SASSA Requirements: Apply For SASSA Grant

SASSA is responsible for paying social assistance grants to people who are not able to support themselves. They offer a variety of grants to people in need and each has it’s own requirements. Below you can find a list of the SASSA requirements for the different groups.

You can also take a look at our previous article where we wrote about the SASSA Payments.

Child Support Grant Application Requirements

Purpose 

The Child Support Grant (CSG) is aimed at lower-income households to assist with the costs of basic needs of children. It is not intended to replace other income, but rather to bridge the gap in the cost of living.

Eligibility

Primary caregiver of a child (parent, grandparent, or whoever in mainly responsible for looking after the child)

From April 2021, children aged above 16 who head child-headed households will also be eligible for the grant. 

SA citizen or Permanent Resident

Criteria

For the child:

• Must be under 18 years old
• Must not be in the care of a state institution
• Must live with the primary caregiver, who is not paid to look after the child

For the caregiver:

• You and the child must both live in South Africa
• If you are not the parent, you will need to prove that you are the primary caregiver (an affidavit from the parent or a police official, a report from a social worker or a letter from the principal of the child’s school)
• You will not get a grant if
  • You are being paid to look after the child
  • You are not the primary caregiver
  • Someone else is already getting a grant for the child
  • You represent an institution that takes care of the child
  • You are applying for more than 6 children who are not your legally adopted or biological children

Means test: 

Earning less than R52 800 pa (if single) or R105,600 pa (combined income if married)

Current grant amount

R450 per month

Documents required

• Identification
• If you are divorced, the court order saying that you have custody of the child.
• Proof that you are primary caregiver if you are not the parent
  • An affidavit from the parent or a police official, a report from a social worker or a letter from the principal of the child’s school 
  • If one or both parents are dead or missing, the death certificate of the deceased or proof that the parent is missing, e.g. a missing person’s report from the police.
• Proof of income
  • This includes any maintenance you receive for the child

Foster Child Grant

Purpose 

The Foster Child Grant is for those who have been given custody of children who have been orphaned, abandoned, abused, neglected or are otherwise at risk.

Eligibility

SA Citizen, permanent resident, or refugee

Criteria

• You are given custody by a court order
• You and the child reside in South Africa
• Child is younger than 18

Current grant amount

R1 040

Documents required

• Identification
• Court order that placed the child in your care

Special conditions for a Foster Care grant

• Contact a social worker from the nearest Dept of Social Development office for assistance to apply for a court order confirming foster parent status (you cannot apply for a Foster Child grant without a court order)
• The date of payment is from the date of the court order
• A Foster Care grant is reviewed every 2 years when the court order expires

Note: These conditions have led to massive backlogs in the court system based partly on the lack of capacity of the Department of Social Development to provide sufficient numbers of Social Workers to deal with applications and reviews. This is one of the reasons for the change in legislation to allow family members who have taken in orphaned children to apply directly for a top-up to the Child Grant, rather than wait for a court order.

Care Dependency Grant

Purpose

The Care Dependency Grant is income support for caregivers providing permanent care to children with severe mental or physical disabilities

Eligibility

Parent, primary care-giver or foster parent appointed by the court

SA Citizen, permanent resident, or refugee

Criteria

• Both applicant and child must be resident in South Africa
• Covers a child from birth to the age of 18 years
• A medical/assessment report confirming permanent, severe disability
• The care-dependent child/children must not be permanently cared for in a State Institution

Current grant amount

R1 860

Means test

Not earn more than R223 200 pa (if single) or combined income not above R446 400 pa (if married)

Note: The income of foster parents will not be taken into account

Required documents to apply for the Care Dependency Grant

• Identification
• Proof of address
• Proof of spousal relationship
• Proof of income
• Medical assessment
  • Medical assessment confirming that the child requires and receives permanent care or support services due to physical or mental disability

Lapsing of the Care Dependency Grant

The grant will lapse in any one of the following circumstances:

• On the last day of the month in which the care dependent child has died
• On the last day of the month in which the care dependent child reaches the age of 18
• On the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the care dependent child was admitted to an institution funded by the state (ie, the grant will continue for the first 6 months of the child being in the institution)
• If you or the child are no longer refugees

Disability Grant

Purpose 

The Disability Grant is for those who have severe physical or mental disability that makes them unfit to work and unable to support themselves.

Eligibility

SA Citizen, permanent resident, or refugee

Types of Disability Grant:

• Temporary Disability Grant, for those whose disability will last for a continuous period of between 6 and 12 months, and will be paid for a maximum period of 12 months
• Permanent Disability Grant, for those whose disability is permanent. It may not be paid for life, but it will extend for more than 12 months

Criteria

• Ages 18 to 59 years old
• Resident in South Africa
• Medical assessment/report confirming temporary or permanent severe disability – this report not older than 3 months at date of application
• Not being cared for in a state institution
• Not receiving another social grant

Current grant amount

R1 860 per month

Means test

Earning less than R86 280 pa (if single) or R172 560 pa (combined income if married)

Assets not more than R1 227 600 (if single) or R2 455 200 (if married)

Documents required

• Identification
• Marital status (if applicable)
• Proof of residence
• Proof of disability
  • Medical report and functional assessment report from a medical practitioner recognised by SASSA
  • This report is also required if you want to reapply for a grant that has lapsed
• Proof of income

(Note: For children under 18 requiring permanent care due to disability, see the Care Dependency Grant)

SASSA Pension Requirements

Purpose 

The Older Person’s Grant – also known as the state old-age pension – is a monthly income for those 60 years or older with no other means of financial income. This grant is meant to help older residents cope financially during their old age. Let’s take a look at the SASSA requirements for old age pension.

