CPF withdrawal for the deceased in Singapore

CPF balances sit outside the estate in Singapore. That matters because it determines who decides where the money goes and how fast it moves. If the deceased made a CPF nomination, the Board pays nominees directly within weeks, no probate required. If there is no nomination, the balances go to the Public Trustee and distribution follows the Intestate Succession Act (or faraid for Muslims). The Public Trustee path adds months and a fee.

This article walks through both paths. For the broader picture, see after the funeral: what comes next in Singapore. For the upstream conversation about why you should nominate, see CPF nomination in Singapore.

What happens to each account

When a CPF member dies, the Board calculates the balance across all four accounts as at the date of death:

Ordinary Account (OA). Cash balance, plus any cash that was withdrawn for housing under the CPF Housing Scheme returns to the OA only if the property is sold; otherwise it stays applied to the property.
Special Account (SA). Cash balance.
MediSave Account (MA). Cash balance.
Retirement Account (RA). Cash balance, including any amount transferred in to meet the Full Retirement Sum, but excluding the portion already used to buy CPF LIFE annuity premiums.

CPF LIFE is partly different. The premium portion (the lump sum used to fund the annuity) is forfeited at death only to the extent it has already been paid out as monthly income. The unused portion is refunded to nominees or to the estate. For someone who joined CPF LIFE Standard Plan at 65 and died at 70, a meaningful unused premium often remains; for someone who died at 90 after twenty-five years of payouts, less.

The Board adds the four account balances plus any unused CPF LIFE premium and that is the total CPF payout.

With a nomination: direct to nominees

A CPF nomination (Cash Nomination, the standard form filed at any CPF Service Centre) tells the Board who gets what percentage. It overrides the will. It overrides the Intestate Succession Act. It is not part of the estate.

The process when there is a valid nomination:

CPF Board is notified of the death. This happens automatically through the ICA registration; you do not need to call separately. You can also notify proactively via MyLegacy or by submitting the Death Extract to the Board.
CPF Board writes to the nominees at the addresses on record, usually within two to four weeks of notification, explaining the share each is entitled to and what documents are required to release the funds.
Nominees submit identification. NRIC for Singapore residents; passport plus proof of address for nominees overseas. Bank account details for the credit.
CPF Board pays out. Usually by direct credit to the nominee's bank account within four to six weeks of receiving complete documents.

End-to-end timeline: six to twelve weeks from death to money in hand, in most clean cases.

The Board credits the funds directly to the nominee, in the nominee's name. The nominee does not pay anything into the deceased's estate; the money belongs to them outright. They can then use it however they want, including paying funeral expenses or bridging the estate's bills.

With an Enhanced Nomination Scheme (ENS)

ENS is a less common nomination type that allows the member to specify that nominees receive the funds in their own CPF account rather than as cash. This was introduced to allow younger family members to retain the CPF tax-advantaged status. The mechanics are similar but the credit goes to the nominee's OA, SA, or MA rather than to a bank account. Most Singapore members use Cash Nomination; ENS is more common in estate planning for affluent families.

Without a nomination: the Public Trustee path

Most Singaporeans never make a CPF nomination. The Board's own data has historically shown around half of members are unnominated. When the unnominated member dies, CPF balances flow to the Public Trustee's Office (PTO), part of the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office (IPTO) under the Ministry of Law.

The process:

CPF Board transfers the balances to the Public Trustee. This happens once the death is registered and the Board confirms there is no valid nomination.
Public Trustee distributes according to the Intestate Succession Act (non-Muslims) or faraid (Muslims, per AMLA).
Beneficiaries apply to the Public Trustee with supporting documents proving entitlement.
Public Trustee pays out, less a small administration fee.

The Public Trustee charges a tiered fee for handling small estates of unnominated CPF moneys. The rates are published on the IPTO website; broadly, it is a few percent on the first portion and tapers down. For most non-affluent families the fee is a few hundred dollars on a moderate CPF balance.

Timeline: six to twelve months, sometimes longer if the family tree is unclear or beneficiaries are abroad. Slower than nomination, but faster than full probate because the Public Trustee handles the distribution administratively rather than waiting for a Grant.

Intestate distribution rules

For non-Muslims without a nomination, CPF moneys follow the Intestate Succession Act, the same rules that govern other estate assets. The common scenarios:

Spouse only. Spouse takes everything.
Spouse and children. Spouse takes half, children share the other half.
Spouse and parents, no children. Spouse takes half, parents share the other half.
Children only. Children share equally.
Parents only. Parents share equally.
Siblings only. Siblings share equally.

For Muslims, faraid applies. The Public Trustee or the family obtains an Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court setting out the shares, and the Public Trustee distributes accordingly.

