ElderShield is the older national long-term care insurance that millions of Singaporeans aged over 40 still hold, even though the scheme stopped enrolling new members back in 2019. If severe disability strikes, ElderShield 300 pays $300 a month for up to 60 months, and ElderShield 400 pays $400 a month for up to 72 months. That is the catch: the payout is capped and the dollar amount never grows, so a 2002 plan still pays 2002 money in 2026. This guide covers what your ElderShield plan is actually worth today, the premiums you paid from MediSave, the 3-of-6 disability test, and the real question for most readers, which is whether to switch to the newer CareShield Life that pays $689 a month for life.
ElderShield is a severe-disability insurance scheme that pays a fixed monthly cash sum if you can no longer look after yourself. It was launched in 2002 as Singapore's first national attempt to help working adults pre-fund the cost of long-term care, the kind that comes from a stroke, advanced dementia, or a bad fall in old age. The money is yours to spend on a caregiver, a nursing home, a wheelchair, or anything else the disability demands.
Two versions exist. People who turned 40 between 2002 and August 2007 were placed on ElderShield 300, which pays $300 a month for up to 60 months. Everyone who turned 40 from September 2007 onward got ElderShield 400, which pays $400 a month for up to 72 months. The amounts were fixed at the start and never rise, which matters a lot once you account for inflation.
Premiums came out of your MediSave Account, never your cash, and the scheme stopped taking new members in 2019. From 2020 anyone newly turning 40 was enrolled in CareShield Life instead. So if you are reading this and you are under about 45 in 2026, you almost certainly never had ElderShield at all.
The two plans differ on payout size and how long the money lasts. Neither pays for life, which is the single biggest weakness of the scheme and the reason the Government replaced it.
Add it up and the total you can ever receive is fixed: ElderShield 300 tops out at $18,000 over five years, and ElderShield 400 tops out at $28,800 over six years. For a condition like dementia that can last a decade or more, that pool runs dry while the care bills keep coming.
| Feature | ElderShield 300 | ElderShield 400 | CareShield Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who was enrolled | Turned 40 in 2002-Aug 2007 | Turned 40 from Sep 2007 | Born 1980 or later, or joined later |
| Monthly payout | $300 | $400 | $689 in 2026 |
| Payout duration | Up to 60 months | Up to 72 months | For life |
| Payout grows over time | No, fixed | No, fixed | Yes, 4% a year |
| Maximum total payout | $18,000 | $28,800 | Unlimited (lifetime) |
| Premiums paid until | Age 65 | Age 65 | Age 67 |
ElderShield and CareShield Life use the same disability bar, so the test is worth understanding. You must be unable to perform at least three of the six Activities of Daily Living without help from another person. Being slow or finding a task hard is not enough; you need to genuinely require another human to do it with or for you.
An MOH-accredited assessor decides this, not your own family doctor. You apply for an assessment, the assessor checks you against the six tasks, and the verdict determines whether your claim starts. The assessment fee is $100 for a clinic visit and $250 for a house call, and both are fully reimbursed out of your first payout if the claim is approved.
ElderShield premiums were locked in at the age you joined and stayed flat for life, which is one feature the scheme got right. A 40-year-old man enrolling in ElderShield 400 paid a much lower yearly premium than a 40-year-old woman, because women live longer and claim more, a gender gap the later CareShield Life removed by charging both sexes the same.
You pay these premiums every year from MediSave until the policy anniversary after your 65th birthday, then cover continues at no further cost. If you stopped paying at some point and the policy lapsed, you generally cannot revive ElderShield, because the scheme is closed. Your only route back to national long-term care cover is to switch to CareShield Life.
If you also bought an ElderShield Supplement from Singlife, Great Eastern, or Income to top up the basic payout, those are separate private policies. You can still use up to $600 of MediSave per insured person each year toward supplement premiums, and the supplement stays in force only while you keep paying it. Treat the supplement as the part of your plan that actually does the heavy lifting on payout size.
This is the real decision for most people still on ElderShield in 2026. CareShield Life pays $689 a month in 2026, the payout grows 4% a year, and it pays for the rest of your life rather than stopping after five or six years. Against that, the premiums are higher and you pay them until 67 instead of 65. Our full breakdown of the newer scheme lives in the CareShield Life 2026 guide, and it is worth reading before you decide.
If you were born between 1970 and 1979 and held ElderShield 400, the Government already auto-enrolled you into CareShield Life from 1 December 2021 unless you opted out by the end of 2023. Everyone born in 1979 or earlier can still choose to join CareShield Life voluntarily, and the ElderShield premiums you already paid are taken into account so you are not charged twice for the same years of cover.
The case for switching is strongest if you are relatively young and healthy among the eligible cohorts, because a lifetime payout that compounds is worth far more than a capped one. The case for staying put is weakest, frankly, since the only thing you keep by not switching is a payout that runs out. Run your own numbers against your retirement plan first; our CPF LIFE payout calculator helps you see how care costs sit alongside your monthly retirement income.
Since 1 November 2021 the Government, through the CPF Board and the Agency for Integrated Care, runs ElderShield directly. The three former insurers, Singlife (which absorbed Aviva), Great Eastern, and Income, no longer administer the basic scheme, though they still service the optional supplements.
To claim, you arrange a disability assessment with an MOH-accredited assessor, who certifies whether you fail at least three of the six daily activities. Once approved, the monthly payout begins and runs for the capped period of your plan, 60 months for ElderShield 300 or 72 months for ElderShield 400. Keep the result in mind alongside your wider care budget; the realistic monthly cost of a helper or a nursing home in Singapore is set out in our guide to elderly care options and costs, and the ElderShield payout rarely covers all of it.
If you turned 40 before 2020 and did not opt out, you most likely still hold an ElderShield 300 or 400 plan, unless you were auto-switched to CareShield Life. Anyone who turned 40 from 2020 onward was enrolled in CareShield Life instead, since ElderShield stopped taking new members in 2019.
ElderShield 300 pays $300 a month for up to 60 months, a maximum of $18,000. ElderShield 400 pays $400 a month for up to 72 months, a maximum of $28,800. Neither amount rises with inflation, so the payout is worth less in real terms every year you hold it.
No. ElderShield is the older scheme with a fixed, capped payout that stops after five or six years. CareShield Life is its successor, paying $689 a month in 2026, growing 4% a year, and continuing for life. CareShield Life also charges men and women the same premium, which ElderShield did not.
Yes. Singaporeans born in 1979 or earlier who are still on ElderShield can choose to join CareShield Life, and the ElderShield premiums already paid are taken into account so you are not double-charged. Those born 1970 to 1979 on ElderShield 400 were auto-enrolled in CareShield Life from December 2021 unless they opted out.
You apply for a disability assessment with an MOH-accredited assessor, who checks whether you are unable to do at least three of the six Activities of Daily Living. The assessment costs $100 at a clinic or $250 for a house call, both reimbursed from your first payout if the claim is approved.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.