CPF Nomination Scheme Singapore: Making Sure Your CPF Savings Go Where You Intend
Why CPF savings are not covered by your will, and how to set a nomination correctly.
Last updated: September 2026
The CPF Nomination Scheme lets CPF members specify who receives their remaining CPF savings, including Ordinary, Special, MediSave, and Retirement Account balances, after death. Without a valid nomination, CPF savings are distributed under intestacy rules through the Public Trustee’s Office, a slower and less flexible process than a direct nomination.
Not financial advice. All figures for educational reference only. Data as at September 2026.
Key Takeaways
- CPF savings are not covered by a will. A separate CPF nomination is required to direct how your CPF balances are distributed after death.
- Members can nominate one or more beneficiaries and specify the percentage each receives, and can update the nomination at any time free of charge.
- Without a nomination, CPF savings are distributed under intestacy law via the Public Trustee’s Office, which can take significantly longer and does not follow your personal wishes.
- CPF nominations can be made online via the CPF website using Singpass, with witnesses required for validity.
- Life insurance proceeds under the Dependants’ Protection Scheme are also distributed according to the CPF nomination on file, not a separate insurance nomination.
What Is CPF Nomination Scheme?
CPF savings sit outside your general estate, meaning they are not automatically covered by instructions in your will. This is a common misconception among Singaporeans, who may assume their will governs all their assets including CPF balances, when in fact CPF requires its own separate nomination process.
The CPF Nomination Scheme allows a member to name one or more individuals, who do not need to be immediate family members, to receive a specified percentage of their CPF savings upon death. This includes balances in the Ordinary Account, Special Account, MediSave Account, and Retirement Account, as well as CPF LIFE premium refunds where applicable.
If a member dies without a valid nomination, CPF savings are transferred to the Public Trustee’s Office for distribution according to intestacy laws, which follow fixed statutory formulas based on surviving family members. This process is generally administratively slower than a direct nomination payout and does not allow the deceased’s actual wishes to be reflected if they differ from the statutory default distribution.
The CPF Board processes nominations, and nominations must be made through the proper channel with the required witnessing to be legally valid, since an informal note or verbal instruction has no legal effect under the scheme.
This separation between CPF savings and general estate assets exists because CPF is a statutory social security scheme, governed by its own legislation, rather than a private asset that automatically flows into the estate administered under a will. Understanding this distinction is one of the more commonly overlooked aspects of estate planning for Singapore residents.
How Does CPF Nomination Scheme Work in Singapore?
A CPF member can make or update a nomination online through the CPF website using Singpass, specifying one or more nominees and the percentage of CPF savings each should receive, which must add up to 100%. The nomination can be changed at any time at no cost, and the most recent valid nomination on file governs the distribution.
For an online nomination, the process typically requires the presence of two witnesses during the video-witnessing or in-person process, depending on the CPF Board’s current procedure, to confirm the member’s identity and intent. This safeguard exists to prevent disputes or fraud regarding the member’s true wishes.
Upon the member’s death, the CPF Board pays out the nominated percentages directly to the named nominees, generally without requiring the nominees to obtain a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, which is one of the key practical advantages of a valid nomination over intestacy distribution.
| Scenario | Who Decides Distribution | Typical Process Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Valid CPF nomination on file | The member’s own stated instructions | Generally faster, direct payout to nominees |
| No nomination, member dies intestate | Statutory intestacy formula via Public Trustee’s Office | Generally slower, administrative process required |
Source: General CPF nomination process, compiled for educational reference from publicly available CPF Board information, 2026.
CPF Nomination Scheme Example
Hui Min, age 35, has S$85,000 across her CPF Ordinary, Special, and MediSave Accounts. She wants 70% of her CPF savings to go to her elderly parents and 30% to her younger sibling, reflecting her actual family circumstances rather than a default legal formula.
She logs into the CPF website with Singpass and completes the nomination process, specifying her parents at 70% combined and her sibling at 30%, with the required witnessing completed as part of the online process.
Years later, if Hui Min were to pass away, the CPF Board would distribute her CPF savings directly according to this nomination. Had she never made a nomination, her CPF savings would instead have been distributed under the intestacy formula, which follows a fixed statutory order among spouse, children, and parents that may not match what she actually wanted.
Advantages
- Reflects your actual wishes. A nomination lets you direct CPF savings to specific individuals in specific proportions, rather than defaulting to a fixed legal formula that may not match your intentions.
- Faster payout to beneficiaries. Nominees under a valid nomination generally receive their share more quickly than heirs waiting on an intestacy distribution through the Public Trustee’s Office.
- Free and easy to update. There is no cost to make or update a CPF nomination, and it can be revised anytime your family circumstances change, such as marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child.
- Covers more than immediate family. Unlike intestacy rules, which follow a fixed set of eligible relatives, a nomination can include any individual you choose, not limited to spouse, children, or parents.
Risks and Limitations
- An outdated nomination stays valid until changed. If you made a nomination years ago and your circumstances have since changed, such as a divorce, the old nomination remains legally in force until you actively update it.
- Nominations do not cover non-CPF assets. A CPF nomination only directs CPF savings. Other assets like bank accounts, property, and investments still require a separate will or fall under intestacy rules for those specific assets.
- Improper witnessing can invalidate a nomination. If the required witnessing process is not followed correctly, the nomination may be deemed invalid, effectively leaving the member as if no nomination existed.
- Members sometimes forget CPF savings exist at all. Because CPF is not top of mind the way a bank account or property is, some members simply never get around to making a nomination, leaving their CPF savings exposed to the slower intestacy process by default.
- Confusion with insurance nominations. Some members mistakenly assume a separate life insurance nomination and a CPF nomination are the same thing, when Dependants’ Protection Scheme payouts are specifically tied to the CPF nomination on file, a detail worth double-checking.
CPF Nomination vs Will Singapore
A common point of confusion is assuming a will automatically covers CPF savings. The two instruments serve different, non-overlapping purposes.
| Feature | CPF Nomination | Will |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | CPF Ordinary, Special, MediSave, Retirement Account balances | General estate: property, bank accounts, investments, personal belongings |
| Processing authority | CPF Board | Executor, via Grant of Probate |
| Cost to set up | Free | Usually involves legal fees |
| Overlap | None with general estate assets | None with CPF savings unless no nomination exists |
The Bottom Line
A CPF nomination is a separate, essential step from writing a will, since CPF savings fall entirely outside the general estate that a will governs.
Making or reviewing your nomination takes a few minutes online and costs nothing, which makes it one of the simplest estate planning steps a CPF member can complete.