The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) social grants programme provides critical, recurring financial assistance to millions of vulnerable South Africans across the 2026/2027 fiscal year. The programme targets children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, foster caregivers, and unemployed individuals in dire material need, ensuring they can meet basic living costs including food, medicine, transport, and housing.
About the SASSA Social Grants Program
SASSA is a national agency created to administer and distribute social grants on behalf of the Department of Social Development. Operating under the Social Assistance Act, the agency manages a portfolio of permanent and temporary grants designed to reduce poverty and provide a financial safety net for South Africa’s most vulnerable populations.
Grant Values
- Older Persons Grant: R2,400 per month
- War Veterans Grant: R2,420 per month
- Disability Grant: R2,400 per month
- Foster Child Grant: R1,295 per month
- Care Dependency Grant: R2,400 per month
- Child Support Grant: R580 per month
- Grant-in-Aid: R580 per month
- Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant: R370 per month (unchanged, extended until 31 March 2027)
Who Can Apply
To qualify, applicants must be South African citizens, permanent residents, or recognised refugees residing in South Africa. Applicants cannot be in receipt of another social grant for themselves (with the exception of the Grant-in-Aid top-up), and cannot receive UIF or NSFAS benefits simultaneously. Eligibility varies by grant type:
- Older Persons Grant: Applicants must be 60 years and above, meet a means test based on income and assets, and reside in South Africa.
- Disability Grant: Applicants must undergo a medical assessment confirming that they are unable to earn income through employment.
- Child Support Grant: Available to caregivers of children under the age of 18 who meet prescribed income limits.
- Foster Child Grant: Provided to caregivers legally appointed by a court to care for a foster child.
- Care Dependency Grant: Designed for parents or caregivers of children with severe disabilities who require full-time, special care at home.
- Grant-in-Aid: For recipients of the Older Persons, Disability, or War Veterans grants who need full-time home care due to severe physical or mental impairment.
- SRD Grant: Provides R370 per month to unemployed South Africans between the ages of 18 and 59 who have no other source of income, with a monthly income threshold of R624.
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The Means Test
SASSA evaluates applicants’ income and assets through a process known as the Means Test. The primary residence is generally exempt from asset calculations. Applicants must not earn above the prescribed income threshold for the grant type sought.
Geographic Eligibility
- South Africa only
- Applicants must reside within the country at the time of application and payment
Sector or Thematic Focus
- Poverty reduction and income support for elderly citizens
- Financial assistance for children in low-income households
- Support for persons with physical or mental disabilities
- Emergency temporary relief for unemployed adults (SRD)
- Supplementary care support for full-time home caregivers
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Application Process
For standard grants (Older Persons, Disability, Child Support, etc.), applicants must visit their nearest SASSA regional office or designated community pay-point. A SASSA officer will conduct an interview and complete the application form. Upon submission, the officer must provide a stamped receipt with a reference number.
The SRD grant is applied for online only through the official portal at srd.sassa.gov.za. No in-person applications are accepted for this grant. Applicants may also apply via WhatsApp or USSD (1347737#) at no charge.
Required Documents
- Valid South African ID (13-digit green ID book or smart card), or refugee/asylum permit
- Proof of residence
- Proof of income and bank statements (last three months)
- For Disability/Care Dependency: completed medical assessment from a registered doctor
- For Foster Child: valid court order confirming foster care placement
- For Child Support: birth certificate of the child
- All copies must be certified by SAPS or a Commissioner of Oaths, with the certification stamp not older than three months
Payment Dates (2026/2027)
Grants are paid as early in the month as possible, staggered over three days. In most months, the Older Persons Grant is paid on the 2nd, the Disability Grant on the 3rd, and Children’s grants on the 4th of each month. If a payment date falls on a weekend or public holiday, the grant will be paid on the next working day.
Selection and Verification Notes
- National Treasury has made SASSA’s funding conditional on improving biometric and income verification processes and conducting more frequent eligibility reviews
- The SRD grant is reassessed every month — eligibility is checked automatically before each payment cycle, meaning an applicant can be approved one month and declined the next if circumstances change
- SASSA verifies citizenship directly against the Home Affairs database
- Processing time for most applications is 30 to 90 days
- All SASSA applications are 100% free — no fees are charged at any stage