Singapore Armed Forces (Pensions) Regulations

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —[Deleted by S 834/2024 wef 01/11/2024][Deleted by S 834/2024 wef 01/11/2024][Deleted by S 737/2020 wef 01/09/2020][Deleted by S 834/2024 wef 01/11/2024][Deleted by S 78/2015 wef 14/02/2015](1A) For the purposes of these Regulations, an injury is not attributable to service by reason only of the injury having been received while on duty, at a place of duty or on any land, premises, vehicle, ship or aircraft for the time being used by or for the purposes of the Singapore Armed Forces.(2) For the purposes of Parts IV and V, the monthly gross salary of any member shall be the monthly gross salary last drawn by the member at the material time.

For the purposes of these Regulations, the pensionable emoluments in relation to any member shall be the pensionable emoluments last drawn by him, except as provided in paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5).

Where the pensionable emoluments of a member have changed within 3 years immediately preceding the date of his retirement as a result of his promotion, change of grade or transfer of office, any pension or gratuity granted to him under these Regulations shall be computed on the average amount of the pensionable emoluments payable to him during the period of 3 years immediately preceding the date of his retirement, except where the pension or gratuity is granted upon his death or upon his retirement on account of disablement as a result of an injury received in and which is attributable to service.

Notwithstanding paragraph (2) —

Where a member has less than 3 years’ pensionable service, the gratuity granted to him shall be computed on the average amount of the pensionable emoluments payable to him during his pensionable service except where the gratuity is granted upon his death or upon his retirement on account of disablement as a result of an injury received in and which is attributable to service.

Where the pensionable emoluments for the grade or office held by a member at the date of his retirement have been reduced for misconduct, the pension or gratuity granted to him shall be computed on the pensionable emoluments payable to him at that date or on the average amount of the pensionable emoluments payable to him during the period of 3 years immediately preceding that date, whichever is the less.

A member is eligible for an award of the amount specified by the Armed Forces Council by General Order if —

An award under paragraph (1) does not affect the member’s eligibility for payment of any of the following:

This regulation applies to a member —

The Armed Forces Council may pay —

This regulation applies to a member serving on contract who is released from service as a result of sustaining, on or after 1 January 2023, any injury received in and which is attributable to service.

Subject to regulation 30, a member mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for an award of the higher of the following amounts:

This regulation applies to a member who —

A member mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for an award of the higher of the following amounts:

This regulation applies to a member who —

A member mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for an award of the higher of the following amounts:

A member who —

A member who —

This regulation applies to a member who suffers a disability, the degree of which is determined by the Armed Forces Council to be total disability —

The member mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for an award of 50% of the amount of the following awards which he would have been eligible for if the total disability had occurred as a result of an injury received in and which is attributable to service: (a)the award under regulation 40(1);

Paragraphs (2) and (3) apply where —

Where the member mentioned in paragraph (1) would have been eligible in the case of total disability for an award under regulation 40(1), the member is eligible for the following awards:

Where the member mentioned in paragraph (2) would have been eligible in the case of total disability for a special award under regulation 47 or additional award under regulation 48, the member is eligible for the proportion of the special award or additional award as the degree of his partial disability bears to total disability.

Paragraph (5) applies to a member whose partial disability —

The member mentioned in paragraph (4) is eligible for an award of 50% of the amount of the awards under paragraphs (2) and (3) which he would have been eligible for if the partial disability had occurred as a result of an injury received in and which is attributable to service.

For the purposes of an award under paragraph (2), (3) or (5) (which may be paid provisionally or on any other basis), the degree of the member’s partial disability must be assessed on an interim basis unless the member’s condition permits a final determination of the extent (if any) of the partial disability.

Subject to these Regulations, the degree of the disablement attributable to service of a member shall be assessed by making a comparison between the condition of the member as so disabled and the condition of a normal healthy person of the same age, without taking into account the earning capacity of the member in his disabled condition in his own or any other specific trade or occupation, and without taking into account the effect of any individual factors or extraneous circumstances; but where such disablement is due to more than one injury, a composite assessment of the degree of disablement shall be made by reference to the combined effect of all such injuries.

The degree of disablement assessed in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be certified by way of a percentage, total disablement being represented by 100% (which shall be the maximum assessment) and a lesser degree or partial disablement being represented by such percentage as bears to 100% the same proportion as the lesser degree of disablement bears to total disablement.

Where a disablement of a member who joined the Singapore Armed Forces before 15th March 1991 is due to any injury specified in the First Schedule or is a disablement so specified, and, in either case, has reached a settled condition, the degree of such disablement shall, in the absence of any special features, be certified for the purpose of these Regulations at the percentage specified in that Schedule as appropriate to that injury or to that disablement.

