What do you get under HDB's EASE programme, and how do you apply?

The Government pays up to 95% of the cost for Singapore Citizen households. Your share depends on flat type, and you pay only for the items you pick. These are HDB's 2026 figures, GST included:

A private installer charges about $50 to $80 per grab bar, or $180 to $250 for three in one visit. If your household qualifies, EASE is far cheaper.

You must be a Singaporean HDB flat owner or registered tenant, living with a family member who is:

• aged 65 or above, or
• aged 60 to 64 and needs help with at least one of the six activities of daily living, such as washing or moving around.

For the 60 to 64 group, the application needs a Functional Assessment Report from a GP or an approved healthcare professional. Any fee for that assessment is yours to pay, and it varies by clinic.

The subsidy figures above are for Singapore Citizen households. Private homes have a separate scheme, EASE (Private): $1,200 in vouchers covering 75% of selected fittings from appointed contractors, applied for at ease-private.gov.sg.

There are two routes to the same items.

Under HIP, the grab bar that comes with the toilet upgrading package counts as one of your EASE set. If you already had linear grab bars fitted through Direct Application and you take HIP toilet upgrading, HDB's contractor reinstates those bars. It will not swap them for foldable ones.

1. 1Check eligibility: the senior's age, and for ages 60 to 64, get the Functional Assessment Report done first.
2. 2Pick your items and work out your share from the table above, or with HDB's e-calculator by selecting EASE (Direct Application).
3. 3Apply through HDB's EASE e-Service or the Mobile@HDB app.
4. 4HDB's EASE page says it replies within 14 working days of getting the application and documents.
5. 5HDB or its contractor calls to arrange a survey and an installation date. Have the senior at home so bars go where their hands reach.
6. 6Installation follows. HDB's page says items are installed within 10 weeks of application, where technically feasible, with a 1-year warranty.

We could not read HDB's 2026 EASE leaflet: it is a scanned image with no text. The prices here come from HDB's Annex C, and the timelines from HDB's EASE page as shown in search results. Check the e-Service for the latest before you apply.

Grab bars come as a set, and you pay for the whole set even if fewer bars fit in your flat. HDB does not hand over the bars it did not install.

Positions follow guidelines HDB drew up with occupational therapists. HDB's booklet says a bar beside the bed, or any spot outside those guidelines, may not be possible if the site does not allow it.

Slip-resistant treatment is for the toilets and bathrooms. You can ask the contractor to treat the kitchen, but as a private job at your own cost. HDB says the treatment lasts three to five years if the tiles are maintained, and treated tiles may need cleaning more often.

Kerbs are lowered to about 20mm, not to zero, so water does not flow out of the bathroom. Entrance widening covers one toilet only.

Raised toilet seats and free-standing shower chairs are not on the list. HDB's HIP booklet says a fixed or foldable U-profile bar is offered only when HDB finds a linear bar will not work, for example when the toilet bowl sits too far from the wall.

Families go private when the senior is under 60, when they want a bar in a spot HDB will not cover, when they want one or two bars rather than a set, or when someone is coming home from hospital next week and a wait of up to 10 weeks is too long.

See grab bar installation, foldable shower seats and raised toilet seats. For the bars and seats themselves, see grab bars and shower chairs.

• Wall type. HDB bathroom walls behind the tile are mostly concrete or brick. A hollow knock suggests a board partition, which needs cavity anchors or a backing plate.
• Tile condition. Old tiles that sound hollow can crack when drilled. Keep a spare tile if you have one.
• Anchors in the wall, not the tile. Plastic plugs set only into the tile loosen over time.
• Pipes. Concealed pipes often run straight above and below the mixer, so the spot should be checked before drilling.
• Height and position. Have the user sit and stand at the toilet and step into the shower, and tape where their hand reaches. There is no single correct height for everyone.
• Sealing and a pull test. Each screw hole should be sealed with silicone, and the bar pulled hard in every direction before anyone relies on it.

WhatsApp us a photo of the wall and where you want the bar. We give a price range before anyone comes, agree the final price before work starts, and work island-wide, 24/7. Workmanship is covered for 1 week to 1 month depending on the job.