Central Provident Fund Act
(CHAPTER 36, Section 77)
Central Provident Fund Regulations
Rg 15
G.N. No. S 313/1987

REVISED EDITION 1998
(1st January 1998)
[1st December 1987]
Citation
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Central Provident Fund Regulations.
Definitions
1A.  In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —
“instrument” includes any bank draft, warrant or cheque;
“living expenses account” means an account maintained by the Board before 13 January 2015 for a member of the Fund in respect of any amount standing to his credit in the Fund which he is required to set aside under any condition referred to in section 27(2)(b) or (3) of the Act.
[S 565/2014 wef 01/09/2014]
[S 233/2015 wef 24/04/2015]
Time for payment of contributions
2.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), all contributions to the Fund payable by an employer under section 7(1) of the Act shall be paid to the Board not later than 14 days after the end of the month in respect of which the contributions are payable.
(2)  The Board may, in the case of any employer or class or classes of employers, authorise the time for payment to be extended by not more than 7 days.
(3)  Where the Board has authorised the withdrawal of the sum of money standing to the credit of a member in the Fund under section 15(2) or (3) of the Act, the Board may require any contributions due in respect of that member to be paid to the Fund by such earlier date as the Board may direct.
Time for payment of interest
3.—(1)  Any sum due to the Board by way of interest under section 9 of the Act shall be paid to the Board within 14 days of a demand by the Board for such payment.
(2)  Where the Board has recovered any interest in respect of arrears of contributions, the Board shall pay the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of the interest that would have been payable on the contributions that were received late if those contributions had been paid on the due date.
[S 718/2007 wef 01/01/2008]
Fees and charges
3A.—(1)  The fees and charges specified in the second column of the Schedule shall be payable to the Board in respect of the matters set out in the first column thereof.
(2)  The Board may, where it considers appropriate, waive wholly or in part any fee or charge specified in the Schedule.
(3)  Any fee or charge due to the Board under these Regulations shall be paid to the Board not later than 7 days from the date of the demand by the Board for such payment, and such fee or charge, if remaining unpaid on the expiry of the period of 7 days, shall constitute a debt due to the Board and be recoverable as such.
[S 695/2002 wef 01/04/2003]
Manner of payment of moneys
4.  All contributions to the Fund and all fees and charges payable to the Board may be paid —
(a)in cash at any post office in Singapore duly authorised to receive money on behalf of the Board;
[S 780/2004 wef 01/01/2005]
(b)by money order, postal order or cheque drawn on any bank in Singapore delivered or sent by post to the Board’s office;
(c)by any electronic means as the Board may permit from time to time, subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may impose in connection with the use of such means; or
(d)in such other manner as the Board may from time to time authorise in any particular case or class of cases.
[S 367/2003 wef 01/01/2003]
Forms
5.  All payments of contributions to the Fund shall be accompanied by such duly completed forms as the Board may require for that purpose.
Receipt of payments
6.  A receipt or an acknowledgment thereof of any sum paid to the Board on account of contributions to the Fund may be given by the Board or any other person duly authorised to receive such contributions on behalf of the Board.
Treatment of moneys not successfully paid out of Fund
7.—(1)  Unless otherwise provided in the Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 16), the Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Topping-Up Scheme) Regulations (Rg 3), the Central Provident Fund (Revised Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 2) or the Central Provident Fund (New Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 31), where —
(a)any amount has been authorised, permitted or allowed to be paid out of the Fund to any person under section 15, 16B, 16C, 20, 26, 26C, 26D, 27 or 27B of the Act; and
[S 854/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(b)the amount has not been successfully paid to that person, or the instrument in respect of such payment has been returned to the Board or has expired,
the Board is to restore the amount, or the value of the instrument, to the member’s account in the Fund or the general moneys of the Fund (as the case may be) as soon as practicable after the date the Board is notified of the unsuccessful payment of the amount or the instrument is returned to the Board or expires (as the case may be).
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(1A)  Where the amount or value of an instrument is restored to the member’s account in the Fund under paragraph (1), the Board may credit to that account (in such manner as the Board considers fit) the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of the interest that would have been payable on the amount or value restored if that amount or value had not been debited from that account.
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(1B)  The Board may, before restoring the amount or value of an instrument to the member’s account or the general moneys of the Fund (as the case may be) under paragraph (1), make further reasonable attempts to pay the amount authorised to be paid out of the Fund as mentioned in paragraph (1)(a).
