CDC vouchers a 'band-aid': What Singaporeans are saying online about Budget 2026

Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, though welcomed, should not be the only fix by the Government to help Singaporeans cope with living expenses.

This is one of the sentiments shared by social media users after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered Singapore's Budget 2026 statement on Feb 12.

PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, announced in Parliament that about 1.4 million Singaporean households will each get $500 in CDC vouchers that can be used at heartland merchants, hawkers and supermarkets.

They will be disbursed in January 2027 and are valid till Dec 31 that year.

"Although inflation has eased in recent years, we know that many Singaporeans still face anxieties and pressures. So, we will continue to provide additional support this year," said PM Wong.

To get a sense of the post-Budget chatter, AsiaOne's consumer insights and analytics team looked at a total of 8,391 comments from 116 social media posts shared by news websites and local politicians, both from the ruling party and opposition.

The key word "CDC vouchers" was picked up in nearly 20 per cent of the comments  — an indication that cost-of living remains a top concern even as Singapore had a better-than-expected economic performance in 2025.

But several social media users expressed frustration that the amount of CDC vouchers may be inadequate to offset the high cost of living.

"Please just address salaries and housing costs instead of vouchers as a band-aid," one of them said.

The CDC voucher scheme was first launched in June 2020 to help lower-income households defray their cost of living during the Covid-19 pandemic, before the scheme was expanded to all households in December 2021.

In the last three tranches, households received $300 in January 2025, $500 in May 2025 and $300 in January 2026. The latest vouchers this year will expire on Dec 31, 2026.

With the Government giving out CDC vouchers since Budget 2021, AsiaOne found that some Singaporeans are feeling the effects of "voucher fatigue", instead calling for price controls to essential goods, as well as yearly cash payouts.

PM Wong also announced a Cost-of-Living Special Payment during this year's Budget, where 2.4 million Singaporeans will receive between $200 and $400 in September, as well as up to $570 in U-Save rebates to help Singaporeans living in Housing Board flats with their utility bills.

Other Budget 2026 goodies for families include $500 in Child LifeSG credits for Singaporean kids 12 and below, which can be used to pay for groceries and utilities, as well as the raising of the monthly household income threshold for preschool subsidies from $12,000 to $15,000.

The 20 per cent increase in tobacco excise duty across all tobacco products garnered three times as many reactions on social media than the Government's slew of announcements on AI. It has also around 5 per cent more mentions than CDC vouchers and other goodies from the Government. 

On the former, PM Wong said that it is a move to discourage smoking, in addition to other measures that were rolled out over the years such as mandating standardised packaging and enhanced graphic health warnings for all tobacco products sold in Singapore.

The Government has also made it harder to smoke in Singapore, with bans imposed at public parks, beaches and entertainment outlets. Designated smoking points were set aside where smokers could light up legally while outdoors.

But AsiaOne found that social media posts which garnered the most interactions were from those who called for an outright smoking ban instead. They accounted for 8 per cent of the total comments. 

At 5 per cent, posts about Singapore's foreign workforce policy drew the third-highest share of comments on social media.

On raising the minimum qualifying salaries for Employment Pass and S Pass holders, several social media users said that it is a positive step for companies to hire more local workers.

"It is encouraging to see higher costs for hiring foreign workers, as this helps ensure businesses stay committed to developing local talent," one of them said.

Other social media users, however, said that there is still a gap between foreign and local workers.

From July 1, firms hiring foreign workers must pay full-time employed local workers at least $1,800 a month, an increase from $1,600.

This remains lower than the qualifying salaries of Employment Pass holders and S Pass holders from January next year.

PM Wong said that the measures reflect Singapore’s overall approach of staying open to skills and expertise that strengthen the economy, while ensuring that Singaporeans remain firmly at the centre of the workforce and policies. 

"We will help Singaporeans adapt to change with confidence, move across career transitions with assurance, and build meaningful and fulfilling careers," he added. 

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chingshijie@asiaone.com