SNTC Singapore: The Complete Guide for Parents of Children with Special Needs

What Is SNTC?

The Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) is a not-for-profit trust company and registered charity that helps parents of children with special needs set aside funds for their child's long-term care. As of April 2025, it's a fully owned subsidiary of SG Enable — the government agency for disability services.

The trust funds held by SNTC are guaranteed by the Singapore government. That's an unusual and important guarantee. It means the principal you put in won't disappear due to investment losses. The Public Trustee's Office holds and invests the funds on SNTC's behalf.

As of December 2025, SNTC manages 1,410 trusts. Fees are 90–100% subsidised by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, making this one of the most accessible trust structures available to Singapore families.

What Does an SNTC Trust Actually Do?

The core purpose is simple: you set aside money now, and when you're gone (or become incapacitated), SNTC ensures that money is used for your child's care according to your wishes.

The trust doesn't activate while you're alive and capable. You fund it gradually over time. When you die or become incapacitated, SNTC's Case Manager steps in to disburse funds according to your instructions, oversee your child's wellbeing, and make sure the care plan is followed.

• Letter of Intent: Before the trust is needed, you work with SNTC to document exactly how you want the funds used — housing, food, transport, medical care, therapy, recreation, employment support
• Case management: A trained Case Manager meets with your child after your passing, monitors expenses, reviews the care plan annually, and connects your child to community resources
• Early warning system: SNTC alerts the appointed caregiver when about 5 years of funds remain, giving time to adjust spending or top up
• Disbursement: Funds are released according to your instructions — monthly, periodically, or for specific purposes

Costs and Fees

SNTC's fee structure is straightforward — and the MSF subsidy makes it accessible even for lower-income families.

• Setup fee: $1,500 (one-time, when you open the trust)
• Minimum initial deposit: $5,000 to open the account
• Annual fee (pre-activation): $250/year while you're still alive
• Annual fee (post-activation): $400/year after the trust is activated upon your passing
• MSF subsidy: 90–100% of fees are subsidised by MSF — actual out-of-pocket costs are significantly lower than these figures

For context: commercial trust companies charge $3,000–$5,000 to set up a trust and $2,000+ annually, often as a percentage of assets under management. SNTC's subsidised fees are a fraction of market rates for an equivalent service.

The Budget 2025 Matching Grant

Budget 2025 introduced a dollar-for-dollar government matching grant of up to $10,000 to encourage families to set up and top up SNTC trust accounts. This is for lower- and middle-income caregivers.

The practical effect: a family that saves $5,000 into their trust gets $5,000 from the government. A family that saves $10,000 gets $10,000. For many families, this matching grant effectively doubles the initial trust value at no additional cost. Contact SNTC directly to confirm your eligibility and the application process.

The GOAL Sponsorship Scheme

GOAL stands for 'Gift Of A Lifetime' — a scheme specifically designed to help means-tested families fund their trust through life insurance rather than upfront savings.

Here's how it works: GOAL helps eligible families purchase a term life insurance policy through Great Eastern (the GOAL partner insurer), with coverage between $100,000 and $300,000. The GOAL scheme co-pays the premiums and covers the initial $5,000 trust deposit. When the parent dies, the insurance payout flows directly into the SNTC trust account — creating the funding the trust needs to support the child, without requiring the parent to accumulate that amount in savings during their lifetime.

The GOAL scheme is separate from the Budget 2025 matching grant — you can potentially benefit from both if you qualify. It's specifically aimed at families who couldn't otherwise afford to set aside a substantial lump sum. Contact SNTC to discuss eligibility.

Building Your Letter of Intent

The Letter of Intent is one of the most important documents you'll create as a parent of a child with special needs. It tells SNTC exactly how you want the funds used after you're gone — and it shapes the Case Manager's decisions about your child's day-to-day life for years or decades.

SNTC will guide you through this process with your assigned Case Manager, but here are the key decisions you'll need to think through.

