Budget 2021 was more about sticks than carrots, but one of the few things to look forward to is the $100 CDC vouchers (Community Development Council vouchers), to be distributed to all Singaporean households.
But wait, what are these vouchers and how do you get your hands on them? And more importantly, where can you actually use them!?
What are CDC vouchers?
The Community Development Council (CDC) Voucher Scheme was launched in 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of helping households cope with the cost of living, while at the same time helping local businesses.
CDC Vouchers can be used at participating local merchants and hawkers. To use your vouchers, you simply hand them to the participating merchant, who will then exchange them for cash from the government. You can use more than one CDC voucher in a single transaction.
If previous CDC vouchers are anything to go by, they are likely to be in $2 denominations to make it easier to use them for small purchases.
Who is eligible for CDC vouchers in 2021?
Last year, CDC vouchers were only given out to “identified households”, and each one got $50 worth.
In 2021, however, all Singaporean households will receive $100 CDC vouchers per household.
So long as there is at least one Singapore citizen in your household, you should qualify for the vouchers. 1.3 million households are expected to qualify for CDC vouchers in this exercise.
This upcoming CDC Voucher distribution exercise is part of 2021’s $900 million Household Support Package, which also includes GST vouchers, Service and Conservancy Child rebates and top-ups for Singaporean children.
Read more: GST Voucher & U-Save 2021: How Much Will You Get & When?
How to collect your CDC vouchers in 2021
At point of writing, Singaporeans have not yet been notified about their CDC vouchers for 2021. The voucher collection process for 2021 has also not yet been announced.
But in 2020, eligible households received a notification letter indicating the date of collection. To collect the vouchers, a household member had to go in person to a designated community club or community centre together with the notification letter and their NRIC to collect the vouchers. Collection was rolled-out progressively in order to avoid crowding.
It’s possible that the 2021 CDC vouchers will be rolled out in much the same way.
Which merchants accept CDC vouchers?
A wide range of participating local businesses will be accepting CDC vouchers, including the following:
- Food and beverage businesses including hawker and food court stalls
- Bakeries
- Wet market stalls
- Provision shops and minimarts
- Hair salon and barber shops
- Pet shops
- Optical shops
- Photo shops
- Electronic shops
- Clinics and medical halls
- Florists
This list isn’t exhaustive. It really depends on which local businesses in your area have decided to sign up as CDC merchants and been accepted for the scheme.
To find the list of participating businesses in your neighbourhood, first check which of the five CDCs your constituency falls under, then look for that CDC’s list of CDC merchants.
1. Central Singapore CDC voucher merchants
Central Singapore CDC covers the following areas:
- Ang Mo Kio
- Bishan-Toa Payoh
- Jalan Besar
- Kebun Baru
- Marymount
- Potong Pasir
- Radin Mas
- Tanjong Pagar
- Yio Chu Kang
Here is the list of CDC Vouchers Scheme merchants for Central CDC.
2. North East CDC voucher merchants
The North East CDC covers:
- Aljunied
- Hougang
- Pasir Ris-Punggol
- Punggol West
- Sengkang
- Tampines
Find the list of CDC Vouchers Scheme merchants for North East CDC here.
3. North West CDC voucher merchants
North West CDC includes the following areas:
- Bukit Panjang
- Holland-Bukit Timah
- Marsiling-Yew Tee
- Nee Soon
- Sembawang
The list of CDC Vouchers Scheme merchants for North West CDC can be found below:
4. South East CDC voucher merchants
South East CDC comprises:
- East Coast
- MacPherson
- Marine Parade
- Mountbatten
Here’s the list of CDC Vouchers Scheme merchants for South East CDC.
5. South West CDC voucher merchants
Here are the areas covered under South West CDC :
- Bukit Batok
- Choa Chu Kang
- Hong Kah North
- Jurong
- Pioneer
- West Coast
- Yuhua
And here’s the list of CDC Vouchers Scheme merchants for South West CDC (downloads as an Excel file)
These lists are current at the time of writing, but in case the links are out of date, you should be able to find the latest CDC merchants in your area by googling [name of CDC + cdc vouchers scheme merchants].
How to join as a CDC merchant
If you are a local business owner, you can sign up for the CDC Voucher Scheme by submitting this online form. Note that you cannot accept CDC vouchers for the sale of lottery products, petrol or diesel, alcohol or cigarettes.
The more CDC merchants are on the scheme, the more beneficial CDC vouchers will be — so if you know of any local businesses who are not yet on the scheme, do encourage them to sign up.
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