Money tools · CPF Board figures
CPF LIFE payout calculator: Standard, Escalating and Basic plans on your balance
Your CPF LIFE monthly payout on the Standard, Escalating and Basic plans, from CPF Board’s own payout table: starting at 65 or later up to 70, how each plan pays over the years, when waiting pays off, and what is left for family.
A CPF Board page this calculator is based on changed on 31 Oct 2026. We are reading it; until then, check CPF’s page.
Standard plan, from 65
$1,780 a month
With the Full Retirement Sum ($220,400) at 55, turning 55 in 2026. With the Basic sum, $950; with the Enhanced, $3,440. CPF’s figures are for a man; women get less.
CPF Board. CPF: payout examples
Starting at 70 instead
$2,380 a month
The same Full Retirement Sum, 34% more each month for life. CPF: each year you wait adds up to 7%. Is waiting worth it?
CPF Board.
Escalating plan, from 65
$1,400 a month, rising to $2,080 at 85
With the Full Retirement Sum. CPF publishes no table for this plan; we apply the ratio in CPF’s own example. The three plans side by side
How to act: if you are put on CPF LIFE by itself, CPF writes to you before you turn 65 to explain your options. You can put payouts off up to 70, even after they have started. CPF: CPF LIFE · your Retirement dashboard
Your CPF LIFE payout on each plan
CPF LIFE pays a monthly income for life from what is in your Retirement Account (RA). Put in your RA at 55, or at 65 if you are close to it, and pick when payouts start. You get the monthly payout on the Standard, Escalating and Basic plans, how each changes over the years, and what would be left for family. Don’t know your RA at 55? Our retirement sums page works it out from your savings, and the CPF calculator projects them to 55.
How the payouts are worked out
Standard plan. CPF publishes the Standard payout for six balances, for members turning 55 in 2026: from 65 and from 70. Between two of its rows we read along a straight line. Tested by hiding each middle row and working it out from its neighbours, that lands within $10 of CPF’s figure every time (the checks). For a start between 65 and 70 we take the same rise each year that gets from CPF’s 65 figure to its 70 one.
Basic and Escalating. CPF publishes no table for these. Its one plan-by-plan example (from its estimator: a 55-year-old man in 2024 with the Full Retirement Sum of $205,800) pays $1,510 on Basic, $1,650 on Standard and $1,300 on Escalating at 65. We apply those ratios, 91.5% and 78.8% of Standard, to your Standard figure. Escalating then rises 2% a year, CPF’s rule; Basic stays level to 85 and falls to the example’s $1,440 at 95, the shape of CPF’s example. These are estimates: Basic’s fall depends on when your balances drop below $60,000, so yours may differ.
What the figures assume. CPF’s figures are for a male member, with CPF’s interest of up to 6% a year, and nothing added or taken out after 55. CPF says women get lower payouts than men on the same balance, because they live longer on average (CPF: how payouts are worked out); it publishes no table for women. CPF says they may be adjusted for long-term changes in interest rates or life expectancy. Your own figure, for your plan and balances, is in CPF’s monthly payout estimator.
CPF’s payout table, with all three plans
CPF Board publishes the Standard plan’s payout for six Retirement Account balances, from 65 and from 70, for members turning 55 in 2026. We add our estimate for the other two plans, from CPF’s own example.
| RA at 55 | RA at 65 | Standard from 65 | Standard from 70 | Escalating from 65our estimate | Basic from 65our estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $82,400 | $490 | $670 | $390 | $450 | |
| BRS | $170,100 | $950 | $1,280 | $750 | $870 |
| $227,900 | $1,250 | $1,670 | $980 | $1,140 | |
| FRS | $330,100 | $1,780 | $2,380 | $1,400 | $1,630 |
| $445,600 | $2,380 | $3,170 | $1,880 | $2,180 | |
| ERS | $650,100 | $3,440 | $4,580 | $2,710 | $3,150 |
RA balances and Standard payouts: CPF Board, for members turning 55 in 2026 (a male member; interest of up to 6% a year). Escalating and Basic: CPF’s Standard figure times the ratios in CPF’s own plan example. CPF: payout examples
Tap a balance to load it into the calculator.
