SASSA pays nine kinds of social grant. Six are paid every month to people who qualify: the older person’s grant, disability grant, war veterans grant, child support grant, foster child grant and care dependency grant. The grant-in-aid is an extra payment on top of some of these, and there are two kinds of social relief of distress: the short-term SRD for a crisis, and the R370 SRD grant for unemployed adults. Most SASSA grants are means-tested, and you apply for free at a SASSA office.
| Quick facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | South African citizens, permanent residents and refugees who live in South Africa |
| Means test | Most grants check your income and assets. Foster child grant and grant-in-aid do not |
| Where to apply | A SASSA office. Some steps can be started online |
| Cost | Free. Nobody may charge you to apply |
| Processing time | Up to three months, with back pay from your application date if approved |
| If you’re refused | Ask for reconsideration or appeal within 90 days |
| Help | 0800 60 10 11 |
On this page: All grants · Older persons · Disability · Children’s grants · War veterans · Grant-in-aid · SRD · How to apply · Rules for all grants · FAQ
All SASSA grants at a glance
This table shows every SASSA grant, what it pays from April 2026 and who it is for. For the full list of amounts and increases, see our SASSA grant amounts guide.
| Grant | Monthly amount | Main rule |
|---|---|---|
| Older person’s grant | R2,400 (R2,420 from age 75) | Aged 60 or older |
| Disability grant | R2,400 | Aged 18 to 59 and medically unfit to work |
| War veterans grant | R2,420 | Fought in the Second World War or Korean War, aged 60+ or disabled |
| Child support grant | R580 per child | Primary caregiver of a child under 18 |
| Child support top-up | R290 extra | Relative caring for an orphan |
| Foster child grant | R1,300 from October 2026 | Foster parent with a court order |
| Care dependency grant | R2,400 | Caregiver of a child under 18 with a severe disability |
| Grant-in-aid | R580 | Grant holder who needs full-time care |
| SRD R370 | R370 | Unemployed, aged 18 to 59, little or no income |
Older person’s grant (state pension)
The older person’s grant is for South Africans aged 60 and older. It pays R2,400 a month, or R2,420 from age 75. You must pass the means test: in 2026 a single person’s income must be below R9,350 a month (R18,700 for a couple), and assets below R1,584,000 (R3,168,000 for a couple). You can’t get it together with another grant for yourself, and it is reduced if you stay in a state-funded care facility for a long time. Read our full SASSA old age grant guide.
Disability grant
The disability grant is for adults aged 18 to 59 who a state medical officer finds unable to work because of a physical or mental disability. It pays R2,400 a month and uses the same means test as the older person’s grant. It can be temporary (6 to 12 months, after which you apply again) or permanent, which is still reviewed from time to time. You can book the medical assessment online through SASSA’s platform or at an office (SASSA, May 2025). Read our full SASSA disability grant guide.
Children’s grants
Child support grant
Paid to the primary caregiver of a child under 18 who lives with them. It’s R580 a month per child. The caregiver’s income must be below R5,800 a month if single, or R11,600 combined if married. You don’t have to be the parent, but you need proof that you care for the child, such as an affidavit, and school-age children should be in school. You can claim for up to six children who aren’t your own. Read our full SASSA child support grant guide.
Child support grant top-up for orphans
Since May 2022, a relative caring for an orphaned child can get a 50% top-up on the child support grant. In 2026 that’s R290 extra, making R870 a month. You apply at a SASSA office with the parents’ death certificates. No court order is needed.
Foster child grant
For foster parents who have a court order placing a child in their care. It’s R1,300 a month from October 2026 and is not means-tested. The grant ends when the court order expires, so keep it up to date. An expired order is one of the main reasons SASSA starts a grant review. Read our full SASSA foster child grant guide.
Care dependency grant
For caregivers of a child under 18 with a severe, permanent disability who needs full-time care, confirmed by a medical assessment. It pays R2,400 a month. The caregiver’s income limit is much higher than for the child support grant: about R24,000 a month for a single caregiver and R48,000 for a married couple. Read our full SASSA care dependency grant guide.
War veterans grant
For people who fought in the Second World War or the Korean War and are 60 or older, or disabled. It pays R2,420 a month and uses the same means test as the older person’s grant. Very few people still receive it.
