Are there fees involved in making a CPF nomination?
No, there are no costs involved in making a CPF nomination.
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No, there are no costs involved in making a CPF nomination.
All CPF nominations must be made to a legal entity. All wakaf, mosques and madrasahs in Singapore are vested entities of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis). If you intend to nominate any vested entities of Muis as your CPF nominee, please follow these steps:
Step 1: Indicate Muis' Unique Entity Number (UEN) T08GB0028L in the ‘Registration number of organisation’ field.
Step 2: After a successful completion, inform Muis and indicate your preferred nominee(s) (ie. Mosque, Madrasah, Wakaf Ilmu, Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura, Mosque-Building Fund, Dana Madrasah, Baitulmal) via this link: go.gov.sg/muis-cpfnomination. CPF Board will disburse the funds to Muis upon the passing of the nominator and Muis will channel it to the rightful establishments/funds based on your intent in the submitted form.
Note: We highly encourage you to consider nominating Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS), a form of multi-asset wakaf where the capital of the donation collected is prudently preserved and invested, and only the profits are distributed to three key beneficiaries. These beneficiaries include the preservation of religious institutions, the development of asatizahs, and support for social development initiatives.
Your generous contribution will play a pivotal role in advancing these noble causes and fostering positive change within our community. We appreciate your commitment to making a difference and are grateful for your support.
For nomination, you will need the following:
• Your Singpass
• Your nominees’ NRIC/FIN and (optional) email address.
• Two witnesses, Full Name, NRIC/FIN, email address and Singapore-registered mobile phone number.
Note: If your nominees or witness is a foreigner, you will need to furnish their mailing address as well.
Note: Your witnesses cannot be your nominees. If you are unable to find a witness, you may walk-in to ServiceSG Centres as the officers are able to act as witnesses for your online nomination.
For online nomination, you may nominate up to 15 nominees. For more than 15 nominees, an appointment must be made at the CPF service centres.
CPF savings do not form your estate and cannot be covered under an Islamic Will.
You are strongly encouraged to make your CPF nomination to ensure that your CPF savings are distributed swiftly and conveniently to your nominee(s) without any administrative fees.
Unnominated CPF savings will be held by the Public Trustee’s Office (PTO). Family members must initiate the claims process, retrieve the deceased’s Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court, and provide other necessary paperwork. The distribution process can take up to six months, and administration fees will be charged by the PTO and Syariah Court.
For more related questions, visit: https://ask.gov.sg/muis.
There is no limit as to how much one can donate to charity organizations by nominating them in the respective forms, however, it is to be done with the guidance laid down by the Fatwa Committee.
The Fatwa Committee decrees that:
Each CPF contributor is responsible to evaluate the option which is most suited and fulfills the needs and protects the welfare of his/her family in the administration of his/her CPF savings. He may choose to either utilise the nomination instrument, or distribute according to Faraid, or exercise both options together. This evaluation and assessment must take into consideration the financial condition of his/her beneficiaries and who is in more need of the money.
At the same time, CPF contributors must be aware that a nomination cannot be made with the intention and purpose of unfairly denying the rights of the other beneficiaries.
For the full fatwa text reviewed in 2010, please visit: https://www.muis.gov.sg/officeofthemufti/Fatwa/CPF-Nomination/
No. According to a fatwa by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), CPF nomination is a valid form of hibah (gift). Thus, when a nomination has been made, only the nominee(s) is entitled to the CPF savings. A Faraid heir who has not been nominated does not have a legal claim over the CPF savings.
However, in this kind of situation, it is encouraged for the sole nominee of the CPF monies to gift some to other family members who needs the money.
This is explained in the Quran:
وَإِذَا حَضَرَ الْقِسْمَةَ أُولُو الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينُ فَارْزُقُوهُم مِّنْهُ وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا
And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness. (Surah an-Nisa 4: 8)
For the full text of the fatwa, visit: https://www.muis.gov.sg/officeofthemufti/Fatwa/CPF-Nomination/
Yes. According to a fatwa by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), CPF nomination is a valid form of hibah (gift). You may thus nominate whoever you wish, non-Faraid heirs or even legal institutions for charitable purposes.