Starting at 65, or later up to 70
Payouts can start any time from 65 to 70. Each year you wait raises them for life, but you go without them in the meantime. Here is the Standard plan with the Full Retirement Sum at 55, start by start.
| Payouts start at | A month | More than at 65 | Paid by 85 | Paid by 90 | Paid as much as from 65 by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65CPF’s figure | $1,780 | – | $427,200 | $534,000 | – |
| 66 | $1,890 | +6% | $430,900 | $544,300 | 83 |
| 67 | $2,000 | +12% | $432,000 | $552,000 | 84 |
| 68 | $2,120 | +19% | $432,500 | $559,700 | 84 |
| 69 | $2,250 | +26% | $432,000 | $567,000 | 85 |
| 70CPF’s figure | $2,380 | +34% | $428,400 | $571,200 | 85 |
Standard plan, $220,400 in the RA at 55 (the 2026 FRS). 65 and 70: CPF’s figures; 66 to 69: the same rise each year between them (ours). Totals in today’s dollars, before any change CPF makes to payouts.
Waiting pays more each month for life, but you give up the payouts in between, so it only comes out ahead in total if you live past the “paid as much” age. CPF says each year you wait adds up to 7%, up to 35% at 70. In CPF’s own table the rise from 65 to 70 is 33% to 37% across its six balances, the most at the smallest. You can also put payouts off after they have started, up to 70. CPF: deferring payouts
The three plans over the years
| Age | Standard | Escalatingour estimate | Basicour estimate | Paid by then: Standard | Escalating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | $1,780 | $1,400 | $1,630 | – | – |
| 70 | $1,780 | $1,550 | $1,630 | $106,800 | $87,600 |
| 75 | $1,780 | $1,710 | $1,630 | $213,600 | $184,300 |
| 80 | $1,780 | $1,890 | $1,630 | $320,400 | $291,000 |
| 85 | $1,780 | $2,080 | $1,630 | $427,200 | $408,800 |
| 90 | $1,780 | $2,300 | $1,590 | $534,000 | $539,000 |
| 95 | $1,780 | $2,540 | $1,550 | $640,800 | $682,700 |
A month, $220,400 in the RA at 55 (the 2026 FRS). Standard: CPF’s figure. Escalating and Basic: from CPF’s plan example, as above.
Escalating starts about 21% below Standard and rises 2% a year, so its monthly payout passes Standard’s at about 78, and its total catches up at about 90. CPF says life expectancy at 65 was 21.6 years in 2025, “about 86 years old” in its words. So for someone who lives an average life, Escalating pays a little less in total; its point is what it pays late in life, when prices are higher.
On prices, CPF’s own example: if $1,000 a month buys what you need today, in 20 years you may need about $1,500. Escalating’s 2% a year raises $1,400 to about $2,080 over 20 years, about the same rise; Standard stays at $1,780. Nobody knows future prices, so take this as the shape, not a promise.
- Standard pays the same every month, the most at the start. All of your RA goes into CPF LIFE when payouts start.
- Escalating pays less at first and 2% more each year, for life. All of your RA goes in too.
- Basic pays less, and less again in later life: CPF moves only 10% to 20% of your RA into CPF LIFE, pays the rest out of your RA until about 90, then pays from CPF LIFE. CPF calls it “progressively lower payouts”. It leaves more for family in the early years.
All three pay for as long as you live. CPF says the money left for family should not decide your plan, since no one knows how long they will live. CPF: the three plans
What is left for family
CPF’s rule: when a member dies, their CPF LIFE premium balance goes to their beneficiaries, with any other CPF savings. The premium balance is the Retirement Account savings taken as the premium when they joined CPF LIFE, less all the payouts they received. The formula adds no interest: in CPF’s words, what is pooled among members is the interest earned on the premiums, and it is built into everyone’s payouts. CPF: when a member passes away · CPF: risk pooling
| If the member dies at | Standard | Escalatingour estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | $308,700 | $313,300 |
| 70 | $223,300 | $242,500 |
| 75 | $116,500 | $145,800 |
| 80 | $9,700 | $39,100 |
| 85 | Nothing | Nothing |
| 90 | Nothing | Nothing |
Premium: $330,100, CPF’s figure for the RA at 65 with the 2026 FRS at 55. Less the payouts above, rounded to $100. On the Standard plan the premium is used up by about 81; Escalating pays less early, so it lasts a little longer. Basic moves only part of the RA into CPF LIFE at first, so more is left in the early years. Your own figure is on your Retirement dashboard, and who gets it is set by your CPF nomination.
