For the thousands of South Africans who want to apply for a SASSA grant, many questions will go unanswered, and trying to get answers from SASSA officials can be more challenging. Therefore, this SASSA FAQ should help answer all of your most pressing questions regarding grants.
SASSA FAQ: All Your Questions Answered About SASSA Grants
How Do I Apply for a SASSA Grant?
To apply for a SASSA grant, you need to visit your local SASSA office with all the necessary supporting documentation. If you are too sickly, you can ask a family member to sign up on your behalf or request a home visit; however, this is likely to delay the process.
To know what supporting documents you need, you need to know which SASSA grant you’re applying to receive. In most instances, you will need to provide ID for yourself or whomever you’re completing the application on behalf of, proof of income, and affidavits or proof to substantiate any claims, i.e. disability, etc.
Note: The only SASSA grant you can apply for online is the Social Relief of Distress Grant.
How Long Does It Take for My SASSA Grant Application to Be Approved?
SASSA grants are typically processed within 90 days (three months). If your application is approved, you will receive the backdated grant money for the months after you first made your application to the month when your application was approved. If it is denied, SASSA will inform you of the reason for the denial.
What Must I Do if My SASSA Grant Application is Declined?
If your application is declined, SASSA will send you the reason in writing. If you disagree with their reasoning, you will need to appeal within 90 days to the Minister of Social Development at the national Department of Social Development.
How Will My SASSA Grant Be Paid?
If your application is approved, you will receive your grant in one of two ways:
Cash: You can receive your grant via cash at pay points at retailers, the post office, and SASSA officers on dedicated SASSA payment days. You can also receive it in cash at an institution like an old age home.
Bank Transfer: SASSA can also deposit the money into your bank account or SASSA card on dedicated SASSA payment days.
How Long Will SASSA Pay The Grant After I’m Approved?
Just because your SASSA grant is approved, this doesn’t mean you will receive the grant indefinitely. If you are a recipient of the child support or child care dependency grant, you will no longer receive the grant once the child turns 19.
However, with other grants, you can receive them until you die or you no longer meet the eligibility criteria.
SASSA may also review your grant, which could lead to stopping receiving the grant. If they decide to assess your grant status, you will receive three months’ notice to either provide proof of income or proof that you are still alive. If you receive your money through a bank or institution, you will be required to visit a SASSA office to complete a proof of life certificate for yourself or the child for whom you receive the grant once a year.
Furthermore, your grant may be suspended if:
- You don’t comply with the grant review process.
- SASSA determines the grant was incorrectly or improperly awarded.
- The grant recipient’s circumstances change.
- You were found to provide fraudulent or misleading information in your application.
- The review outcome determines you are no longer eligible to receive a grant.
Can I Apply for a SASSA Grant Online?
Using the SASSA Services portal, you can apply for the following grants online:
- Older Persons Grant
- Child Support Grant
- Foster Child Grant
When you’re on the SASSA Services portal, you can use the navigation menu on the left side of the screen, click on “Apply for a Grant,” and select the grant you wish to apply to receive.
The website will prompt you to log in. If you don’t have an account, select “If you do not have an account, register one here” and enter your details.
This is a new feature, so be sure to contact SASSA if you need any assistance.
Am I Eligible for a Child Support Grant?
Raising a child in South Africa is costly, which is why the government has introduced a Child Support Grant. The grant is not meant to replace the income from a job, but rather to supplement income shortfalls, so parents and guardians can take adequate care of the child. However, many parents and legal guardians aren’t aware if they qualify for the grant. To qualify for a child support grant, you must:
- Be the primary caregiver of the child (a parent, legal guardian, child-headed household where the child heading the household is over 16 years old, or grandparent)
- Earn less than R52 800 a year if you are single or R105 600 if you are married.
- Be caring for a child under the age of 18 and not being cared for in a state institution.
- Live in South Africa.
How Do I Apply for a Child Support Grant?
Visit your local SASSA office with your ID and the child’s birth certificate.
Note: If you don’t have the child’s birth certificate, you can provide proof you’ve applied for a birth certificate, an affidavit from a councillor, traditional leader, social worker, minister of religion who knows the child, and if you have a baptism certificate, road to health card, and school report.
You will also need to provide proof of child maintenance (if you receive it), proof of income and proof of custody (if you are divorced).
When you are at the SASSA office, you need to complete the application form in front of the official. After handing over the application form, you will be given a receipt. Keep this receipt as proof that you’ve applied.
Can I Apply for an Older Persons Grant?
The government provides an old-age pension to eligible South Africans over 60 years old. Besides being over 60, to be eligible, you must:
- Be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
- Reside in South Africa.
- Not be receiving any other grant for yourself (i.e. war veteran’s grant or disability grant).
- Earn less than R86 280 if you are not married and R172 560 if you are married.
- Have assets of a total cumulative value of less than R1 227 600 if you are not married and R2 455 200 if you are married.
- Not be receiving care in a government institution.
If you meet these criteria, you can apply for the old persons grant at your local SASSA office. Remember to bring along all supporting documentation.
What Supporting Documents Do I Need to Apply for an Older Person Grant?
To get the older person grant, you need to provide specific documents when visiting the SASSA office; these include:
- 13-digit barcoded ID
- Proof of residence
- Last three months’ bank statements
- Proof of your assets, which must include the value of the property
- Proof of income, including dividends (if you receive any)
- (If you are married) Proof of your marital status
- (If your spouse has died in the last five years) A copy of their will and the liquidation and distribution accounts
Failing to provide these documents will mean that your application is delayed or declined.
What is a Care Dependency Grant, and How Do I Apply?
A care dependency grant is given to the full-time caretakers (parents, legal guardians, or grandparents) of children with a severe disability that requires full-time care and attention. As of 2022, recipients of this grant receive R1890 a month.
If you are the caregiver of such a child, follow the process below to apply for the grant.
Step 1: Determine if you’re Eligible.
To apply for a care dependency grant, you need to meet the following criteria:
- Be the parent, foster parent (appointed by the court), or primary caregiver of the child.
- (If you are not a foster parent) Earn less than R223 200 if you are single and R446 400 if you are married.
- Reside in South Africa as a South African Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Be caring for a child younger than 18 years old.
- Be caring for a child with a severe disability that requires full-time and special attention.
- Not have the child cared for full-time in government institutions.
Step 2: Visit Your Local SASSA Office
If you meet these criteria, visit your local SASSA office.
Step 3: Provide Supporting Documentation
When you’re at your local SASSA office, be sure you have the necessary documentation, which includes:
- Your 13-digit barcoded South African ID and birth certificate of the child, or other acceptable proof of identity.
- A medical report confirming the child’s disability.
- Proof of your marital status and proof of income.
- (If you are a single parent) Proof you’ve tried attaining maintenance from the other parent.
- (If you are not the child’s biological parent) Proof you are the primary caregiver.
- (If you are unemployed) Proof of unemployment.
What is a Grant in Aid Grant, and How Do I Apply?
If you already receiving a grant but need someone to take care of you, you can receive a grant in aid grant to pay the person who cares for you. Currently, this amount is R460.
To apply for this grant, you need to ensure you are eligible and then provide some supporting documents to substantiate your request.
Eligibility:
- Be receiving an older person, war veteran, or disability grant.
- Be unable to take care of yourself because of a mental or physical disability.
- Not reside in a government or government-subsidised institution that receives a subsidy for your care and housing.
Documentation:
- Your 13-digit barcoded ID
- Your spouse’s ID in addition to proof of marital status (if applicable).
- A medical report not older than three months confirming you need full-time care.
Am I Eligible for a War Veteran’s Grant?
If you served in the Second World War (1939-1945) or the Korean War (1950-1953), you might be eligible for SASSA’s war veteran’s grant. To apply, you must:
- Have served in the Korean War or Second World War.
- Reside in South Africa as a citizen or permanent resident.
- Not receiving any other grant.
- Not be in the full-time care of a government institute.
- Earn less than R 86 280 if you are single or R172 560 if you are married.
- Have cumulative assets valued at less than R 1 227 600 if you are single or R 2 455 200 if you are married.
How Can I Apply for a Foster Child Grant?
Foster parents can receive a R1050 grant for the children under their care through the foster child grant.
To apply, you need to meet the following qualifying criteria:
- Live in South Africa and be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
- Have been appointed as foster care by a court.
- Be taking care of a child younger than 18 years old.
If you meet the above criteria, you will need to bring the following along with you when you visit your local SASSA office:
- Your 13-digit barcoded ID.
- The child’s birth certificate.
- A court order placing the child under your care.
- Proof of your marital status.
When you apply, you will be given a receipt at the SASSA office, which you need to keep.
How Can I Apply for a Disability Grant?
For those who have a disability that makes them unfit to work for longer than six months, SASSA provides a disability grant.
The disability grant falls into two categories: temporary and permanent.
A temporary disability grant is if your disability will keep you out of work for 6 to 12 months. Whereas a permanent disability grant is if you will be receiving the grant for more than 12 months, but doesn’t mean you will receive it forever.
If you want to apply, you can follow this two-step process:
Step 1: Determine Your Eligibility
To be eligible for a disability grant, you must:
- Reside in South Africa as a citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
- Be between the ages of 18 and 59 years old.
- Earn less than R86 280 if you are single or R172 560 if you are married.
- Have a 13-digit barcoded ID.
- Be willing to undergo an assessment by a state-appointed doctor to assess your disability.
- Not be in the care of a state institution.
Step 2: Visit the SASSA Office
If you meet the qualifying criteria, you will need to visit your SASSA office, where you will need to complete a grant application form in the presence of a SASSA official.
During the visit, give them your 13-digit barcoded ID, a medical report proving your disability, three months’ bank statements, proof of residence, and the proof of assets, including the municipal value of your home.
You will also need to provide a UIF document or a discharge certificate from your previous employer if you were employed.
How Do I Check my SASSA Grant Balance Online?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to check your SASSA grant balance online. But, if you have a SASSA card, you can check your balance by dialling *120*3210# from the number linked to your SASSA card and following the prompts.
Why is My SASSA R350 Declined?
The only reason your SASSA R350 grant application would be declined is if SASSA determines you are ineligible for the grant.
This means SASSA may have identified an alternative income source, recognized you were registered for and are receiving UIF, or they failed to verify your identity.
Why is My SASSA Grant Still Pending?
SASSA can take up to three months to process your application, so if three months haven’t lapsed, your application will likely be pending. If it’s been more than three months, you can contact SASSA offices to determine why your application is pending and if you need to provide any supporting documents.
Also, during the three months, you may want to reach out to SASSA to confirm that they have all the necessary information so your application isn’t unnecessarily delayed.
You can contact them via email at GrantsEnquiries@sassa.gov.za or phone their head office on 0124002322.
How Do I Check My SASSA R350 Grant Status?
The government has extended the SRD grant until March 2024, so if you applied for the grant, you could check your status by adding 082 046 8553 on WhatsApp and following the prompts.
You can also check your R350 grant status online by visiting SASSA’s R350 grant status portal and entering your ID number and phone number.
How Do I Contact SASSA if I Have a Query?
You can either call, email, or visit the SASSA offices for assistance with a query.
Their contact details are as follows:
SASSA Head Office Number: 0800 60 10 11
SASSA Email Address: GrantsEnquiries@sassa.gov.za
List of SASSA Offices: Click Here
Alternatively, you can visit SASSA’s website to see if any of your questions have been answered there.
