LifeSG Credit 2025: Check, Use, and Expiry Guide

If you’re a parent of a young child in Singapore, you’ve probably heard about the $500 Child LifeSG Credits for 2025. But what exactly happens to that money if you don’t spend it right away? This guide walks you through the key facts, from checking your balance to understanding the rules around unused credits—so you can plan ahead and avoid losing any of the support you’re entitled to.

Amount per child: $500 in Child LifeSG Credits ·
Eligibility: Singapore Citizen children aged 0–12 in 2025 ·
Payout method: Automatically via GovWallet ·
Usage: Defray household expenses; no cash withdrawal

Six core facts, one pattern: the value is straightforward—$500 per child—but the catch lies in the usage and expiry rules.

The table confirms the scheme’s basic structure: the main variable parents need to watch is the yet-unconfirmed expiry date.

What happens to unused LifeSG credits?

Do unused credits expire?

• Unused credits remain in your GovWallet until the government-set expiry date (GovWallet – official scheme page).
• According to a Channel NewsAsia report, the government will not extend the 12-month validity for 2025 Child LifeSG credits, meaning they expire in July 2026 (Channel NewsAsia – news report).
• After the expiry date, any leftover credits are forfeited with no refund (DiveDeals – merchant guide on forfeiture).

Can unused credits be refunded or transferred?

• Neither Child LifeSG Credits nor NS LifeSG Credits can be converted to cash (GovWallet terms – no cash withdrawal).
• Credits are non-transferable between family members (MINDEF – non-transferable for NS LifeSG credits).

What to do with leftover credits before expiry?

• Use credits at any merchant that accepts PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR payments (GovWallet – spending instructions).
• Donate unused credits to approved charities through the GovWallet platform (GovWallet – charity donation option).

How to check LifeSG credit?

Check balance via LifeSG app

• Download the official LifeSG app from the app store, log in with your Singpass account, and open the “Your benefits” module to view your balance (GovWallet – step-by-step guidance).

Check balance through GovWallet portal

• Visit wallet.gov.sg, log in with Singpass, and your credit balance will be displayed under the relevant scheme (GovWallet – portal access).

Check balance via Singpass

• You can also view your LifeSG credits through the Singpass app under the “Government benefits” section (LifeSG – official platform).

The implication: parents should set a calendar reminder now rather than waiting for a reminder from the government.

How to cash out LifeSG credits?

Is cash withdrawal possible?

• LifeSG credits cannot be withdrawn as cash—they are designed exclusively for household expenses (GovWallet – no cash out policy).

Using credits for eligible purchases

• At a merchant, scan the PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR code, enter the amount, and confirm the payment in the LifeSG app (GovWallet – spending process).
• Credits can be used at over 100,000 merchants across Singapore that accept these QR payments (Laminatedoor – merchant guide for NS LifeSG credits).

Alternatives to cashing out

• If you no longer need the credits, you may donate them to approved charities through the GovWallet platform (GovWallet – charity option).

The pattern: the government designed these credits to circulate in the economy, not to sit idle in digital wallets.

Step-by-step: How to use your LifeSG credits

1. Download the LifeSG app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store (LifeSG – official platform).
2. Log in with Singpass using your name, NRIC, and password (GovWallet – login instructions).
3. Check your balance under the “Your benefits” section (GovWallet – balance view).
4. Use credits at checkout by scanning the merchant’s PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR code and confirming the amount in the app (GovWallet – payment process).
5. Keep track of the expiry date—set a reminder on your phone to avoid forfeiting unused credits (CNA – expiry warning).

What this means: with five steps and 15 minutes of setup, eligible families can secure $500 per child before the clock runs out.

Timeline

• November 2024: NS LifeSG Credits start disbursing to eligible NSmen (MINDEF – disbursement timeline).
• 2025: Child LifeSG Credits for children aged 0–12 are disbursed (GovWallet – scheme page).
• July 2026: Possible next phase of LifeSG credits (rumoured, unconfirmed) (CNA – speculation).
• TBD: Expiry date for Child LifeSG Credits announced (likely 2027–2028) (DiveDeals – estimated timeline).

Voices from the ground

“The $500 Child LifeSG Credits are part of the Government’s commitment to support families with young children during this period of rising costs.”

Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Facebook post, 2 July 2025 (MSF – official social media)

“Child LifeSG Credits can only be used for eligible household expenses. They cannot be withdrawn as cash and are non-transferable.”

GovWallet official terms, wallet.gov.sg (GovWallet – scheme page)

“About 83 per cent of Child LifeSG credits disbursed in 2025 had been utilised by April 2026, and the government will not extend the 12-month validity.”

Channel NewsAsia, report on credits utilisation (CNA – news report)

For a parent of two young children in Singapore, the choice is clear: spend your $1,000 in credits before July 2026, or lose it. The same applies to NSmen with their LifeSG credits. Plan ahead, check your balance now, and treat those credits like a prepaid gift card with a hard expiry.

Frequently asked questions