The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) officially increased the value of grants on 1 October 2023. This will come as welcomed news to more than 18 million grant beneficiaries who rely on grants to survive every month.
Almost all of the grants distributed by Sassa will be increased. However, the R350 grant and the Child Support Grant Top-Up will not be increased this month.
Which Sassa Grants Are Being Increased?
Sassa permanent grants including the Older person grants, disability grants, child support grants, foster child grants, war veterans grants and care dependency will all be increased by R10.
This means that the value of the Old age grant, Care Dependency grant, and Disability grant will rise to R2090, while the War Veterans Grant will see an increase to R2110.
Additionally, the Foster Child Grant will be adjusted to R1130, and the Child Support Grant along with the Grant-in-Aid will stand at R510.
The Finance Minister had initially announced these Sassa grant increases during the Budget Speech in February. The increasing number of grant beneficiaries and an upward adjustment in grant values means that government spending on grants will grow from R233 billion to R248.4 billion.
What About A R350 Grant Increase?
The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant commonly referred to as the R350 grant will not be increased in October 2023.
According to the Department of Social Development, the lack of an increase is due to "fiscal constraints." Despite the department's request to the National Treasury for an increase, it was not favourably considered due to these fiscal constraints.
Both the Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, and Brenda Sibeko, the Deputy Director-General at the department, have expressed their desire for an increase in the SRD grant. However, there has been no official confirmation of a grant increase, and it currently remains at the value of R350 per month.
If you want to check on your grant payment information this can be done via the Sassa official website. We also have information on grant payment dates for 2023 on the Skills Portal website.
Sassa Grant Payment Dates for October 2023
October 2023 grant payments will be paid from Tuesday, 3 October 2023 starting with the older persons' grants. Here is the Sassa grant payment schedule for October:
- Older Persons Grant - October 3, 2023
- Disability Grant - October 4, 2023
- Children's Grants - October 5, 2023
R350 Grant Payment Dates For October 2023
For a large portion of 2022 and 2023, the R350 grant did not have a fixed payment date. However, Sassa now reveals when R350 grants will be paid.
R350 grant payments for October will follow the agency's standard payment schedule, occurring towards the end of every month. Grants will be paid from 25 October 2023 and final payments will be made on 31 October 2023.
It's important to note that R350 grants will take approximately 2-3 working days to reflect in the SRD grant beneficiaries’ bank account after the payment is processed by Sassa.
Sassa conducts various verification checks to ensure grant applicants meet the qualifying criteria before processing payments. The October 2023 SRD grant payment period is set from October 25, 2023, to October 31, 2023. Grant recipients are reminded that it typically takes approximately 2-3 working days for funds to appear in their bank accounts after processing.
Where To Collect Your October 2023 Sassa Grant
Grant beneficiaries have various options for collecting their grants, including ATMs, retail stores, Post Office branches, and mobile cash pay points.
SASSA payments like the SRD grant and Child Support Grant are made in various ways. They can be paid through a bank account, through your SASSA card, through a Post Office or through CashSend. Your SASSA grant is there to assist you with your basic needs.
For more information on Sassa grants, including the R350 grant, please visit our dedicated Sassa section.
Sassa Contact Details
Do you want to contact the South African Social Security Agency? If you're trying to find the SASSA contact number or SASSA contact details for SASSA grant enquiries, or the SASSA website or SASSA Twitter, click here.
What is Sassa?
Sassa is the short name for the South African Social Security Agency which manages grants and allowances for grant recipients in South African society needing financial assistance. They fall under the Social Development Department and the law covering them is the Social Assistance Act.
The current Social Development Minister in the South African government is Lindiwe Zulu. This includes grants for children (The Child Support Grant), the older persons grants and disability grants. SASSA also manages the R350 SRD Grant which is more formally known as the Special Relief of Distress Grant.
These Sassa grants are there to provide for individuals who are at increased risk of poverty. To qualify for a grant, applicants go through a comprehensive review.
