The Department of Social Development said it is not feasible to increase the Older Persons Grant, or “Sassa pension,” to R5,000.
In 2024, United South Africa (USA) Leader Riyad Isaacs handed in a petition to the Minister of Social Development on behalf of more than 50,000 Western Cape Pensioners calling for the grant to be increased.
Isaacs also penned an open letter earlier this year to the DSD Minister and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana detailing the struggles pensioners face monthly. He explained that entire families often rely on one social grant and have to choose between paying rent or purchasing food.
The DSD says that while sympathising with elderly people, an R5,000 Sassa pension is not feasible.
Approximately 19 million people currently receive social grants. An allocation of R284.7 billion is available to pay social grants for the 2025/26 financial year.
Older persons make up 4.1 million of the current Sassa beneficiaries and receive a grant payment amount of R2,315 per month for individuals aged 60-74, and R2,330 for those aged 75 and over.
The DSD said that if the government were to increase the pensioners' grant to R5,000 a month for the 4.1 million beneficiaries, it would cost the government R246 billion, which would be almost the current budget for paying grants.
DSD Defends Older Persons Grant Value
The DSD says over the past decade, the Older Person's Grant has seen a consistent increase in value, rising from R1,350.00 in 2014 to R2,310 in April 2025, with a further scheduled increase to R2,320 in October 2025.The grant also holds the second-largest budget allocation among social grants and provides the highest individual payment.
They said that while the government aims for annual inflation-linked increases for all social grants, fiscal constraints have sometimes resulted in below-inflation adjustments. However, they add that the value of the Older Person's Grant has consistently remained above the Food Poverty Line, the Lower Bound Poverty Line, and the Upper Bound Poverty Line for the past seven years.
South Africa also employs a developmental social welfare approach, focusing on support for individuals, families, and communities. In addition to financial aid, vulnerable older persons receive subsidised basic services, including shelter, water, sanitation, and energy for poor households, as well as subsidised primary healthcare.
