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SASSA Grants Portal: Application Links, Eligibility & Checklist

Read our plain-English guides, then use this page to act: the real SASSA and SRD web addresses, who qualifies for each grant, and a printable checklist of the documents to have ready before you visit an office or apply online.

Apply for SRD R370Open SASSA site Government benefits guide

This is not SASSA. Plain English SA Forms is an independent guide. Every link below opens the official SASSA or Department of Social Development site in a new tab. Applications are always free — never pay anyone, and never share your ID and PIN with a "helper".

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Grant eligibility at a glance

Amounts and means-test thresholds change with each national budget — confirm the current figures on sassa.gov.za or at an office before applying.

  • Child Support Grant
    ±R560 per child per month
    • Primary caregiver of a child under 18
    • SA citizen, permanent resident or refugee, living in SA
    • Passes the means test (income below the annual threshold)
    • Child lives with you and is not in a state institution

    Orphans cared for by relatives may qualify for the CSG top-up. Apply at a SASSA office with the child's birth certificate.

  • Older Person's Grant (old age pension)
    ±R2,310–R2,330 per month (75+ slightly more)
    • Age 60 or older
    • SA citizen, permanent resident or refugee, living in SA
    • Passes the means test (income and assets below the threshold)
    • Not receiving another social grant for yourself

    Apply at a SASSA office with your ID. Payment can be backdated to the application date if approved.

  • Disability Grant
    ±R2,310 per month
    • Age 18–59 with a medical condition preventing work
    • Medical assessment by a state-appointed doctor
    • Passes the means test
    • Temporary (6–12 months) or permanent depending on the condition

    See our disability grant guide and appeal letter template if your application is declined — you have 90 days to appeal.

  • Care Dependency Grant
    ±R2,310 per month
    • Caregiver of a child under 18 with severe disability needing full-time care
    • Medical assessment confirming the child's condition
    • Passes the means test
    • Child is not permanently in a state institution

    The child must be assessed by a doctor appointed by the state. Bring the child's birth certificate and clinic card.

  • SRD R370 Grant (Social Relief of Distress)
    R370 per month
    • Age 18–59, SA citizen, permanent resident, refugee or special permit holder
    • Unemployed with no income
    • Not receiving UIF, NSFAS or another social grant
    • Passes the bank verification means test (low account inflows)

    Online only at srd.sassa.gov.za. SASSA re-checks eligibility every month; a declined month can be appealed individually at srd.dsd.gov.za/appeals.

  • Foster Child Grant
    ±R1,250 per month
    • Court-appointed foster parent of a child under 18
    • Valid court order placing the child in your care
    • Child and foster parent live in South Africa

    Arranged through a social worker and the children's court first. No means test applies to the foster child grant.

  • Grant-in-Aid & War Veterans Grant
    Grant-in-Aid ±R560 extra; War Veterans ±R2,330
    • Grant-in-Aid: you already receive an older persons or disability grant and need full-time care
    • War Veterans: served in WWII or the Korean War, age 60+ or disabled
    • Passes the relevant means test

    Grant-in-Aid is added to your existing grant after a medical assessment; it cannot be received on its own.

Document checklist

  • Your green ID book, smart ID card or valid passport/permit
    The ID number must match Home Affairs records exactly — fix record errors at Home Affairs first.
  • Proof of residence
    Utility bill, lease, or a letter from a ward councillor or traditional authority, dated within the last 3 months.
  • Bank account in your own name
    Grants pay into your own account, a SASSA card, or a pay point. Take a bank statement or stamped confirmation letter from the last 3 months.
  • Proof of income (if any)
    Recent payslips, UIF letter or pension statement. Unemployed? SASSA may ask for a sworn affidavit stating you have no income.
  • Child's birth certificate (Child Support, Foster, Care Dependency)
    Unabridged is best. If the child is not yet registered, see our birth registration guide first.
  • Your ID and the child's ID/birth certificate must both be present for child grants
    Caregivers without their own ID apply via the alternative ID process with a sworn affidavit.
  • Marriage certificate or spouse's death certificate (if applicable)
    Used in the means test — a spouse's income counts for the older persons and disability grants.
  • Medical report or referral (Disability and Care Dependency)
    A state-appointed doctor must assess you; bring existing clinic or hospital records.
  • