All national servicemen to get $125 to $200 more in monthly allowance starting July

SINGAPORE — All national servicemen will see their monthly allowance increase by $125 to $200 from July 1, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (May 29).

The increase will depend on their rank and vocation, and applies to servicemen in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

This means that a full-time national servicemen (NSF) holding the rank of recruit or trainee will receive a monthly 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 allowance of $1,250, up from the current $1,050. 

With this adjustment, national servicemen will see their NS allowances increase by between 10.9 per cent and 21.7 per cent.

The ministries added that NSFs receive a five per cent increment for every 12 months they serve in that rank, while NSmen receive a five per cent to 10 per cent increment if they satisfactorily complete an NS activity in the preceding work year.

The revised NS allowance includes a minimum vocation allowance of $75.

Any additional allowance paid to those in selected vocations, such as combat vocations, are excluded.

Three such adjustments have been made to NS allowances over the last 10 years. The last increase in March 2020 saw full-time NSFs getting $70 to $120 more across all ranks.

"The NS allowance, which supports NSFs in their basic personal upkeep, is reviewed and adjusted periodically to ensure that it remains adequate," said the ministries.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.