Grant-in-aid
The grant-in-aid is an extra R580 a month for people who already get an older person’s, disability or war veterans grant and can’t look after themselves, so they need someone to care for them full time. A medical assessment confirms the need. It isn’t means-tested, but it isn’t paid to people living in a state institution. See our full grant-in-aid guide.
Social relief of distress: two different things
- The SRD R370 grant: R370 a month for unemployed adults aged 18 to 59 with income under R624 a month who get no other grant, UIF or NSFAS. You apply online at srd.sassa.gov.za. In October 2026 it was extended for another year beyond March 2027. See our SRD application guide and SRD status check.
- Ordinary social relief of distress: short-term help, often food parcels, vouchers or cash, for people in a crisis, for example while waiting for a grant to be approved, after a disaster, or when a breadwinner has died. It is usually given for up to three months. Ask at your local SASSA office.
How to apply for SASSA grants
- Go to your nearest SASSA office, or start online on the SASSA Services Portal where your grant offers it. Disability grant assessments can be booked online.
- Take your 13-digit ID (and birth certificates for children). If you’re married, bring your spouse’s ID and proof of marriage, divorce or death.
- Bring proof of income and assets for you and your spouse, or a sworn statement if you have none.
- Bring the extra papers your grant needs: a court order for foster care, death certificates for the orphan top-up, or a medical assessment for disability and care dependency.
- Fill in the form with a SASSA official, have your fingerprints or photo taken, and keep the receipt.
- Wait for SASSA’s decision in writing. Approved grants are paid from the date you applied.
If you’re too ill or frail to go yourself, a family member or friend can help with a letter from you and a doctor, and SASSA can arrange a home visit. Applying is free, and every SASSA office number is on our SASSA contact details page.
Rules that apply to all SASSA grants
- Residence: you must live in South Africa and be a citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
- One grant for yourself: you can’t get two personal grants at once, such as an older person’s grant and a disability grant. You can get a child grant for each child as well.
- State institutions: if you stay in a state-funded institution such as a hospital, prison or state old age home for a long time, your grant may be reduced or stopped.
- Reviews: SASSA reviews grants to check you still qualify. Respond to any review SMS quickly. See our grant review guide.
- Life certification: do it once a year, online or at an office.
- Refusals: SASSA must give reasons in writing. You can ask for reconsideration and then appeal to the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals within 90 days.
These rules come from the Social Assistance Act and are explained in detail in GroundUp’s guide to social grants (updated March 2026). For payment days, see our SASSA payment dates.
Which SASSA grant is right for you?
| If you are… | Look at |
|---|---|
| 60 or older with little income | Older person’s grant |
| 18 to 59 and unable to work because of illness or disability | Disability grant |
| 18 to 59, unemployed, with almost no income | SRD R370 grant |
| Looking after a child who isn’t in foster care | Child support grant (and the top-up if the child is an orphan) |
| A foster parent with a court order | Foster child grant |
| Caring for a child with a severe disability | Care dependency grant |
| A grant holder who needs full-time care | Grant-in-aid |
| In a sudden crisis | Ordinary social relief of distress at a SASSA office |
Frequently asked questions
How many SASSA grants are there?
Nine: the older person’s, disability, war veterans, child support, foster child and care dependency grants, the grant-in-aid, the SRD R370 grant and ordinary social relief of distress.
Which SASSA grants are not means-tested?
The foster child grant and the grant-in-aid have no means test. Most other grants check your income and assets.
Can I get two grants at the same time?
Not two grants for yourself, but you can receive a child support grant for each child in your care as well as your own grant.
How long does a SASSA grant application take?
SASSA aims to decide within three months. If you are approved, you are paid from the date you applied.
Can foreigners get SASSA grants?
Permanent residents and refugees living in South Africa can apply. Some asylum seekers and permit holders can apply for the SRD R370 grant.
What if my SASSA grant application is refused?
SASSA must tell you why in writing. You can ask for reconsideration and then appeal to the Independent Tribunal within 90 days.
Where do I apply for a SASSA grant?
At a SASSA office. The SRD grant is applied for online at srd.sassa.gov.za, and some other steps can be started on the SASSA Services Portal.
About this guide
Written and checked by N Chris, for SASSA Status Check Help. This guide was checked against the Social Assistance Act as explained by GroundUp, SASSA statements on gov.za, Parliament’s Budget summary and SASSA’s 2026 means test explainer. We are not SASSA. Read how we verify information.