Eligibility

SA Citizens, permanent residents, and refugees 

Criteria

• 60 years and older
• Not living in a state institution
• Not receiving another social grant
• Must live in South Africa

Means test

Earning less than R86 280 pa (if single) or R172 560 pa (combined income if married)

Assets not more than R1 227 600 (if single) or R2 455 200 (if married)

Current grant amount

The grant is paid on a sliding scale, depending on other income of the applicant. The current maximum is R1 860. 

Persons over 75 are paid R20 more, with a maximum of R1 880.

Documents required

• Identification
• Marital status 
• Proof of residence
• Proof of income
  • Include proof of income of dependent children
• Proof of assets

Special notes on Older Persons grant

• The value of any property owned is required for record purposes. However, if you live in the property you own, it will not affect the means test.

• If you are admitted to an institution that has a contract with the state to care for you, the social grant is reduced to 25% of the maximum amount of the grant. This will start from the fourth month following your admission to that institution. The reduced grant is re-instated immediately from the date you are discharged from the institution.

• The grant will lapse six months after the date you have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, if you remain in the hospital.

War Veterans Grant

Purpose 

The War Veteran’s grant is for those who fought in the First or Second World Wars or the Korean War (1950 – 1953) and are unable to support themselves.

Eligibility

South African resident or permanent resident

Criteria

• Be 60 years of age or older or be disabled 
• Have fought in one of the World Wars or the Korean War
• Must live in South Africa
• Not receive any other social grant for yourself  
• Not be cared for in a state institution

Current grant amount

Maximum of R1 880

Means test

• Not earn more than R 86 280 if you are single or R172 560 if married
• Not have assets worth more than R 1 227 600 if you are single or R 2 455 200 if you are married. 

Special notes for the War Veterans Grant

• If you live in the house that you or your spouse own, the value is not taken into account for the purpose of the means test.

• If you are admitted to an institution that has a contract with the state to care for you, the social grant is reduced to 25% of the maximum amount of the grant. This will start from the fourth month following your admission to that institution. The reduced grant is re-instated immediately from the date you are discharged from the institution.

Documents required

• Identification
• Marital status
• Proof of war service (eg certificate of service)
• Medical assessment if you are under 60
  • Medical report stating that you cannot work
• Proof of income
• Proof of assets

Grant-In-Aid

Purpose 

The Grant-in-Aid is for those who already have a social grant, but cannot look after themselves. It is a grant to pay the person who takes full-time care of you.

Eligibility

Criteria

• Already get a Disability, War Veteran’s grant or Older Persons grant
• Need full-time care from someone else as you are not able to look after yourself owing to physical or mental disability
• Not in an institution that receives a subsidy from the government for your care or housing.

Current grant amount

R450

Documents required

• Identification
• Proof of marital status
• Medical report or assessment report (less than three months old) that shows that you need full-time care

Special conditions for a Grant-in-Aid

• The grant will be paid together with your other social grant
• The grant will be reviewed when the grant to which it is attached is reviewed

Social Relief of Distress

Purpose:

Social Relief of Distress is a temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such dire material need that they are unable to meet their or their families’ most basic needs.

Eligibility: 

SA citizens or permanent residents.

Note: The COVID-related SRD Grant for 2020 was extended to asylum seekers and special permit holders.

Criteria:

The applicant is in dire need and meets one or more of the following criteria:

• The applicant is awaiting payment of an approved social grant.
• The applicant has been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of less than 6 months.
• The breadwinner is deceased and application is made within three months of the date of death.
• No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful.
• The breadwinner has been admitted to an institution funded by the state (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment centre for substance abuse or child and youth care centre).
• The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defined in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978.
• The person is not receiving assistance from any other organization, or
• Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will cause undue hardships.

Special Notes: 

• SRD may be in the form of food parcels, a voucher to buy food, or cash
• SRD payments are made for a maximum of 3 months only, with an additional 3 months in exceptional cases.
• You may not receive both a social grant and an SRD at the same time. If you have done so, the amount paid for SRD will be deducted from the social grant.
• However, in the event of a disaster, if a person received both grants, the SRD does not have to be repaid. 

Current grant amount

The amount depends on the circumstances. 

During 2020, a R350 per month SRD Grant was paid to approximately 7 million people as a response to the COVID pandemic. It was originally awarded for 6 months and then extended for another 3 months to the end of January 2021. There is pressure on Government to extend the period again. 

Applicants can check the status of their applications, lodge appeals and check their balances:

• Online: srd.sassa.gov.za or 
• Email:  srd@sassa.gov.za
• WhatsApp:  082 046 8553
• USSD:  *134*7737#

Documents required

• Identification
• Marital status (if applicable)
• Proof of residence
• Depending on your circumstances, proof 
  • That you have applied for a grant
  • That you have tried to get maintenance
  • That you have no other support / no income
  • That you have a short-term medical disability
• Proof of assets

How long does it take to get an SRD grant?

Applications are processed immediately, and even if your application has not been assessed for credibility, you may receive your first month’s payment or allocation of food.

Make sure all documents have been submitted to ensure that you receive the next 2 months’ payments.

If your circumstances have not changed after 3 months, you can apply for an extension of 3 months.

Disclaimer

The information you can find here is taken from the official SASSA website. However, this information can be changed by SASSA. For the most up to date information, please go to the SASSA website

SASSA offices and contact details