More lower-income Singapore residents to benefit from increased thresholds for legal aid from Oct 1

SINGAPORE – More lower-income Singapore residents will be able to benefit from legal assistance from Oct 1, when the income threshold for civil legal aid is increased.

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a statement on Sept 30 that the asset threshold for both civil legal aid and criminal defence aid will also be raised.

The per capita household income (PCHI) threshold for civil legal aid will be raised from $1,050 to $1,650, MinLaw said, bringing it in alignment with the current PCHI threshold for criminal defence aid.

Up to 1,000 more Singaporeans and PRs are expected to benefit annually from this increase, the ministry said.

The three most common categories of civil legal aid cases are matrimonial matters, monetary claims and probate matters.

Additionally, from Oct 1, the bank savings and non-CPF investments threshold for applicants below 60 years old will rise from $10,000 to $12,000 for both civil legal aid and criminal defence aid.

For those 60 years old or older, the threshold will be raised from $40,000 to $42,000.

These changes, which were first announced during the debate on the ministry’s budget earlier in March, will allow more households to benefit from legal assistance and enhance access to justice for those in need, MinLaw said.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Eric Chua had said during the debate that raising the bank savings and non-CPF investments threshold will account for rising household incomes.

This will ensure that the truly needy remain eligible, he added.

To qualify for government legal aid, applicants must pass both the means and merits tests.

The PCHI threshold was last adjusted in 2022 and 2024 to account for the increase in household income over the years, the ministry said in its Sept 30 statement, adding that it will continue to review the means test thresholds regularly.

Applicants with extenuating circumstances will continue to be reviewed by an independent means test panel comprising legal and social service professionals, MinLaw said.

Vulnerable and lower-income Singaporeans and PRs can receive legal aid through the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) and the Public Defender’s Office (PDO).

LAB provides civil legal aid with the support of volunteer lawyers, while the PDO co-delivers criminal defence aid with Pro Bono SG, which administers the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

More information on applying for civil legal aid is available on the LAB website, while details about the criminal defence aid can be found on the PDO’s website.

Daniel Lai is a journalist at the ST Now team, covering breaking news and international affairs.