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1), where on or before 1st January 2003 —
(a)any amount has been authorised to be paid out of the Fund to any person entitled thereto under section 15, 20, 26 or 27 of the Act;
(b)the amount has not been successfully paid to that person or the instrument in respect of such payment has been returned to the Board or has expired; and
[S 540/2012 wef 01/11/2012]
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(c)the amount or the value of the instrument has been subsequently transferred to the Reserve Account of the Fund,
the Board shall, if satisfied that any person is entitled to the whole or part of the amount, restore to the member’s account the amount as if such amount had been restored —
(i)from the date of the unsuccessful payment of the amount to the person entitled to the payment; or
[S 540/2012 wef 01/11/2012]
(ii)where the instrument has been returned to the Board or has expired, from the date of return of the instrument or date of expiry of the instrument, whichever is the earlier,
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
and the Board shall credit the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of the interest that would have been payable on the amount restored if that amount had not been debited from the member’s account, in such manner as the Board considers fit.
(2AA)  Paragraph (2AB) applies where —
(a)any amount has been authorised before, on or after 1 September 2014 to be paid from any member’s living expenses account to that member under section 27 of the Act; and
(b)that amount has not been successfully paid to that member or the instrument in respect of such payment has been returned to the Board or has expired.
[S 565/2014 wef 01/09/2014]
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2AB)  Where this paragraph applies by virtue of paragraph (2AA), instead of complying with paragraph (1) or (2) (if applicable), the Board may credit to the member’s ordinary account —
(a)the amount of the unsuccessful payment or value of the instrument referred to in paragraph (2AA)(b); and
(b)the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of any interest —
(i)payable on the amount of the unsuccessful payment referred to in paragraph (2AA)(b), where that amount was retained in the living expenses account; or
(ii)that would have been payable on the amount of the unsuccessful payment or value of the instrument referred to in paragraph (2AA)(b), as if that amount or value had not been deducted from the living expenses account, where that amount was deducted from the living expenses account.
[S 565/2014 wef 01/09/2014]
(2A)  Where —
(a)any amount has been authorised to be paid out of the Fund to any person under section 74, 75, 75A, 75B, 75C or 75D of the Act (as in force before 1 January 2020) or section 71 of the Act; and
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
[S 884/2019 wef 01/01/2020]
(b)the amount has not been successfully paid to that person or the instrument in respect of such payment has been returned to the Board or has expired,
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
the Board shall credit the amount, or the value of the instrument, to the general moneys of the Fund as soon as practicable after the date the Board is notified of the unsuccessful payment of the amount or the instrument is returned to the Board or expires, as the case may be.
[S 540/2012 wef 01/11/2012]
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2B)  Where any amount referred to in paragraph (2A) has been credited to the general moneys of the Fund under that paragraph, the Board may authorise the payment of that amount from the general moneys of the Fund to any person who satisfies the Board that he is entitled under the Act to the whole or part of that amount.
[S 540/2012 wef 01/11/2012]
(3)  [Deleted by S 565/2014 wef 01/09/2014]
(4)  For the purposes of this regulation —
(a)any amount paid out of the Fund includes an amount paid out by the inter-bank GIRO or telegraphic transfer; and
(b)where any amount is or was paid out of the Fund in any foreign currency, the amount or the value of the instrument restored to the member’s account or to the general moneys of the Fund, as the case may be, may be more or less than the amount paid out of the Fund.
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
8.  [Deleted by S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
Requirements to be satisfied before member’s accounts in Fund deemed to be dormant
9.—(1)  For the purpose of section 2(1B) of the Act, a member’s accounts in the Fund shall be deemed dormant on and with effect from the date on which all of the following requirements are satisfied:
(a)the member is aged 100 years or above;
(b)there have been no transactions in the member’s accounts which would satisfy the Board that the member is alive during the period of 10 years immediately preceding such date;
(c)the Board has, in accordance with paragraph (2) or (3), as the case may be, notified the member that he is required to satisfy the Board that he is still alive; and
(d)the member fails to satisfy the Board that he is alive in such form and manner, and within such period, as required by the Board under sub-paragraph (c).
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
(2)  Where the Board has records of the last known address of a member referred to in paragraph (1), the Board may, by written notice to the member, require him to satisfy the Board that he is alive by responding to the Board in such form and manner, and within such period, as the Board may specify in the written notice.
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
(3)  Where the address of a member referred to in paragraph (1) is unknown, the Board may publish a notice requiring the member to satisfy the Board that he is alive (by responding to the Board in such form and manner, and within such period, as the Board may specify in the published notice) —
(a)in an English local daily newspaper and, at the option of the Board, one other local daily newspaper in another language of the Board’s choice; or
(b)on the Board’s Internet website at http://www.cpf.gov.sg.
[S 201/2013 wef 08/04/2013]
Transfer of moneys where member’s accounts in Fund are deemed to be dormant
10.—(1)  For the purposes of section 13(7A)(a) of the Act, the Board may, at any time after 6 months from the date on which a member’s accounts in the Fund are deemed to be dormant, transfer the amount standing to the credit of the member in his medisave account, special account and retirement account to his ordinary account.
[S 233/2015 wef 24/04/2015]
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(2)  For the purposes of section 13(7B)(a) of the Act, where the Board has made a transfer under paragraph (1) and —
(a)no restoration of the moneys under regulation 12 has taken place; and
(b)there are moneys standing to the credit of the member in his ordinary account,
the Board may, at any time after the 7th anniversary of the date on which the member’s accounts in the Fund are deemed to be dormant, transfer the amount standing to the credit of that member in his ordinary account to the general moneys of the Fund.
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(3)  [Deleted by S 565/2014 wef 01/09/2014]
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
Transfer of moneys where member has died
11.—(1)  For the purposes of section 13(7A)(b) of the Act, where a member has died and —
(a)there is any amount standing to the credit of the member in his medisave account, special account or retirement account; and
[S 233/2015 wef 24/04/2015]
(b)at least 6 months have passed from the date of the member’s death,
the Board may transfer the amount in sub‑paragraph (a) to the member’s ordinary account.
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(2)  For the purposes of section 13(7B)(b) of the Act, where a member has died and —
(a)there is any amount standing to the credit of the member in his ordinary account, medisave account, special account or retirement account; and
[S 233/2015 wef 24/04/2015]
(b)the 7th anniversary of the date of the member’s death has passed,
the Board may transfer the amount in sub‑paragraph (a) to the general moneys of the Fund.
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(3)  Where the Board has received, within the period of 6 months from the date of the member’s death, an application for the withdrawal of the whole or part of the amount standing to the member’s credit in his medisave account for the payment of treatment under section 16A of the Act, no amount standing to the member’s credit in his medisave account shall be transferred to the member’s ordinary account until such application for withdrawal has been processed by the Board.
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
Restoration of moneys transferred
12.—(1)  Where —
(a)any amount has been transferred —
(i)to the ordinary account of a member under section 13(7A)(a) of the Act; or
(ii)to the general moneys of the Fund under section 13(7B)(a) of the Act; and
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(b)the Board is satisfied that —
(i)any of the conditions in regulation 9(1) for such transfer has not been met; or
(ii)the member was still alive at the time of the transfer,
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
the Board may, in such manner as it thinks fit, restore to the member’s accounts in the Fund the amount which has been so transferred to the ordinary account of the member or the general moneys of the Fund, as the case may be, including the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of any interest that would have been payable thereon if such transfer had not been made.
(2)  Where any amount has been transferred to —
(a)the ordinary account of a member under section 13(7A)(a) of the Act; or
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(b)the general moneys of the Fund under section 13(7B)(a) of the Act,
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
and the Board is notified of the member’s death, the transferred amount (including the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of any interest that would have been payable thereon if such transfer had not been made) may be restored to the member’s accounts in the Fund.
(3)  Where any amount has been transferred to —
(a)the ordinary account of a member under section 13(7A)(b) of the Act; or
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(b)the general moneys of the Fund under section 13(7B)(b) of the Act,
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
the Board may, upon being satisfied that any person is entitled to the whole or any part of the amount under section 25 of the Act, restore the whole or any part of that amount (including the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of any interest that would have been payable if the transfer had not been made) to the member’s accounts in the Fund from which that amount had been transferred.
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
(4)  Paragraph (4A) applies where —
(a)any amount has been transferred from a member’s account in the Fund (called in this paragraph and paragraph (4A) Account A) to —
(i)the ordinary account of a member under section 13(7A) of the Act; or
(ii)the general moneys of the Fund under section 13(7B) of the Act; and
(b)the Board is served with an order of court referred to in section 27B of the Act awarding the spouse of the member any amount to be paid out from the moneys standing to the credit of the member in the Fund (including any moneys which are payable or repayable to the Fund to the credit of the member).
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(4A)  The Board may —
(a)restore to Account A the whole of the transferred amount in paragraph (4)(a); and
(b)pay into Account A the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of any interest that would have been payable on the transferred amount if the transfer in paragraph (4)(a) had not been made.
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
(5)  Subject to regulation 7(2), where any amount has been transferred to the general moneys of the Fund before 1st January 2011 and —
(a)the Board is satisfied that the member is alive; or
(b)the Board is satisfied that any person is entitled to the whole or part of the amount under the Act,
the Board may restore to the member’s accounts in the Fund the amount which has been so transferred together with such interest as the Board may, in its discretion, determine.
(6)  For the purpose of paragraph (2), the Board is notified of a member’s death if it has received satisfactory proof of, or obtained reliable information on, the member’s death from any person, and such proof of death or information may be received or obtained before, on or after 1st January 2011.
