Topping up your retirement savings refers to the Retirement Sum Topping-Up Scheme (RSTU). RSTU helps you build up your own or your loved ones’ retirement savings through higher monthly payouts/extending duration of your payout.
For Applicant age 55 or above
- You must be a Singaporean or Singapore Permanent Resident.
- The transfer made using your CPF savings are irreversible, i.e. transfers using your CPF savings cannot be transferred back to your originating CPF Account(s).
- Top-up monies are meant to build up your retirement savings and will be paid as monthly payouts from your payout eligibility age. In line with this, the top-up monies cannot be withdrawn for other purposes and will be excluded from the withdrawable/usable amounts under the following:
- Other CPF schemes for education, investment, insurance, housing, CPF transfers, etc;
- Withdrawals from RA (including property owners); and
- Via exemption from setting aside a retirement sum in the RA.
- In the event of death, any remaining top-ups to your CPF account will be paid to your nominees based on your CPF nomination. If there is no nomination, any remaining CPF transfers will be transferred to the Public Trustee for distribution in accordance with the intestacy laws or inheritance certificate (for Muslims) in Singapore. If you are leaving Singapore permanently and you close your CPF account, any remaining top-ups will be paid to you.
- Top-ups to the RA will increase your retirement sum, and may reduce the CPF property pledge/charge in their RA, if any.
- Generally, top-up monies deducted from the RA for payment of annuity premium, including CPF LIFE premium, are no longer considered as top-up monies. Hence any refund to the RA arising from the termination of surrender of the annuity are not considered top-up monies.
- If you are on CPF LIFE and receive a top-up, it will automatically be used to increase your CPF LIFE premium so that you will receive higher CPF LIFE monthly payouts for life.
- If you are not on CPF LIFE and receive a top-up, you will receive higher payouts and/or payouts for a longer period.
- The maximum amount of CPF savings that you can transfer to your RA is:
The lower of:
a. The sum of your Ordinary Account (OA) and Special Account (SA) savings1; or
b. Current Enhanced Retirement Sum (ERS) less RA savings2.
1 Your SA savings will be transferred first, followed by your OA savings. You cannot transfer in a different sequence.
2 RA savings refer to the cash set aside in your RA (excluding amounts such as interest earned, any government grants received), plus retirement withdrawals.
Status of your Retirement Sum Topping-Up application
- You can view the transaction online once your application is processed. Log on to myCPF Online Services and view the top-up transaction in your Transaction History.
- We will process your application generally within 5 working days upon receipt of your application.
For Applicant below age 55
1. The transfer is irreversible (i.e. the amount cannot be transferred back to your Ordinary Account (OA)).
2. The maximum amount that you can transfer from your OA to your Special Account (SA) is the lower of:
a. OA savings; or
b. Current Full Retirement Sum less the sum of SA savings and net SA savings withdrawn under the CPF Investment Scheme for investments that have not been completely disposed of.
Status of your Retirement Sum Topping-Up application
- You can view the transaction online once your application is processed. Log on to myCPF Online Services and view the top-up transaction in your Transaction History.
- We will process your application generally within 5 working days upon receipt of your application.
Important Notes
- Transfers made using CPF savings are not entitled to any tax relief. Cash top-ups are eligible for tax relief, subject to conditions. Cash top-ups can also be made using cash withdrawn from your CPF accounts, if you are eligible to do so. You may apply to make a cash top-up by accessing cpf.gov.sg/rstuform.