Press Releases

Revision of National Service Allowance

Published: 29 May 2023

1.   From 1 July 2023, all national servicemen in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will receive a $125 to $200 increase in their National Service (NS) allowance, depending on their rank and vocation. With this adjustment, national servicemen will see their NS allowances increase by between 10.9% to 21.7%. The NS allowance, which supports full-time national servicemen (NSFs) in their basic personal upkeep, is reviewed and adjusted periodically to ensure that it remains adequate. Three adjustments have been made over the last ten years, the most recent being in March 2020 when allowances were increased by $70 to $120.

2.   As an example, with this revision, an NSF holding the rank of Recruit/Trainee will receive a monthly NS allowance of $755, up from the current $630. An SAF NSF naval diver or SPF NSF Police Tactical Trooper or SCDF NSF firefighter holding the rank of Corporal will receive a monthly NS allowance of $1,250, up from the current $1,050. Table 1 provides a comparison between the current and revised monthly NS allowance. 

Table 1: Current and Revised Monthly NS Allowance (per month)
Rank   NS Allowance
SAF   SPF SCDF   Current ($) Revised ($)
 Recruit (REC)  Trainee Special Constable (TSC)  REC  630  755
 Private (PTE)   Special Constable (SC)  PTE  630  755
 Lance-Corporal (LCP)  Special Constable 2 (SC 2)  LCP  650  775
 Corporal (CPL)  CPL  CPL  700  825
 Specialist Cadet Trainee (SCT)    SCT  720  845
 Corporal First Class (CFC)      740  865
 3rd Sergeant (3SG)   Sergeant 1 (SGT 1)  SGT 1  950  1,075
 2nd Sergeant (2SG)  Sergeant 2 (SGT 2)  SGT 2  1,050  1,175
 Officer Cadet (OCT)   OCT  OCT  910  1,035
 2nd Lieutenant (2LT)  Probationary Inspector (NSPI)  2LT  1,150  1,275
 Lieutenant (LTA)  Inspector (NSI)  LTA  1,330  1,455
Notes.

1.   The revised NS allowance reflected above includes a minimum vocation allowance of $75. Additional vocation allowance paid to national servicemen in selected vocations (e.g. combat vocations) are excluded from this table.

2.   NSFs receive a 5% increment for every 12 months that they serve in that rank. NSmen receive a 5 to 10 % increment if they satisfactorily complete an NS activity in the preceding work year.