Civil servants will get an annual allowance of S$500 which can be used for "health, well-being, and individual growth" from October 2024.

They will also get enhanced medical and dental benefits from Jan. 1, 2025, said Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing.

Chan was speaking at the opening of the Public Service Week on Jul. 10 at ITE College Central.

"Cannot keep pouring your hearts"

The enhanced benefits come in the light of the "environment of constant change" as the public service continues to innovate at an increasingly rapid pace, said the minister.

Such an environment can be unsettling and exhausting for officers, he explained, adding:

"We have a saying in MOE (the Ministry of Education) and in the public service.

All of you pour your hearts out to serve, but you cannot keep pouring your hearts out to serve if you are not growing, if you’re not being taken care of."

The new well-being benefit, dubbed "FlexiGrow", will allow eligible officers to use the allowance flexibly to support their health, growth, and well-being based on their own needs, such as courses for personal development and fitness programmes.

In addition, the Public Service will also raise its medical and dental benefits from Jan. 1, 2025.

"We need to take care of ourselves," he said.

"We need to take care of each other in this long journey. And this is what our public service is committed to.”

Higher retirement age

At the same time, the Public Service will raise retirement and re-employment ages to 64 and 69 respectively from Jul. 1, 2025.

This comes a year ahead of the planned increase in 2026.

Chan said that this is part of the Public Service's effort to support officers to want to stay active and be meaningfully engaged at work for longer.

He added that they will support all officers who wish to continue to contribute to Singapore, regardless of age.

Top image from Chan Chun Sing/Facebook