Where a disablement of a member who joins the Singapore Armed Forces on or after 15th March 1991 is due to any injury specified in the Fourth Schedule to the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 or is a disablement so specified, and, in either case, has reached a settled condition, the degree of such disablement shall, in the absence of any special features, be certified for the purpose of these Regulations at the percentage equivalent to the percentage of loss of earning capacity specified in that Schedule as appropriate to that injury or to that disablement.

[Deleted by S 1037/2022 wef 01/01/2023]

[Deleted by S 1037/2022 wef 01/01/2023]

The degree of disablement certified under this regulation shall be the degree of disablement for the purpose of any award in respect thereof in this Part.

This regulation applies to —

The conditions in paragraph (1)(a) are that the former member —

The conditions in paragraph (1)(b) are that the operationally ready national serviceman or volunteer —

(DA)entered into a contract of service, been engaged under a contract for services, or been engaged in any trade, business, profession or vocation; or

(DB)applied to enter into a contract of service or to be engaged under a contract for services, or made efforts to be engaged in any trade, business, profession or vocation;

(EA)continue to work under the contract of service or contract for services, or in the trade, business, profession or vocation, as the case may be; or

(EB)enter into the contract of service, be engaged under the contract for services, or be engaged in the trade, business, profession or vocation, as the case may be.

To avoid doubt but subject to paragraph (3)(c)(iii), this regulation applies even if the person mentioned in paragraph (1) is not —

Subject to paragraphs (6), (7) and (9), a person mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible, starting on the person’s service end date, to payment at the rate specified by the Armed Forces Council by General Order for each day when the person is on hospitalisation leave or medical leave.

Paragraph (5) does not apply to hospitalisation leave or medical leave granted on any day after the earlier of the following:

The person mentioned in paragraph (1) must apply for the payment mentioned in paragraph (5) no later than 720 days after the person’s service end date or any later date that the Armed Forces Council may allow in any particular case.

Where a person mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for any payment under paragraph (5), that payment must not be deducted from any of the following awards or compensation to which the person becomes eligible:

If a person mentioned in paragraph (1) has, before 1 January 2023, received any payment from the Government in respect of hospitalisation leave or medical leave in the circumstances specified in paragraph (2) or (3), the amount of the payment mentioned in paragraph (5) is to be reduced by the amount of the firstmentioned payment.

For the purposes of this regulation —

In this regulation —

This regulation applies to —

The conditions in paragraph (1)(a) are that the former member —

The conditions in paragraph (1)(b) are that the operationally ready national serviceman or volunteer —

Subject to paragraphs (5), (6) and (8), the person mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible, within a period of one year starting on the person’s service end date, for payment at the rate specified by the Armed Forces Council by General Order for each day of light duties.

The total payment under paragraph (4) to which the person mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible must not exceed $40,000.

The person mentioned in paragraph (1) must apply for the payment mentioned in paragraph (4) no later than one year after the person’s service end date or any later date that the Armed Forces Council may allow in any particular case.

Where a person mentioned in paragraph (1) is eligible for any payment under paragraph (4), that payment must not be deducted from any of the following awards or compensation to which the person becomes eligible:

If a person mentioned in paragraph (1) has, before 1 January 2023, received any payment from the Government in respect of light duties in the circumstances specified in paragraph (2) or (3), the amount of the payment mentioned in paragraph (4) is to be reduced by the amount of the firstmentioned payment.

For the purposes of this regulation —

In this regulation —

Where a member dies in disgrace or where a member’s death is attributable to his misconduct or negligence or due to reasons within his control or resulted from a deliberate self-injury or the deliberate aggravation of an accidental injury, the Armed Forces Council may refuse to make an award or to pay compensation under Part IV or this Part or may authorise payment of an award or compensation at such a reduced rate or of such a lesser sum as it thinks fit in the circumstances of the case.

Where a deceased member’s injury received in and which is attributable to service has been caused by or contributed to by gross negligence or misconduct of the deceased member, the Armed Forces Council may withhold, cancel or reduce any award or compensation which may be or has been made under Part IV or this Part.

The Armed Forces Council may withhold or reduce an award or compensation which may be or has been made under this Part in respect of the disablement of a member whose service is terminated voluntarily or where the disablement is partly or wholly attributable to the default or negligence of the member or is due to reasons within his control.

