If you are a parent with multiple young children, you may have received a text message from the Government earlier this month reminding you to use your LifeSG credits before they expire.
For a quick recap, LifeSG credits have been around for some time, with their initial use largely associated with credits given to NSmen through the LifeSG app. They became more relevant to families following Singapore Budget 2025, when the Government announced two new LifeSG credit disbursements for parents with young children.
The first is the Child LifeSG Credit, given to each Singaporean child aged 12 and below. The second is the Large Family LifeSG Credit (LFLC), which is available for a family’s third and subsequent Singaporean children between the ages of one and six.
For families with three or more young children, this can mean having multiple sets of LifeSG credits in the app at the same time, each with its own expiry date. Knowing which credits to use first can make the difference between fully utilising the support and accidentally allowing some of it to expire.
Child LifeSG Credits Are Given From 14 July 2026
First, Child LifeSG Credits are typically disbursed in July. For 2026, eligible families receive $500 for each Singaporean child aged 12 and below, the same amount as in 2025.
As LifeSG credits are valid for one year, the exact expiry date depends on when you receive them. For example, if you received your Child LifeSG Credits on 14 July 2026, as I did, they will expire on 13 July 2027.
This gives families close to a full year to use the credits, but the expiry date becomes more important when you have several different batches of LifeSG credits sitting in the app at the same time.
Large Family LifeSG Credits Have A Different Disbursement Schedule
For families with three or more children, the Large Family LifeSG Credit (LFLC) provides $1,000 annually for each third and subsequent Singapore Citizen child who is aged one to six in the relevant year.
The first batch of LFLC was disbursed from 10 September 2025. As the credits are valid for one year, this means they will expire on 9 September 2026.
However, from 2026 onwards, LFLC is disbursed in April each year. For children aged one to six in 2026, the credits were disbursed from 28 April 2026. This means they will expire on 27 April 2027.
Which LifeSG Credits To Use First?
A family with several eligible children could have multiple batches of LifeSG credits with different expiry dates. The simplest way to decide which credits to use first is therefore to prioritise them based on which expires earliest, rather than by the type of credit.
Based on the disbursement dates above, families should first clear any remaining 2025 Large Family LifeSG Credit balance before it expires on 9 September 2026.
After that, the next batch to prioritise would be the 2026 LFLC, which expires on 27 April 2027.
Only after these earlier-expiring credits have been used should families move on to their 2026 Child LifeSG Credits. For example, if your Child LifeSG Credits were received on 14 July 2026, they would remain valid until 13 July 2027, giving you a few more months compared with the 2026 LFLC.
| LifeSG credit | Example disbursement date | Amount | Example expiry date | Suggested priority |
| 2025 Large Family LifeSG Credit | 10 Sep 2025 | $1,000 per eligible child | 9 Sep 2026 | Use first |
| 2026 Large Family LifeSG Credit | 28 Apr 2026 | $1,000 per eligible child | 27 Apr 2027 | Use second |
| 2026 Child LifeSG Credit | 14 Jul 2026 | $500 per eligible child | 13 Jul 2027 | Use after LFLC |
In other words, treat your LifeSG credits like food in the refrigerator: use what expires first, first. Checking the expiry date of each balance in the LifeSG app before making payments can help ensure that none of the support your family has received goes unused.
