OCBC users receive $400-$600 Enhanced COL payout 2 days ahead of Sept 9
Some OCBC users have reportedly received their Enhanced Cost-of-Living (COL) Special Payment on Sept 7, two days ahead of the announced Sept 9 payout date.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Aug 13 that more than 2.4 million Singaporeans will receive between $400 and $600 under the Enhanced Budget 2026 COL Special Payment.
Eligible recipients will automatically receive their payments from Sept 9.
OCBC users the first to receive COL payout
On Facebook page Complaint Singapore, a screenshot showing a $500 Government payment credited to an OCBC account was shared on Sept 7.
Several commenters said they had also received the payout in their OCBC accounts.
One user said they received $600, while others simply declared: “OCBC is in.”
Others asked when POSB users would receive the payout.
In previous years, OCBC users have also been among the first to report receiving Government payouts, including those under the Assurance Package.
At the time of writing, there appeared to be no similar reports from DBS/POSB or UOB users.
Help Singaporeans with living expenses
The Enhanced COL Special Payment was first announced at Budget 2026, when Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong said eligible Singaporeans would receive between $200 and $400 to help with living expenses.
The payout was subsequently enhanced following a Ministerial Statement on April 7, bringing the amount to between $400 and $600.
To qualify, recipients must:
- be Singapore citizens residing in Singapore
- be aged 21 or older in 2026
- own no more than one property
- have an Assessable Income for Year of Assessment 2025 of up to $100,000
The Annual Value of their place of residence will also be taken into account, with greater support going to those with lesser means.
Eligible Singaporeans can check their payment details and eligibility on the GovBenefits website using Singpass.
MOF had earlier encouraged citizens to link their NRIC to PayNow by Aug 30 to receive the payment earlier, by Sept 9.
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