No member or other person shall have an absolute right to compensation or to any pension, gratuity or other allowance under these Regulations nor shall anything in these Regulations limit the right of the Armed Forces Council to dismiss or to terminate the services of a member without compensation.

Where it is established to the satisfaction of the Armed Forces Council that a member has been guilty of negligence, irregularity of misconduct it shall be lawful for the Armed Forces Council to reduce or altogether to withhold or cancel the pension, gratuity or other allowance for which the member would have become eligible but for the provision of this regulation.

The Armed Forces Council may cancel, withhold or reduce a pension, gratuity or other allowance granted to a member if it is established to the satisfaction of the Armed Forces Council that such pension, gratuity or other allowance has been obtained by the wilful suppression of material facts or has been granted in ignorance of facts which, had they been known before the retirement of the member, would have justified a reduction in his emoluments or resulted in his dismissal or discharge from the Singapore Armed Forces.

Where a pension, gratuity or allowance has been cancelled, withheld or reduced under paragraph (2) or (3), the Armed Forces Council may at any time, if in any case it considers it equitable to do so, grant or restore the whole pension, gratuity or allowance, or a portion thereof.

Every pension granted under these Regulations shall be subject to the condition that unless and until the member has reached the retirement age referred to in regulation 21 he may, if he is certified to be medically fit for service, be called upon by the Armed Forces Council to perform further service.

If a member called upon to perform further service declines to do so, payment of his pension may be suspended by the Armed Forces Council until he has attained the retirement age referred to in regulation 21.

If a member, who has been retired under regulation 22(f), (g) or (h) at his request, declines to perform or refuses to report for further service or any other form of service under the Enlistment Act (Cap. 93) or other written law, when he is certified to be medically fit for service, the Armed Forces Council may direct that the member shall forthwith cease to be eligible for any pension granted under these Regulations.

Where a retired member renders further service under this regulation, the payment of his pension may, as the Armed Forces Council thinks fit, be suspended during the period of such further service.

On his subsequent retirement in circumstances in which he may be granted a pension, he may subject to paragraph (6) be granted in lieu of his previous pension or gratuity, a pension computed as if the periods of his service had been continuous, and such pension may be based on his pensionable emoluments at the date of his previous or his final retirement from the Singapore Armed Forces, whichever is the greater.

Where a pension is granted to a member under paragraph (5) and —

In calculating a pension or gratuity granted in pursuance of paragraph (5) no account shall be taken for any purpose of the period during which the member was not in service.

Pensions payable under these Regulations are computed on an annual basis.

The Armed Forces Council may direct that such pensions be paid annually, quarterly or monthly or at such intervals as it thinks fit.

If any member to whom a pension has been granted under these Regulations —

It shall be lawful for the Armed Forces Council on being satisfied that the person in respect of whose pension any direction under paragraph (1) has been given has ceased to be a director of such company or to be employed as an officer or employee of such company in Singapore or has ceased to be engaged in such occupation, as the case may be, to give directions for the restoration of such pension with retrospective effect if it shall see fit, to such date as it shall specify, and such pension shall be restored accordingly.

Paragraph (1) shall cease to apply to any member to whom a pension has been granted under these Regulations after a period of 5 years from the date of his retirement.

If any member to whom a pension has been granted under these Regulations is sentenced to death or any term of imprisonment by a court of competent jurisdiction, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, for any crime or offence, it shall be lawful for the Armed Forces Council to direct that such pension shall forthwith cease, and thereupon such pension shall cease accordingly except that the pension shall be restored with retrospective effect in the case of a person who received a free pardon at any time after his conviction.

Where a pension ceases for the reason referred to in paragraph (1) it shall be lawful for the Armed Forces Council to cause all or any part of moneys to which the member would have been entitled by way of pension to be paid to or applied for the benefit of any wife, child or children of the member, or after the expiration of his sentence, also for the benefit of the member himself, in such manner and in such proportion as the Armed Forces Council thinks fit.

If a member who has been retired under regulation 22(f), (g) or (h) at his request, emigrates from Singapore before he has reached the retirement age referred to in regulation 21 then in every such case it shall be lawful for the Armed Forces Council to direct that any pension payable to the member shall cease to be payable to the member or that the member shall cease to be eligible for any pension payable under these Regulations.

This regulation shall not apply to those members who joined the Singapore Armed Forces or became public officers at any time prior to 27th January 1978 and are still serving as members of the Singapore Armed Forces or in the public service without any break in service.

For the purposes of these Regulations, the Armed Forces Council may appoint a medical board or medical boards, either generally or for particular cases.