The most common surprise: unmarried partners and cohabitants get nothing, even after decades together. Stepchildren who were never legally adopted get nothing. Charities the deceased supported get nothing. The Intestate Succession Act is rigid. A nomination is the only way to override it for CPF moneys, and a will is the only way to override it for the rest of the estate. See writing a will in Singapore.

Documents you will need

For a nominated payout:

Nominee's NRIC (or passport for non-residents).
Bank account details (the Board credits in the nominee's name).
Sometimes a relationship document if the nominee shares a surname with another claimant and the Board wants to disambiguate.

The Death Extract is usually pulled automatically by the Board from ICA. You do not need to submit it unless asked.

For an unnominated case going through the Public Trustee:

Death Extract.
Family tree (a written declaration of all surviving relatives, with their NRICs).
NRICs of all beneficiaries.
Renunciations if any beneficiary is giving up their share.
For Muslim estates: the Syariah Court Inheritance Certificate.
For overseas beneficiaries: passport plus proof of address.

The Public Trustee will publish the application form on the IPTO website and walk you through what they need. Some families engage a lawyer if the family structure is complex; many do it themselves.

The Medisave question

Medisave balances are treated the same as the other accounts for distribution purposes (they go to nominees if nominated, to the Public Trustee if not).

One practical wrinkle: if the deceased had outstanding hospital or hospice bills that were paid via Medisave under the Medisave-eligible schemes, the Board allows those bills to be settled from the Medisave balance before the rest is distributed. Hospitals will sometimes submit the claim posthumously if the discharge happened just before death. Check with the hospital's billing team and the Board.

The CPF LIFE premium refund

CPF LIFE refunds work like this. The premium paid into the annuity pool funds monthly payouts for life. If the member dies before the cumulative payouts equal the premium plus interest, the unused balance is refunded.

For someone who joined CPF LIFE Standard Plan and died early, the refund can be substantial, often tens of thousands of dollars. For someone who died after twenty or thirty years of monthly payouts, the unused balance is typically smaller or zero, depending on plan and amount.

The refund follows the same rules as other CPF moneys: to nominees if nominated, to the Public Trustee if not.

MyLegacy and the CPF claim

You can initiate the CPF claim through MyLegacy at mylegacy.life.gov.sg. After signing in with Singpass and linking yourself as the executor or next of kin, the portal surfaces:

Whether a CPF nomination exists (yes or no; details are not shown to non-nominees).
The status of the death registration with ICA.
The CPF Board case reference and processing status.
A direct upload channel for additional documents.

If you are a nominee, MyLegacy lets you submit your bank details and identification online, which is faster than walking in to a CPF Service Centre.

If you are not a nominee but believe you should be entitled (because there was no nomination and you are next of kin), MyLegacy directs you to the Public Trustee path.

Common scenarios and timelines

Scenario 1. Deceased had a CPF nomination naming spouse 100%. Spouse signs in to MyLegacy, uploads NRIC and bank details. Payout lands eight weeks after the death.

Scenario 2. Deceased had no nomination. Survived by spouse and two adult children. The Public Trustee distributes per the Intestate Succession Act: spouse gets half, children share half. Eight to twelve months from death to payout.

Scenario 3. Deceased was Muslim with no nomination. Syariah Court issues Inheritance Certificate. Public Trustee distributes per faraid. Ten to fourteen months.

Scenario 4. Deceased had a nomination naming three nominees, but one nominee predeceased the member. The predeceased nominee's share is redirected per the Board's rules (usually to the estate). The remaining nominees receive their original shares directly. Total payout for surviving nominees lands in eight to twelve weeks; the redirected share waits for probate.

Scenario 5. Deceased was a foreign worker on a CPF account. CPF moneys held by foreign workers (e.g. some PRs who converted, or work permit holders with old SDF balances) are handled through the same channels. Repatriation of funds to overseas beneficiaries follows the standard process; payout in foreign currency requires additional documentation.

What to do this week

If you are a family member dealing with this after a death:

Check if a nomination exists. The deceased may have a copy of the Form 1 (Cash Nomination) in their personal files. The CPF Board will confirm to verified next of kin whether a nomination is on record.
Notify the Board through MyLegacy. If ICA registration is done, the Board will already know; if you want to push, the upload channel works.
Gather identification. NRIC, bank details, family tree if no nomination.
Sit tight. The Board's processing is consistent. They will write to nominees with instructions.

If you are reading this before someone you love dies, make the nomination now. Walk in to any CPF Service Centre with two witnesses (any adults except your spouse or your nominees). The form takes ten minutes. It is the single highest-leverage piece of paperwork in Singapore estate planning, and the default outcome without it is reliably worse for the family. See CPF nomination in Singapore for the conversation about why and how.

For where CPF withdrawal fits among the other after-funeral tasks, see after the funeral: what comes next in Singapore and closing bank accounts of the deceased in Singapore.