Learn more about nominating legal institutions here: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/faq/account-services/cpf-nomination-scheme/i-would-like-to-nominate-an-organisation-to-receive-my-cpf/.
Savings of deceased CPF members who did not make their CPF nomination will be held by the Public Trustee’s Office (PTO). Family members will have to initiate the claims process, retrieve the deceased’s Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court, and provide other necessary paperwork. It can take up to 6 months for your CPF savings to be distributed. The PTO and Syariah Court charges administration fees too.
To ensure that your CPF savings are distributed swiftly, conveniently, at no cost and to prevent potential family rifts and disputes, it is highly recommended to make your CPF nominations.
You may nominate your beneficiaries according to Faraid, and furthermore, do planned giving by nominating your choice of charity or community institutions.
No, Proceeds from CPF nominations received by nominees do not have to be distributed through Faraid. The nominations are considered as hibah made by the contributor during their lifetime solely to the nominees and are not subject to Faraid distribution. However, it acts as a good guide for you to estimate how much you would wish to give individual persons from your family. You can also choose to nominate your friends and also charity organizations as well.
The Fatwa Committee decrees that:
Each CPF contributor is responsible to evaluate the option which is most suited and fulfills the needs and protects the welfare of his/her family in the administration of his/her CPF savings. S/he may choose to either utilise the nomination instrument, or distribute according to Faraid, or exercise both options together. This evaluation and assessment must take into consideration the financial condition of his/her beneficiaries and who is in more need of the money.
At the same time, CPF contributors must be aware that a nomination cannot be made with the intention and purpose of unfairly denying the rights of the other beneficiaries.
For the full fatwa text reviewed in 2010, please visit: https://www.muis.gov.sg/officeofthemufti/Fatwa/CPF-Nomination/.
It is highly recommended to make a CPF nomination, even if you intend for your CPF savings to be distributed according to Faraid. You can nominate your Faraid heirs and their respective shares using the Syariah Court’s Faraid Calculator to determine the beneficiaries and their allocated portions. It's important to note that, according to a fatwa by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), CPF nomination is considered a form of hibah (gift), allowing you to allocate any portion of your CPF savings to your chosen recipients, including non-Faraid heirs or legal institutions. Only the following funds are covered in the nomination process i) CPF savings in your Ordinary, Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts; ii) CPF LIFE premium balance; and iii) Discounted Singtel shares.
By making a CPF nomination, you ensure that your CPF savings are efficiently and conveniently distributed to your nominee(s) within a few weeks. On the other hand, if CPF savings are left unnominated, they will be held by the Public Trustee’s Office (PTO). In such cases, family members are required to initiate the claims process, obtain the deceased’s Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court, and provide other necessary documentation. This distribution process can take up to six months, and administration fees will be charged by the PTO and Syariah Court.
For the Syariah Court's Faraid Calculator, please visit the official website at [Syariah Court's Faraid Calculator](https://www.syariahcourt.gov.sg/Inheritance/Online-Trial-inheritance-Calculator/).
A CPF nomination allows you to decide who will receive your CPF monies upon your demise. Without a CPF nomination, your CPF savings will be distributed by the Public Trustee’s Office to your family members based on the Muslim Inheritance Certificate, according to Faraid. This decision is crucial as it ensures that the CPF savings are distributed according to the account holder's wishes, providing financial security for their beneficiaries.
According to the 2010 fatwa from Muis, it is permissible to make CPF Nominations for Muslims and that it would be deemed as a hibah to the beneficiaries.
For further information on the Fatwa on CPF Nomination (2010), please visit the Office of the Mufti website: http://www.muis.gov.sg/officeofthemufti/Fatwa/CPF-Nomination/
For more related questions, visit: https://www.ourwakaf.sg/faq/.