible patients approaching end of life; (b) how many patients have applied for early CPF withdrawals under the scheme in each of the last three years; and (c) what concrete measures are planned to streamline referral and approval processes under this scheme.
Information on the Reduced Life Expectancy (RLE) scheme is published on the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board's website. Patients applying for the RLE scheme can approach public healthcare institutions (PHIs) to complete the necessary medical assessment report, which PHIs will submit directly to CPF Board. CPF Board is working to raise awareness of the scheme among eligible patients in several ways, such as by providing informational brochures at relevant locations, including PHIs. Between 2023 and 2025, the CPF Board received an annual average of around 2,000 applications under the RLE scheme.
The CPF Board and the Ministry of Health continuously review and streamline our processes. We will tap on existing clinical assessment records of palliative care patients' prognosis, which will make the application process faster.
PAPERCUTS