Joining, opting out and changing plans
- Put on it by itself: you are, if you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, born in 1958 or after, with at least $60,000 in your retirement savings when monthly payouts start. CPF writes to you before you turn 65 to explain your options.
- With less than $60,000: you get monthly payouts until your savings run out. You can still join CPF LIFE when you are ready to start payouts, any time from 65 to one month before you turn 80.
- Opting out: CPF can exempt you if you have a pension or private annuity that pays the same or a higher monthly payout.
- Putting payouts off: you can hold them back until 70, even after they have started, and CPF raises them by up to 7% for each year.
- On one of the original plans (Basic, Balanced, Plus or Income)? You can change to Standard or Escalating at any time. All your RA savings, including the premium refunded from your original plan, become the new premium, and you cannot change back.
CPF: CPF LIFE · CPF: changing from an original plan
Common mistakes about CPF LIFE
- “If I die early, CPF keeps my money.” No. Your beneficiaries get the premium less the payouts you received, plus any other CPF savings. With the FRS and payouts from 65, that is about $223,300 at 70 on the Standard plan.
- “Escalating pays more.” Only later. With the FRS it starts about $380 a month below Standard, passes it at about 78, and has paid as much in total only by about 90.
- “Waiting until 70 always pays more.” Each month, yes: about 34% more. In total, only if you live past about 85; before that, starting at 65 has paid more.
- “The Basic plan pays the most at the start.” It doesn’t. In CPF’s example, Basic pays $1,510 at 65 against Standard’s $1,650, and less again in later life. What it does leave is more for family in the early years.
- “Standard keeps up with prices.” It pays the same dollars every month. CPF’s own example: what $1,000 buys today may need about $1,500 in 20 years. Only Escalating rises by itself.
From CPF Board’s CPF LIFE pages, payout table and plan example, linked above; the dollar figures are this page’s, worked out from them.
Checked against CPF
Each time this page is built we run CPF’s published payouts through our own method: each of CPF’s middle rows worked out from its neighbours, CPF’s plan example and our retirement sums page. They match 11 of 11. A job also reads CPF’s CPF LIFE and retirement pages twice a day; last at 9:50 am, 31 Oct SGT.
Show all 11 checks
| The figure | Published | This page | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard from 65 for $110,200 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $950 | $950 | ✓ |
| Standard from 70 for $110,200 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $1,280 | $1,270 | ✓ |
| Standard from 65 for $150,000 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $1,250 | $1,250 | ✓ |
| Standard from 70 for $150,000 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $1,670 | $1,680 | ✓ |
| Standard from 65 for $220,400 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $1,780 | $1,780 | ✓ |
| Standard from 70 for $220,400 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $2,380 | $2,370 | ✓ |
| Standard from 65 for $300,000 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $2,380 | $2,380 | ✓ |
| Standard from 70 for $300,000 at 55, worked out without CPF’s row CPF | $3,170 | $3,170 | ✓ |
| Escalating at 85 in CPF’s example: $1,300 rising 2% a year CPF | $1,940 | $1,930 | ✓ |
| Escalating at 95 in CPF’s example: $1,300 rising 2% a year CPF | $2,370 | $2,350 | ✓ |
| Payouts at the BRS, FRS and ERS: CPF’s table against CPF’s retirement sum page (2026) CPF | 3 of 3 the same | 3 of 3 the same | ✓ |
Payout checks pass within $10, as CPF rounds to $10; the Escalating checks within 1%, as CPF says the plan rises “about 2%” a year.
CPF’s own pages differ by $100 on one figure: its payout table says the BRS grows to $170,100 by 65, its retirement sum page $170,200. We use the table here; the payout is $950 on both.
