The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) supports approximately 19 million social grants to vulnerable people living in South Africa monthly. This is in addition to the 8 million Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant beneficiaries.
This guide equips you with everything you need to know about eligibility requirements for Sassa grants, the grant application process and how grant payments work.
Sassa distributes several different permanent grants to people living in South Africa. These include the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.
Applying for a Permanent Social Grant
Visit Your Local Sassa Branch
You can apply for a grant in person at your nearest Sassa office. Staff there will assist you with the application process. If you cannot visit due to illness or age, you can designate someone to apply on your behalf.
Online Sassa Application (for Child Support, Older Persons, and Disability Grants)
- Visit the Sassa Services Portal
- Register for a new user account.
- Log in with your new credentials.
- Click "Apply For A Grant."
- Select the specific grant you're applying for.
- Fill out the application form completely.
- Print and have a Commissioner of Oaths certify the Sassa-generated affidavit.
- Print, sign, and submit the Bank Payment form along with the certified affidavit.
- Upload all required supporting documents in PDF format.
- Submit your application. You'll receive confirmation via email or SMS with a reference number for tracking purposes.
Sassa Eligibility Determination
Thresholds (as of 1 October 2023)
To qualify for certain grants, your assets and annual income must fall below established thresholds.
Asset Thresholds
- Single person: R1,247,400 (Older Persons, Disability, War Veterans Grants)
- Married couple: R 2,494,800 (Older Persons, Disability, War Veterans Grants)
- Single parent/primary caregiver: R 226,800 (Care Dependency Grant)
- Married parent/primary caregiver: R 453,600 (Care Dependency Grant)
Income Thresholds
- Single person: R 87,720 (Older Persons, Disability, War Veterans Grants)
- Married couple: R175,440 (Older Persons, Disability, War Veterans Grants)
- Single person: R 55,200 (Child Support Grant)
- Married couple: R 110,400 (Child Support Grant)
It's important to note that means tests do not apply to the Foster child grant and the Care-dependency grant. For the Care-dependency grant, the asset threshold for a single parent or primary caregiver is R 226,800, and for a married parent or primary caregiver, it is R 453,600.
These thresholds signify the maximum asset value for eligibility for the Care-dependency grant, irrespective of means testing.
