Sassa administers many different grants, one of them being the Child Support Grant. This grant offers relief to disadvantaged parents who require financial help taking care for their children.
The grant helps these parents from lower-income households to provide their children with their basic needs.
You will get R500 a month per child. For those caring for orphaned children, they will be allowed to request a top-up of R250 to be added to their monthly R500. This will amount to a total R750 a month.
Who can apply?
- A primary caregiver who is responsible for the child and is a South African citizen or Permanent Resident
- Applicant and child should reside in South Africa
- Caregiver must not earn more than R5 000 per month if single. If married, the total household income should not be more than R10 000
What are the requirements for the child?
- Must be younger than 18 years old
- Not be in the care of a state institution
- Live with the primary caregiver in South Africa who isn't paid to look after the child
- You can’t get the grant for more than 6 children who aren’t your legally adopted or biological children
How can I apply?
You can apply for the child support grant by filling in an application form at your nearest Sassa Office or counter service point of a Regional Office.
You can also apply using the SASSA services website and clicking on 'Apply for a grant'.
You'll also need to show certain documents and provide some information, including:
- your South African identity document (ID), which must be bar-coded,
- the child's birth certificate, which must have an ID number,
- your salary slip, bank statements for 3 months, or pension slips, and any other proof of income,
- if you’re unemployed, your Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) card – "blue book" – or a discharge certificate from your previous employer,
- if you’re not the child's parent or guardian, a written note of permission from the parent or guardian that you should take care of the child,
- if you’re not the child's parent or guardian, information about how you’ve tried to get the parents to pay maintenance,
- information that shows that you’re the child's primary caregiver.
The child support grant is a key income support for many families. This grant is also complemented by other services such as free education, school feeding programs and affordable health services.
The government of South Africa aims to universalize the grant to cover all children in the country and contribute to improving the income security of all of South Africa's children.
You can call SASSA at at 0800 601 011 for more information or visit the SASSA website.