• Housing: Where should your child live? With a family member, in a group home, in supported independent living? What's your preference and what's realistic given available funds?
• Daily care: Who is the primary caregiver after you're gone? Is that person willing and able? What support will they need?
• Medical care: Are there specific healthcare providers, therapists, or programmes you want maintained? Are there medical decisions you want documented as your wishes?
• Therapy and activities: Which ongoing therapies matter most? Are there activities (sports, music, religious practice) that are important to your child's wellbeing?
• Employment: If your child may eventually participate in supported employment, what kind of work environment suits them?
• Monthly budget: How much should be disbursed monthly for regular expenses? Are there circumstances where larger sums should be released?

The Letter of Intent isn't legally binding in the way a will is, but SNTC treats it as the primary guide for how your child's care should be managed. It can be updated at any time while you're alive — and it should be, as your child's needs and circumstances change.

A Realistic Funding Scenario

How far does the money actually go? Here's a concrete illustration.

A family sets up an SNTC trust with an initial $10,000 (which becomes $20,000 with the Budget 2025 matching grant). They contribute $5,000 per year and have a $200,000 life insurance policy nominated to the trust. Over 20 years of contributions and modest investment returns (~2.5% per annum), the trust reaches approximately $270,000 before the insurance payout.

At $1,200/month in disbursements (reasonable for supported living costs), the trust supports 18+ years of monthly income. Add the $200,000 life insurance proceeds and the trust extends further. This is a simplified illustration — actual outcomes depend on return rates, cost inflation, and your child's specific needs — but it shows that even moderate, consistent contributions create meaningful long-term support.

How SNTC Works With CPF's Special Needs Savings Scheme (SNSS)

SNTC and the CPF Special Needs Savings Scheme serve different purposes and work best together. Most families who plan properly use both.

• SNSS (CPF): A CPF nomination that releases a monthly payout from your CPF savings to your child's bank account after your passing. Minimum payout: $250/month. No minimum CPF balance required to sign up. Administered by SNTC on CPF's behalf.
• SNTC trust: Holds non-CPF funds (cash savings, insurance payouts). Provides full case management, care planning, and welfare monitoring. More comprehensive but requires separate funding.
• Combined approach: SNSS provides the regular monthly income stream from CPF; the SNTC trust covers larger, less predictable expenses and provides the human oversight your child needs

Who Is Eligible?

SNTC serves anyone whose child has physical, sensory, intellectual, or developmental impairments — including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities. Adults with special needs and persons with dementia are also eligible.

The main requirement is a Disability Verification Form completed by a registered healthcare professional. There's no upper income threshold for a standard SNTC trust account. The GOAL Sponsorship Scheme and Budget 2025 matching grant are means-tested; SNTC can confirm your specific eligibility during an intake consultation.

Limitations Worth Knowing

• Cash only: SNTC accepts only cash contributions. Property, shares, and other assets must be liquidated through your will before proceeds can enter the trust — a meaningful constraint for families whose main asset is property.
• Low investment returns: Funds earn approximately 2.53% per annum after Public Trustee fees — modest returns that may not keep pace with inflation over decades. MSF has acknowledged this but has not yet announced changes.
• Irrevocable once activated: Once the trust is activated after your passing, its terms cannot be changed. Getting your Letter of Intent right while you're alive matters.
• Not a guardian: SNTC manages money, not daily decisions. You still need to nominate a guardian for your child separately.
• Will still required: Non-CPF assets, property, and guardianship all require a proper will — SNTC doesn't replace this.

How to Get Started

SNTC can be reached at 6278 9598 or enquiries@sntc.org.sg. You can also approach them through SG Enable's case managers or via a referral from social workers, hospitals, or autism support organisations like MINDS or the Autism Resource Centre.

The process involves an intake meeting, completing a Disability Verification Form, setting up the trust account, and working with your assigned Case Manager to document your Letter of Intent. Start with a consultation — they'll walk you through exactly what you qualify for under current subsidy and matching grant schemes.