Questions people ask
How much does CPF LIFE pay with the Full Retirement Sum?
About $1,780 a month from 65 on the Standard plan, for members turning 55 in 2026 who set aside the FRS of $220,400 (CPF’s figure, for a male member). Starting at 70, about $2,380. With the Basic Retirement Sum ($110,200), about $950 from 65; with the Enhanced ($440,800), about $3,440. (CPF)
Do women get lower CPF LIFE payouts?
Yes, on the same balance. CPF says men get higher payouts than women because men have a shorter average life expectancy, so the same savings are paid out over fewer years. CPF’s published table is for a male member and it publishes no table for women, so the figures on this page are a man’s. For a woman’s figure, use CPF’s monthly payout estimator. (CPF)
How much do I need in my RA for $2,000 a month?
Reading along CPF’s 2026 table, about $249,600 in your Retirement Account at 55 (about $372,400 by 65) for $2,000 a month from 65 on the Standard plan. For $1,500, about $183,200 at 55; for $3,000, about $382,400. The most you can have at 55 is the Enhanced Retirement Sum, $440,800 in 2026, which pays about $3,440. These are read between CPF’s rows, so treat them as close, not exact.
Which CPF LIFE plan should I choose?
CPF puts it as how willing you are to change how you live as prices rise. Standard pays the most at the start and the same every month. Escalating starts about 21% lower and rises 2% a year, for those worried about prices later. Basic pays less, and less again in later life. All three pay for life. The table above shows each one on your own balance, year by year.
Can I change my CPF LIFE plan?
If you are on one of the original plans (Basic, Balanced, Plus or Income), you can change to Standard or Escalating at any time, and can’t change back afterwards. All your RA savings, including the premium refunded from the original plan, are used for the new plan. (CPF)
What happens to my CPF LIFE money when I die?
Your beneficiaries get your CPF LIFE premium balance, with any other CPF savings. CPF works out the premium balance as the RA savings taken as your premium, less all the payouts you received. (CPF)
Is it worth putting off CPF LIFE payouts to 70?
Each year you wait raises the payout by up to 7%, up to 35% at 70 (CPF). With the FRS, that is about $2,380 a month from 70 against $1,780 from 65. In total, starting at 70 catches up with starting at 65 at about 85. So it pays off if you live past that, and if you don’t need the money between 65 and 70.
Do CPF LIFE payouts go up?
On the Escalating plan, by 2% a year for life. Standard pays the same each month, and Basic falls in later life. CPF also says its estimates may be adjusted for long-term changes in interest rates or life expectancy.
Where the numbers come from
- The Standard payouts and Retirement Account balances are CPF Board’s, from its payout examples for members turning 55 in 2026; the plan rules, starting later, joining and the premium refund are from CPF’s CPF LIFE pages and its answers to members’ questions (linked in each section). We read them on 27 Oct 2026 and re-read them on our update schedule; a job reads CPF’s pages twice a day and puts a notice at the top of this page if they change.
- Basic and Escalating are our estimate, from the ratios in CPF’s own plan example (2024). Payouts between CPF’s rows, and for starts at 66 to 69, are read along CPF’s figures: our method, labelled each time. Totals and what is left for family are our sums of those payouts, in today’s dollars.
- The calculator runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere. It is a guide to CPF’s published figures, not your CPF statement: your Retirement dashboard and CPF’s payout estimator have your own. No one pays us for this page, and it has no affiliate links. Numbers.sg is not CPF Board and is not endorsed by it. See our disclaimer, how we get our numbers and corrections.
Changes to this page
New: a CPF LIFE payout calculator. Put in your Retirement Account at 55, or at 65, and pick when payouts start (65 to 70): what the Standard plan pays each month from CPF’s own table, our labelled estimate for the Escalating and Basic plans, how each changes over the years, when waiting to 70 catches up, and what is left for family. Also: CPF’s payout table with all three plans (CSV), joining and changing plans, and common mistakes. CPF’s figures are for a man; women get less, and CPF’s estimator gives a woman’s figure. Checked against CPF Board’s own figures. See the CPF LIFE calculator