A medical board appointed under this regulation shall consist of not less than 2 medical practitioners, one of whom shall either be a Government medical officer or a medical officer of the Singapore Armed Forces.

For the purposes of these Regulations, the Armed Forces Council may appoint a Pensions Appeal Tribunal (referred to in this regulation as the Tribunal) which shall consist of not less than 3 members.

The Tribunal shall have power to vary any award made under these Regulations (other than an award to which regulation 13A relates), whether by increasing or decreasing such award, and the decision of the Tribunal thereon shall be final and conclusive and not subject to review by or appeal to any Court.

The Tribunal may regulate its own procedure for the conduct of an appeal under this regulation, including any proceedings leading up to the hearing of the appeal.

Without affecting paragraph (2A), the Tribunal shall have power to call for any document relating to the appellant’s service from an Officer-in-charge of Records and to order the appellant to undergo a medical examination by a medical officer to be appointed by the Tribunal in any particular case.

Without affecting paragraph (2A), the Tribunal may certify to an Officer-in-charge of Records any reasonable travelling and other expenses which may have been incurred by any person in appearing before the Tribunal or before any medical officer appointed to make a medical examination of the person under this regulation.

Every appellant shall have the right to appear before the Tribunal in person, or by a representative, but the Tribunal may hear and determine any appeal in the absence of the appellant.

Every appeal under this regulation shall be brought within 12 months of the date on which the decision of a Pensions Officer is notified to the appellant but the Tribunal may allow an appeal to be brought after the expiration of the period limited by this regulation if it considers that there was a reasonable excuse for the delay.

For the purposes of these Regulations, the Armed Forces Council may appoint a Compensation Board which shall consist of not less than 4 members.

The Compensation Board shall have power to make an award or vary any award made by a Pensions Officer in respect of the death or disablement of a member, whether by increasing or decreasing such award, and the decision of the Compensation Board thereon shall be final and conclusive.

The Compensation Board may regulate its own procedure for the conduct of an appeal under this regulation, including any proceedings leading up to the hearing of the appeal.

Without affecting paragraph (2A), the Compensation Board shall have power —

Every appellant shall have the right to appear before the Compensation Board in person, or by a representative, but the Compensation Board may hear and determine any appeal in the absence of the appellant.

Every appeal under this regulation shall be brought within 12 months of the date on which the decision of a Pensions Officer is notified to the appellant but the Compensation Board may allow an appeal to be brought after the expiration of the period limited by this regulation if it considers that there was a reasonable excuse for the delay.

Where a Pensions Officer makes a final assessment of the degree or nature of the disablement of a member, or a final decision that there is no disablement or that the disablement has come to an end, any award under regulations 41 to 50 made on the basis of that assessment, or any such final decision, shall not, subject to any decision given by the Compensation Board, and to the provisions of this Part, be reviewed unless —

Any award under these Regulations (other than an award made on the basis of a final assessment referred to in paragraph (1)) may, subject to any decision given by the Compensation Board, be reviewed at any time on any of the grounds specified in paragraph (1) or on any other ground which, in the opinion of a Pensions Officer, having regard to these Regulations, necessitates its review.

On any review under this regulation, a Pensions Officer may continue or vary the award, or make a fresh award in place of it, or cancel it, or in the case of such a final decision as is mentioned in paragraph (1), may make an award as may be appropriate having regard to these Regulations.

Where a person to whom any payment could have been made under these Regulations before his death dies before the payment is made, and the amount unpaid does not exceed $500, the amount so unpaid may be paid to the personal representatives of the deceased person without probate or other proof of title, or may be paid or distributed to or among the persons appearing to a Pensions Officer to be the persons beneficially entitled to the personal estate of the deceased person, or any of them.

In determining the amount to be paid or distributed, a Pensions Officer may have regard to any payments made or expenses incurred by any such person for or on account of the funeral of the deceased person.

For the purposes of reckoning the amount of a pension or gratuity to be granted to a member in the pensionable service in the Singapore Armed Forces the following periods, less any period or periods that are deducted pursuant to regulation 18, shall be counted as service which is pensionable, namely:

Where a member to whom paragraph (1)(e) or (g) applies has received a gratuity in respect of the service referred to in those sub-paragraphs the Armed Forces Council shall as a condition of allowing such service to count as pensionable service require the member to repay the gratuity to the Government either in a lump sum or otherwise and in default of such repayment the previous service shall not be allowed to count as pensionable service.

