Caregivers in Singapore often juggle love, worry and money all at once, and many do not realise there is concrete financial help available to lighten that load. This blog post is meant to be a calm, practical guide so you can quickly see what support exists and where to go for help, starting with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).​

Why financial help matters
Caring for an elderly parent, a spouse after a stroke, or a child with special needs can mean cutting back on work, paying for transport, diapers, medical supplies and sometimes a helper. Without support, these costs add pressure to an already emotional journey and can lead to burnout for both caregivers and families.​

Your first stop: AIC and AIC Link
AIC coordinates many community care services and financial schemes for seniors and persons with disabilities, and its website gathers the major caregiver‑related grants in one place. If online information feels overwhelming, you can walk into an AIC Link counter, where staff can explain schemes, check eligibility and guide you through applications step by step.​

Key schemes caregivers should know
Several national schemes are designed specifically to ease care giving costs. The Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) gives an annual subsidy so you can attend approved courses and learn hands‑on skills like safe transfer, tube feeding or dementia care without paying the full course fee. The Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) provides a monthly cash payout, currently commonly S$250 or S$400, to support families caring at home for loved ones with permanent moderate disability who need help with daily activities.​

On top of these, families who employ a migrant domestic worker for care may benefit from the Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) Levy Concession, which reduces the monthly levy significantly when the care recipient meets age or disability criteria. Depending on the situation, other schemes such as Interim Disability Assistance Programme for Elderly (IDAPE), ElderFund or MediSave Care can also provide monthly payouts or allow limited MediSave withdrawals to support long‑term care.​

How to start exploring your options
If you are new to this, begin by listing your loved one’s main care needs (for example: bathing, walking, toileting, feeding) and any diagnoses or disability assessments they already have. With this list, visit AIC.sg’s financial assistance pages or an AIC Link counter and ask which schemes match your situation, what documents you need, and whether applications can be done online with Singpass or via paper forms.​

As a caregiver, you do not have to figure everything out alone. Take one small step this week: set aside time to explore AIC’s caregiver financial support page, or plan a visit to the nearest AIC Link, so you can focus more of your energy on caring and less on worrying about the bills.