[S 820/2010 wef 01/01/2011]
Transfer to ordinary account of moneys that cannot be restored to living expenses account
13.  Where any amount has been transferred from a member’s living expenses account to the general moneys of the Fund (called in this regulation the transferred amount), the Board may, if the Board is satisfied that any person is entitled to the whole or part of the amount under the Act —
(a)transfer the transferred amount to the member’s ordinary account; and
(b)pay into the member’s ordinary account the whole or such part, as the Board may determine, of the interest that would have been payable on the transferred amount if it had not been transferred from the living expenses account.
[S 233/2015 wef 24/04/2015]
[S 191/2016 wef 01/05/2016]
Withdrawal under section 15(8D) of Act
14.—(1)  For the purposes of section 15(8D)(b) of the Act, the Board may permit a withdrawal by a member under that section if the transferred amount mentioned in that section is —
(a)a cash grant made by the Government under the Silver Support Scheme established under section 5(1) of the Silver Support Scheme Act 2015 (Act 28 of 2015), credited to the member’s account in the Fund under section 14(1) of the Act;
(b)an amount equivalent to the value of a cash payment under the scheme known as the Workfare Special Bonus scheme, or the scheme known as the Workfare Training Support scheme, credited to the member’s account in the Fund under section 14(1A) of the Act;
(c)an amount equivalent to the value of a cash payment under a scheme (other than a scheme mentioned in sub‑paragraph (b)) credited to the member’s account in the Fund under section 14(1A) of the Act;
(d)an amount credited to the member’s ordinary account under regulation 7(2AB)(a) or (b);
(e)any monthly income paid into a member’s ordinary account under regulation 13E of the Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 16), regulation 10D of the Central Provident Fund (New Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 31), regulation 10D of the Central Provident Fund (Revised Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations (Rg 2) and regulation 10G of the Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Topping‑Up Scheme) Regulations (Rg 3);
(f)any amount transferred to a member’s ordinary account under regulation 9A of the Central Provident Fund (New Retirement Sum Scheme) Regulations;
(g)any monthly income paid into a member’s ordinary account under regulation 8 of the Central Provident Fund (Lifelong Income Scheme) Regulations 2009 (G.N. No. S 393/2009); or
(h)an amount withdrawn by the member under section 15(8D) of the Act that has been restored to the member’s account in the Fund under regulation 7(1) (called in this regulation a restored amount).
(2)  For the purposes of section 15(8E) of the Act, the prescribed time for a member’s application to the Board under section 15(8D) of the Act that concerns any of the matters in sub‑paragraphs (a) to (f) is as follows:
(a)a cash grant mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) or a restored amount in respect of that cash grant — within one year after the date the cash grant is credited or the restored amount is restored (as the case may be);
(b)an amount equivalent to the value of a cash payment mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) or a restored amount in respect of that amount — within 2 years after the date the amount is credited or the restored amount is restored (as the case may be);
(c)an amount equivalent to the value of a cash payment mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) or a restored amount in respect of that amount — within one year after the date the amount is credited or the restored amount is restored (as the case may be);
(d)an amount mentioned in paragraph (1)(d) or a restored amount in respect of that amount — at any time;
(e)any monthly income mentioned in paragraph (1)(e) or (g), or a restored amount in respect of that monthly income — at any time;
(f)any amount mentioned in paragraph (1)(f) or a restored amount in respect of that amount — at any time.
(3)  Where the Board permits a withdrawal by a member under section 15(8D) of the Act, the Board may —
(a)retain in the member’s account in the Fund, the whole or part of any interest earned on the amount permitted to be withdrawn; or
(b)transfer to the general moneys of the Fund, the whole or part of any interest earned on the amount permitted to be withdrawn.
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Prescribed period for section 14(3A)(b) of Act
15.  For the purposes of section 14(3A)(b) of the Act, the prescribed period is —
(a)in a case where the cash grant or payment under section 14(1) or (1A) of the Act, as the case may be, was paid under or purportedly under the Workfare Special Bonus scheme — the period beginning on the date on which the cash grant or payment was paid into the person’s account in the Fund in error and ending on 30 June 2017; or
(b)in any other case — one year beginning on the date on which the cash grant or payment was paid into the person’s account in the Fund in error.
[S 722/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Specified provisions of other written law for section 24A(1)(b) of Act
16.  The following provisions are specified for the purposes of section 24A(1)(b) of the Act:
(a)section 12 of the MediShield Life Scheme Act 2015 (Act 4 of 2015);
(b)section 24 of the CareShield Life and Long‑Term Care Act 2019 (Act 26 of 2019).
[S 854/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[G.N. Nos. S 313/1987; S 427/1992; S 297/1997]