Types of SASSA Grants & Amounts for Year 2024

If you are from South Africa, then you might have heard of SASSA which is the short form of The South African Social Security Agency. It was established in 2005 by the South African Government and operates under Department of Social Development (DSD), although it is not directly controlled by the DSD. SASSA’s main role is to distribute various types of SASSA grants to people in need.

In this article, I will tell you about the different types of social grants that SASSA gives, the amount offered for each grant, and the basic criteria for each one. This information will help you understand which SASSA grant you should apply for to support your needs. So, let’s dive deeper into the different types of grants and their amounts and see how they positively impact the lives of millions in our country.

Types of SASSA Grants

SASSA offers eight different types of social grants to South African citizens, refugees, asylum seekers, and special permit holders to help them support their needs. Here are the 8 different grants that SASSA gives:

Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant
Old Age Grant
Disability Grant
Child Support Grant
Foster Child Grant
War Veterans Grant
Care Dependency Grant
Grant-In-Aid

Social Relief of Distress Grant

The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant is a temporary provision for South African citizens, refugees, asylum seekers, and special permit holders who are in dire need of financial assistance and are unable to meet their families’ basic needs. This grant was introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide immediate, short-term relief to those affected by the crisis. SASSA is continuing this grant, which has been extended until March 2025.

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a citizen of South Africa, permanent resident, or refugee registered on the Home Affairs system.
Unemployed and not getting any form of income, social grant, or UIF payment.
Aged between 18 and 59 years old.

If you fall on criteria for SRD R350 grant, apply online as soon as possible since it’s a temporary grant. If you have already applied for it then follow your grant application consistently. Read complete details about this grant before applying.

Old Age Grant

The Old Age Grant, also known as the Old Age Pension, provides financial assistance to elderly citizens of South Africa. It was established to support the elderly who may no longer be able to earn an income due to age.

Basic Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a citizen or permanent resident.
Must be 60 years or older.
Must not be getting any other type of social grant for themselves.
Must meet the means requirements (income and asset limits).

If you are an elderly person over 60 years old, you can apply for this grant to help cover your basic needs like groceries, rent, and medical bills. Read my detailed guide about the required documents and apply for this grant.

Disability Grant

Disability Grant is provided to citizens of our country who are unable to work due to a mental or physical disability. Disability can be temporary or permanent, South African government provides this grant to support disabled individuals.

Primary Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a Citizen of South Africa or permanent resident.
Must be between the ages of 18 and 59 years.
Must submit a medical assessment report confirming disability.
Must fulfill the means requirements.

Child Support Grant

Child Support Grant aims to assist parents or primary caregivers in providing money for basic needs of their children.

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

The applicant must be primary caregiver of the child/children.
The child must be under 18 years of age.
Both the applicant and child must be South African citizens, permanent residents, or refugees.
Must qualify on the means test requirements.

If your Child Support Grant application is accepted by SASSA, you will get R530 per child plus a top-up amount of R250 per child. Collectively, you can receive R780 per child every month, which will help you raise your children with better facilities.

Foster Child Grant

Taking care of a foster child is a great deed. If you are doing this amazing job of parenting a foster child, government has a gift for you that is Foster Child Grant. This grant gives financial assistance to foster parents to help cover the costs associated with raising a foster child, like food, school fees, and clothes.

Fundamental Eligibility Criteria:

The applicant must be a foster parent with a court order confirming foster care status.
The child must be under 18 years old (age limit is extendable up to 21 years if the child is still in school).
Both the applicant and child must be citizens or permanent residents.

War Veterans Grant

The War Veterans Grant is for South African citizens who served in the Second World War that happened from 1939 to 1945 or the Korean War that took place from 1950 to 1953. This grant gives financial support to those who served in the military during these conflicts. If you or someone you know served during these wars, check the eligibility criteria and apply for this grant.

Main Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a citizen or permanent resident.
Must be 60 years or older or be disabled.
Must have served in the Second World War or the Korean War.
Must meet the limit of income and assets requirements.

Care Dependency Grant

Care Dependency Grant is for caregivers of children who need permanent home care due to severe disabilities. Caring for a disabled child requires a lot of funds, and this grant helps cover the extra costs associated with this care.

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

The child must be under 18 years old.
Must submit a medical report confirming the child’s severe disability.
Both the applicant and the child must be citizens or permanent residents.
Must meet the means test requirements.

Once approved, you will get R2180 per month for each child. This will help reduce some of the financial burden.

Grant in Aid

The Grant-in-Aid is a top-up amount given to those who are already getting an Older persons Grant, Disability Grant, or War Veterans Grant and need regular care due to their mental or physical condition. The government gives an amount of R510 along with primary grant, so the beneficiary can hire a caretaker for their help.

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a recipient of the Older Persons Grant, Disability Grant, or War Veterans Grant.
Must need regular care from another person due to a physical or mental condition.
Must submit a medical report or assessment confirming the need for regular care.
Must not be admitted to any government-funded institution (old age home or hospital).

Means Test Criteria for Qualification of these Grants

If you have read the eligibility criteria for the grant you are going to apply for, you must have seen the term “means test criteria.” Other than the War Veterans Grant and Grant in Aid, all other grants require the beneficiary to pass this test.

A means test is a method used to check the financial situation of an individual or household. It looks at the income and assets of the applicant and, in some cases, the spouse or other household members. The purpose of this test is to make sure that social grants are given to those with limited financial resources.

The criteria are different for each grant, so you must read the requirements of the income and assets threshold before applying for any grant.

How to Apply for Different Types of Social Grants in South Africa?

You can apply for a SASSA grant in person or online. Here is an overview of common steps involved in the application procedure of SASSA grants:

Check Eligibility: Review eligibility requirements of the specific grant you are applying for.
Gather Documents: Make a folder of your required documents including ID, proof of income, bank statements, and medical reports or any other document if needed.
Apply:
In-Person: Visit a local SASSA office during operating hours.
Online: Apply through the official SASSA website.
Complete Form: Fill out all sections accurately.
Submit: Send your application and documents to SASSA.
Confirmation: Await SMS or email notification within 30 to 90 days.

For detailed application procedures for each specific grant, please visit the page dedicated to that grant type.

Amount for Each SASSA Grant in 2024

Sr #	Grant Name	Grant Amount Per Month
1	SRD Grant	R370
2	Older Persons Grant	R2180 (above 60 years age) R2200 (above 75 years age)
3	Disability Grant	R2180
4	Child Support Grant	R530 per child
5	Foster Child Grant	R1180 per child
6	War Veterans Grant	R2200
7	Care Dependency Grant	R2180
8	Grant-In-Aid	R510

Conclusion

I hope that this article has provided you with useful information on different types of SASSA grants including the qualifying requirements, application procedure, and the amount paid for each grant. These aspects should assist you in deciding which grant you should apply for and how to apply for that grant.

If you have any question regarding anything about grants of SASSA, visit SASSA news section or ask me in the comments.

FAQs

SASSA gives eight different types of grants in South Africa, including the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant, Old Age Grant, Disability Grant, Child Support Grant, Foster Child Grant, War Veterans Grant, Care Dependency Grant, and Grant-In-Aid.

Common reasons include applying for the wrong grant, incomplete documentation, exceeding income or asset limits, providing incorrect information, or getting another disqualifying social grant.

Yes, applicants can appeal against rejected grant by providing additional documentation or correcting errors in their application.

SASSA grants are funded by the South African government through taxes and other revenue sources.