LifeSG is the government's single mobile app for personal and family transactions, and for most Singaporeans the reason it matters is money: it is where Child LifeSG Credits, Large Family LifeSG Credits and National Service credits land. As of June 2026, the app bundles more than 100 government services behind one login, and the credits inside it spend like cash at any shop taking PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR. The catch is they expire about a year after they arrive, so knowing what you have and where to use it is the whole game.
LifeSG is the rebuilt version of the old Moments of Life app, run by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech). It is a personal dashboard for government dealings rather than a single scheme. You log in once with Singpass and the app pulls your records together, so you are not hopping between five different agency websites.
According to life.gov.sg, the app gives quick access to over 100 government services. The headline ones are registering a birth, applying for Baby Bonus, viewing benefits you qualify for, reporting municipal issues like a broken lift or fallen tree, and checking appointments and personal details held by agencies.
For the purpose of this guide the part that matters is the wallet. Several payout schemes no longer send a cheque or a bank transfer. They drop digital credits straight into your LifeSG app, and you spend those by scanning a QR code. If you have never opened LifeSG, that money is sitting there unspent.
The word "LifeSG credits" covers several separate schemes that happen to pay out through the same app wallet. They have different rules, amounts and expiry dates, so it pays to know which bucket your money came from. The big change for 2026 is a fresh tranche of Child LifeSG Credits announced at Budget 2026.
Here is what each scheme pays as of June 2026. Verify your own amount in-app under Benefits and support, because eligibility cut-offs change year to year.
| Credit scheme | Amount | Who qualifies | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child LifeSG Credits (2026) | $500 per child | Singaporean child aged 12 and below in 2026 | About 1 year from disbursement (July 2027) |
| Large Family LifeSG Credits | $1,000 per year, per child | 3rd and later child, in each year the child is aged 1 to 6 | About 1 year from disbursement |
| NS HOME Award (LifeSG portion) | $1,000 on FTNS completion; $500 each at ORNS mid-point and completion | Citizen NSmen at NS milestones | About 1 year from disbursement |
| NS Excellence Award | $200 (top performers / award recipients) or $100 (next tier) | Top ICT/training performers and NS award recipients | About 1 year from disbursement |
| NS Celebratory Gift | $100 | Eligible ORNSmen on marriage, a newborn or an adoption | About 1 year from disbursement |
Child LifeSG Credits are the broadest payout. At Budget 2026 the Government confirmed $500 per Singaporean child aged 12 and below, with children born between 2014 and 2025 receiving their credits in July 2026 (later cohorts follow in subsequent years). The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) sends them to the Child Development Account trustee's LifeSG app, so the parent who manages the CDA is the one who sees and spends them.
These are use-it-or-lose-it. MSF has confirmed that unused Child LifeSG Credits from the earlier 2025 tranche expire in July 2026 with no extension, on the grounds that ample notice was given. Treat the new July 2026 credits the same way: spend them within the year. If you are juggling several child-linked payouts, our Baby Bonus and CDA payout schedule explains how the cash gift and CDA top-ups interact.
Large Family LifeSG Credits reward bigger households. Per the Large Families Scheme on life.gov.sg, families get $1,000 a year for each third and subsequent child, in every year that child is aged 1 to 6. That is up to $6,000 per qualifying child over the six years, on top of other parenthood support. These also expire roughly a year after each annual disbursement, so they are not meant to be hoarded.
National Servicemen collect LifeSG credits at several points. The NS HOME (Housing, Medical and Education) Award pays a LifeSG-credit portion of $1,000 on completing Full-Time NS, plus $500 each at the mid-point and on completion of an ORNS cycle, per ns.gov.sg. The larger HOME Award sums go to your CPF and education accounts, not the LifeSG wallet, so do not expect the full award to appear as spendable credits.
The NS Excellence Award adds $200 in LifeSG credits for National Day Award recipients and top ICT/training performers, and $100 for the next tier. There is also a one-off NS Celebratory Gift of $100 for eligible ORNSmen who marry, welcome a newborn or adopt. All of these expire about a year after they land, so check the app after each milestone rather than assuming the money waits.
Download LifeSG from the Apple App Store or Google Play (it is not on Huawei AppGallery, so Huawei users need another device). Log in with Singpass, the same credential you use for IRAS and CPF. There is no separate redemption step for credits: eligible payouts are pushed in automatically once you are set up.
To check what you have, open the app and go to the home page, then Benefits and support, then View Details. Each credit type shows its balance and expiry date. Set a reminder a month before the expiry so you do not forfeit anything.
The credits are tied to PayNow under the hood, which is why a working Singpass and an in-app wallet are enough. If you want to understand the rails your money rides on, our guide to Singapore government payouts maps which schemes pay by bank transfer versus LifeSG credits versus CDC vouchers.
LifeSG credits behave like cash at any merchant that accepts PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR. Government messaging puts that at well over 100,000 acceptance points, covering hawkers, heartland shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics and many e-commerce checkouts. To pay, open LifeSG, tap the scan-and-pay option, point your camera at the merchant's PayNow or NETS QR code, and key in the amount.
The one trap is the QR type. Credits work on business QR codes (PayNow UEN, registered to a company) and NETS QR, but not on a personal PayNow QR linked to someone's phone number or NRIC. If a hawker only has a personal QR taped to the stall, your LifeSG credits will not go through. Look for the merchant's UEN QR or a NETS QR instead.
Common, sensible uses are groceries, utilities bills, pharmacy items and transport top-ups. Because the money expires, the smart move is to spend it on things you would buy anyway and keep your own cash. If you are stretching a household budget around these payouts, our monthly budget calculator helps you slot the credits in without double-counting them.
It is easy to lump every Singapore payout together, but LifeSG credits are a distinct rail. They are not CDC vouchers, which come through a separate redemption site and split into supermarket and hawker categories. Our CDC vouchers guide covers those rules.
They are also not the GST Voucher, which lands as cash in your bank account or MediSave, and they are not SkillsFuture Credit, which can only be spent on approved courses rather than at a shop. Two things some articles list as "LifeSG credits", the SG Culture Pass and SkillsFuture Credit, are technically separate schemes accessed through their own portals even if you see them referenced in the app. Knowing the difference stops you from trying to scan a QR with money that does not work that way.
There is no manual redemption. Once you are set up on LifeSG with Singpass, eligible credits are pushed into your in-app wallet automatically. You only need to open the app, check the balance under Benefits and support, and spend before the expiry date.
Most LifeSG credit schemes expire roughly one year after each disbursement. For example, MSF confirmed the 2025 Child LifeSG Credits expire in July 2026 with no extension. Always check the exact expiry shown next to each credit type inside the app and spend well before that date.
You can use them at any merchant accepting PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR, which is over 100,000 acceptance points including hawkers, supermarkets, pharmacies and clinics. They do not work on personal PayNow QR codes linked to a phone number, and they cannot be withdrawn as cash.
No. LifeSG credits are spend-only digital value, not cash you can withdraw or move to a bank. The practical workaround is to use them for purchases you would make anyway, such as groceries and utilities, which frees up the equivalent cash in your own account.
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.