SINGAPORE  — Singaporean households can use their S$500 of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers from Wednesday (Jan 3), at double the number of merchants from 2021. 

Similar to previous rounds, the vouchers can be claimed digitally at go.gov.sg/cdcv. One member of each household can log in with their Singpass account to claim the CDC vouchers on behalf of their household.

A voucher link will be sent to the registered mobile phone number of the applicant, who can then share it with other household members using the link, said CDC in a press release on Wednesday.

The vouchers will be valid until Dec 31, 2024. 

Like in 2023, the vouchers have been split into two halves — S$250 can be used at participating heartland merchants and hawkers, while the other half can be used at participating supermarkets, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the launch event on Wednesday. 

About 23,000 merchants are participating in the scheme in 2024, double that of 2021, said Mr Wong. 

Eight supermarkets with 415 outlets islandwide are also part of the 2024 scheme, including Ang Mo Supermarket, Giant Singapore, HAO Mart, NTUC FairPrice, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong and U-Stars Supermarket. Cold Storage joined the scheme this year, said CDC.

“Quite a number of merchants, shops and supermarkets are going beyond just participating in the scheme. They are also extending their own discounts and rebates, so if you use the CDC vouchers there, you get additional rebates,” said Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister. 

The CDC vouchers have been “well received” each year, he added. 

In 2023, “virtually all” Singaporean households claimed their vouchers, and nearly 97 per cent of the vouchers that were claimed have been spent, said the Deputy Prime Minister. 

The CDC vouchers website will also continue to accept donations of the vouchers until the end of January, he added. “For any of you out here, if you know of friends or family members who have not fully used their CDC vouchers, please encourage them to donate the vouchers to a good cause.” 

The vouchers are part of a package implemented by the government to cushion the effects of inflation, said Mr Wong. 

The government is providing assistance in other ways – all Singaporeans above 21 years old would have received up to S$800 in cash in December 2023 from the Assurance Package, with lower-income individuals getting more, he noted. 

In February, eligible seniors will receive cash payouts, and seniors and children will see MediSave top-ups. 

There is an “entire schedule” of assistance and payouts planned for the year, including additional U-Save Rebates to help HDB households with their utility bills, said Mr Wong. CNA