AIC Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) Singapore 2026 — How to Apply, Eligibility, How It Pays for Your FDW

If you employ a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) to care for an elderly parent in Singapore — or you're about to — the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Home Caregiving Grant can pay you up to S$600 a month from April 2026. That's S$7,200 a year. It covers the entire FDW monthly salary in many households, and it sits on top of the levy concession, CareShield Life payouts and MediSave Care withdrawals.

The problem? Most families who qualify never apply. Some don't know it exists. Some assume the income ceiling rules them out (it doesn't — the cap is now S$4,800 per person, raised in April 2026). Some give up after a Functional Assessment Report (FAR) gets rejected the first time, not realising appeals routinely succeed once the right ADL evidence is attached.

This guide walks you through the 2026 rules, the 3-of-6 ADL test, the exact documents you need, and — crucially for our maid-agency clients — how HCG pays for your helper.

Reviewed by Wendy Tan, Upwill Employment (MOM EA Licence 24C2628). All figures verified against AIC and CPF Board sources as of May 2026.

What is the AIC Home Caregiving Grant?

The Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) is a monthly cash payout administered by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), the statutory body under the Ministry of Health that coordinates Singapore's community care sector. HCG is designed for families who are caring for a loved one with permanent moderate-to-severe disability at home.

The money is paid directly to the applicant. It is not earmarked — you can spend it on whatever the care recipient needs:

• Hiring a caregiver, including a Foreign Domestic Worker
• Paying for home-based professional care (nurses, therapists, day-care centres)
• Buying healthcare items such as adult diapers, hospital beds, mobility aids and consumables

For families employing an FDW for eldercare, this grant alone funds most or all of a helper's monthly salary. See domestic helper salary Singapore 2026 for current pay bands.

The April 2026 increase to S$600/month

HCG was significantly enhanced from April 2026:

1. Top payout raised from S$400 to S$600/month — a 50% increase for the lowest-income tier.
2. Income ceiling raised from S$3,600 to S$4,800 per-capita household income.

Most retired-parent households in HDB flats fall into the top S$600 tier because the elderly care recipient typically has little or no income.

Eligibility — SC/PR status, ADL threshold, income ceiling

• Citizenship: Singapore Citizen, OR Singapore PR with a living Singapore Citizen immediate family member.
• Residence: Living at home in the community — not in a nursing home or long-term residential care institution.
• Functional need: Permanently requires some assistance with at least 3 of the 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
• Household income: Monthly per-capita household income ≤ S$4,800.

There is no age requirement — HCG follows disability, not age.

The 3-of-6 ADL test explained

The Functional Assessment Report (FAR) must be completed by an MOH-accredited Severe Disability Assessor — your GP, polyclinic doctor, hospital doctor, or community nurse. Assessor fees range from S$60 to S$250. If you're also claiming CareShield Life, ElderShield, ElderFund or MediSave Care, use the same assessor for one combined assessment.

How to prepare for the FAR

• Recent medical reports (stroke, dementia, fracture, Parkinson's)
• A written daily-care log for the past 1-2 weeks
• Photos or video of mobility difficulties if relevant
• Any existing therapist or geriatrician letters

Step-by-step: how to apply for HCG

1. Confirm eligibility — citizenship, income, evidence of 3-of-6 ADL dependence.
2. Book the Functional Assessment with an MOH-accredited assessor.
3. Complete the FAR — assessor signs and uploads.
4. Apply via eFASS — log in with Singpass at the AIC eFASS portal.
5. Alternative channels — email [email protected], or walk in to AIC Link office.
6. Wait for outcome — typical processing 4-6 weeks.
7. Payouts begin the month after approval — paid by GIRO.

See our best maid agency for elderly care guide for choosing the right placement.

Documents you need

• Functional Assessment Report (FAR)
• Care recipient's NRIC / FIN
• Applicant's NRIC and Singpass
• Proof of household income (CPF, IRAS NOA, payslips)
• HDB or property documents for AV-based tier
• Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), Deputyship Order, or medical certification of mental incapacity (if applicable)

What the S$600/month can be used for

AIC does not require itemised spending. Families with an FDW typically use HCG to:

• Cover the helper's salary
• Top up to a higher-experience or trained eldercare helper
• Pay the monthly FDW levy (S$60 with elderly concession)
• Fund eldercare maid insurance
• Buy adult diapers, hospital beds, wheelchairs, walking frames
• Pay day-care centre fees
• Engage a professional caregiver

How HCG stacks with CareShield Life, MediSave Care, ElderFund

Important: CareShield Life covers Singaporeans born 1980 or later (mandatory); older cohorts on ElderShield receive S$300-S$400/month for a capped 6 years. HCG and MediSave Care can stack with any of these schemes.

Total possible monthly government support for an FDW household

Real scenario — 80-year-old PR mother living with Singaporean son, severe disability after stroke, per-capita income S$1,400, one FDW with elderly levy concession:

For most households, this comfortably exceeds the all-in monthly cost of employing an eldercare FDW — see hire cost guide. The FDW Levy Concession drops levy from S$300 to S$60 if the care recipient is a Singapore Citizen aged 67+ in the same household. Full details on our FDW levy concessions page.

Annual renewal and ADL re-assessment

• Updated income declaration if circumstances changed
• Confirmation care recipient still at home
• Fresh FAR every 1-3 years depending on original certification

Common rejection reasons + how to appeal

1. FAR shows only 2-of-6 ADL dependence — request re-assessment with fuller daily-care log
2. Income documents incomplete — resubmit complete documentation
3. Care recipient assessed as not permanent — wait 3-6 months, re-assess
4. Property Annual Value exceeds threshold — appeal for lower tier rather than rejection
5. Lacks mental capacity, no LPA — apply through Office of the Public Guardian

To appeal, write back to AIC within 30 days of rejection with new evidence. Most well-evidenced appeals succeed.

HCG application checklist

• Care recipient is SC, or PR with living SC family member
• Care recipient lives at home (not nursing home)
• Can evidence permanent assistance with ≥3 of 6 ADLs
• Household per-capita income ≤ S$4,800/month
• Booked MOH-accredited assessor (combine with CareShield Life if possible)
• Daily-care log of past 1-2 weeks prepared
• NRICs, income docs, property AV documents gathered
• LPA or Deputyship Order ready if needed
• Singpass active for eFASS application
• Annual renewal date diarised once approved

See our eldercare helper services or compare helper insurance options that work alongside the HCG.

About the reviewer

Wendy Tan is a senior placement consultant at Upwill Employment (MOM EA Licence 24C2628) specialising in eldercare FDW placements across Singapore. All information cross-checked against AIC, CPF Board and MOM published sources as of May 2026.