Subject to paragraph (4), where the Government has paid contributions to the Central Provident Fund or any other approved fund for a member in respect of the service referred to in paragraph (1)(c), (e), (g) or (h) it shall be a condition of allowing such service to count as pensionable service that the member shall repay the contributions to the Central Provident Fund or any approved fund together with interest thereon to the Government either in a lump sum or otherwise and in default of such repayment the previous service shall not be allowed to count as pensionable service.

In respect of any such service on or after 1st April 1972, the amount of contributions to the Central Provident Fund or any approved fund to be repaid to the Government shall exclude the amount so paid on account of the member with respect to such service if he was on the pensionable establishment or an equivalent amount if he was not on the pensionable establishment.

Where a member of the Singapore Armed Forces serving on full pay converts to the pensionable service and upon such conversion refunds any gratuity which has been paid to him in advance under regulation 27(2) together with interest, if applicable, it shall be deemed for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) that no gratuity has been paid to the member.

Subject to paragraph (2), a member in the pensionable service who has not less than 10 years of pensionable service who retires, or is required to retire, on any of the grounds specified in regulation 22 may on his retirement be granted a pension to be computed according to regulation 24.

A member who retires on the ground referred to in regulation 22(d) or (g) shall not be paid a pension until he has attained the minimum age.

Notwithstanding paragraph (2), a member who retires on the ground referred to in regulation 22(d) or (g) may —

Where a member who had retired on the ground referred to in regulation 22(d) or (g) dies before he attains the minimum age and was not paid a pension under paragraph (3) at any time before his death, the Armed Forces Council may pay his dependants or, where there are no dependants, his personal representatives, a gratuity amounting to the higher of the following sums:

No pension or gratuity shall be granted under this regulation to a member who is —

For the purposes of this regulation —

Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the rate of pension payable to a member who is granted a pension under regulation 23 shall be as follows:Ground for retirement Rate of pension per year(a)On retirement under regulation 22(a), (c), (f), (g) or (h) one six-hundredth (1/600th) of his annual pensionable emoluments in respect of each complete month of pensionable service. (b)On retirement under regulation 22(b) the award of a pension on this ground shall be at the discretion of the Armed Forces Council and shall, if granted, be at such rate as it may decide but shall not in any event exceed the rate of pension which would have been applicable had the member retired under regulation 22(c). (c)On retirement in the public interest under regulation 22(d) one six-hundredth (1/600th) of his annual pensionable emoluments in respect of each complete month of pensionable service or such lower rate as the Armed Forces Council may in all the circumstances decide. (d)On retirement under regulation 22(e) one five-hundredth (1/500th) of his annual pensionable emoluments in respect of each complete month pensionable service for the first 240 months and one six-hundredth (1/600th) in respect of each complete month of pensionable service in excess of 240 months.

A pension granted to a member under paragraph (1) shall not exceed two-thirds of his annual pensionable emoluments.

A pension granted under paragraph (1)(d) to a member who joins the Singapore Armed Forces on or after 24th August 1990 shall not exceed the pension which he would have been granted under paragraph (1)(a) on retirement under regulation 22(a) if he had continued in service until he reached the retirement age laid down in regulation 20.

Every member who is otherwise qualified for a pension and has not completed serving a minimum period of 10 years of service which is counted as pensionable service under regulation 17 and retires —

Such rates as are set out in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) may be reduced to such extent as the Armed Forces Council may decide after having regard to the circumstances of the case, if the ground upon which the member retires is a ground referred to in regulation 22(b) or (d).

A gratuity shall not be granted to a member who is —

Subject to these Regulations, a member to whom a pension is granted under regulation 23 may, at his option exercisable in accordance with this regulation, be paid —

The option under paragraph (1) is exercisable not later than the day immediately before the date of the member’s retirement, but if the member does not exercise the option before the date of his retirement, the Armed Forces Council may, if it appears in the circumstances equitable to do so, allow the member to exercise the option on the date of his retirement, or at any time between the date of his retirement and the day before the date of payment of a pension or gratuity to him.

If a member exercises the option under paragraph (1), his decision shall, subject to paragraph (5), be irrevocable so far as concerns the pension or gratuity referred to in this regulation.

A member who has not exercised an option in accordance with this regulation is deemed to have opted to receive a commuted full pension gratuity ascertained in accordance with regulation 26A without any pension.

A member who is paid a reduced pension pursuant to his option exercised in accordance with this regulation is eligible for the full pension without reduction after the expiration of 12 years and 6 months from the date he was granted the reduced pension.

Where a member opts in accordance with this regulation to receive a commuted full pension gratuity ascertained in accordance with regulation 26A, the commuted full pension gratuity shall, subject to paragraph (7), be payable as follows: