South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is a government agency established in 2005 to give out social grants to South Africans who need them the most. SASSA works on behalf of the Department of Social Development to roll out a host of grants. SASSA grants are divided into permanent and temporary grants. While some people can receive both types, others are only eligible for one type of grant for SASA payout.
SASSA Payout Date
SASSA can take up to 90 days to process your application for a grant, after which you will start getting paid from the day you apply. If your application is not approved, SASSA will send you a message with the reasons. You can appeal to the Minister of Social Development within 90 days of being notified of your unsuccessful application.
Here is a list of permanent grants and their eligibility criteria.
Older Persons Grant
- You must be more than 60 years old
- You should not be the recipient of any social grant.
- You have to submit a 13-digit bar-coded identity document
- You must be a South African citizen, a refugee, or a Permanent resident
- If you have a partner, both of you have to comply with the means test
- A government institution should not be caring for or responsible for your maintenance.
Disability Grant
- You should be a South African citizen, a refugee, or a Permanent resident living in the country.
- Between the ages of 18 to 59 years
- Not be the recipient of another social grant.
- Submit a medical/assessment report confirming the permanent severe disability; the assessment has to be less than three months old.
- You are not in the care or maintenance of a government institution.
- If you have a spouse, both of you must meet the means test requirements.
Care Dependency Grant
- Be a South African citizen, refugee, or permanent resident.
- The dependent has to be under 18 years old.
- You and the child need to be currently residing in South Africa.
- Except you are a foster parent, you and your spouse (if you have one) have to meet the eligibility criteria of the means test.
- Submit a medical/assessment report that confirms permanent severe disability.
- A government institution should not be responsible for the care-dependent child.
Foster Child Grant
- You must be a South African national, permanent resident, or refugee
- You must be a foster parent, and the child(ren) has to remain in your care
- You and the child(ren) must be residing in South Africa
Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant
The COVID-19 pandemic caused lockdowns in South Africa and unemployment and made life difficult for a lot of people. That is why SASSA now pays out the Special COVID-19 grant to assist South Africans who are in dire need of financial assistance.
- You must be a South African national or a permanent resident
- You must be living in the country
- You must be without work
- You must be above the age of 18
Grant-In-Aid
- You must be receiving the Older person grant, which means you are over 60 years old
- You must be receiving a War Veteran or Disability grant
- You must require full-time aid from another person because of mental or physical disabilities.
- An institution receiving government subsidies for housing and care should not be responsible for your care.
Social Relief of Distress Grant
- You must be a South African national or a permanent resident
- You are not receiving any form of aid from an organization
- You are waiting for another social grant that the government of South Africa has approved
- The application for aid is made within three months of the breadwinner’s passing
- Your family’s breadwinner is admitted to a state-funded institution
- Medical personnel has declared you unfit to perform paid work for less than half a year.
- One or more disasters defined in the Fund Raising Act or Disaster Act of 1978 have affected you.
War Veterans Grant
- You must be a South African national or permanent resident and currently residing in the country.
- You must be more than 60 years old or be disabled.
- You should not be the recipient of any social grant
- If you have a spouse, both of you have to meet means test requirements
- You should have fought in the Korean War or the Second World War
- You should not be cared for or maintained in a government institution
Sassa r350 payout date
The South African government has reinstated the temporary monthly financial aid of R350, and SASSA will be responsible for its distribution. It is to support people who cannot fend for themselves, and it will end in March 2023. This aid is known as the Social Relief of Distress Grant. The government stopped rolling out the grant earlier this year but has decided to bring it back and let more people receive it.
Henceforth, unemployed caregivers who are receiving the Child Support Grant can also apply for this grant. This grant is temporary, and there is no specific date for the SASSA payout. SASSA will contact current recipients of this grant through text to inform them of the payment date. Furthermore, SASSA will calculate the sum of the months that they owe you and payout when the time is right. However, new applicants should not expect any back payment because SASSA starts distributing this grant from the month they apply.
Applicants must meet these eligibility criteria to apply:
- You need to be a South African national, a refugee who is registered at Home Affairs, or a permanent resident.
- Currently living in South Africa
- Over 18 years
- You should be unemployed and without a source of income
- Not receiving NSFAS stipend unemployment insurance benefit
- You should not be living in an institution receiving a government subsidy or one that the government is funding
- You should not be receiving any form of government COVID-19 response support or any social grant
SASSA requires certain information from applicants, and here is an outline of those requirements:
- Your name and surname as they appear on your ID and your initials
- Your ID number
- Your cellphone number
- Your gender and specific disability
- Your bank name and bank account number
- Proof of your residential address in South Africa
Sassa payment and dates
The following are the SASSA payment and dates for permanent grants.
- SASSA will start paying Older People’s grants from the 03rd of August 2021. It also includes any grants that are linked to the accounts.
- SASSA will pay out Disability grants from the 04th of August 2021, and it includes any grants linked to the accounts.
- SASSA will start paying out other grants, such as the Foster Child Grant and War Veteran’s Grant, from the 05th of August 2021.
The aforementioned SASSA payout and payment dates are when SASSA will start payment, but it doesn’t mean the payments will stop rolling out after that day. It is not compulsory to withdraw money on the payout day because once the money enters a person’s account, that’s where it stays. Additionally, rushing to collect money on the same day causes congestion which is unhealthy, especially now that the country is still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Grant suspension and lapse
Your grant can be suspended under the following conditions:
- If you lie about your income/status or misrepresent yourself
- If your financial or other circumstances change
- If there was an error during your grant approval
- Based on the outcome of a review
- If you do not cooperate during your grant review
Your grant can lapse under the following conditions
- If you are admitted into a state institution
- If you die
- If you relocate to another country
- If you do not collect your grant for three months in a stretch
If you have any inquiries, reach the SASSA office through any of the following:
Physical office: SASSA House, 501 Prodinsa Building, Cnr Steve Biko & Pretorius Streets, Pretoria
Tel: 012 400 2000 / 0800 601 011
Website: www.sassa.gov.za
Postal: Private Bag X55662, Arcadia, 0083
Fax: 012 400 2257
