Retirement age to go up to 57 for Home Team uniformed officers

Move from Jan will allow MHA to better meet its manpower needs: Shanmugam

- Wong Shiying and Kyleen Cabael

The retirement age for Home Team uniformed officers like the police will be raised from 56 to 57 from Jan 1, 2025.

This will allow the Ministry of Home Affairs to better meet its manpower needs and tap the experience of more mature officers, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on May 24 at Orchard Hotel.

He was speaking at the Home Team Promotion Ceremony, which recognised 332 officers promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel or superintendent and above, and the equivalent grades in other schemes.

The extended retirement age means that 14,000 uniformed officers who turn 56 on or after Jan 1, 2025, can continue working in their roles for another year. This applies to officers in the Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Prison Service.

These officers retire earlier rather than at the national retirement age which is currently 63 - to take into consideration the fitness and operational needs of their jobs.

The retirement age for Home Team uniformed officers was raised from 55 to 56 in 2021, and will be gradually increased to 58 by 2030.

Their retirement age does not come under the Retirement and Re-employment Act.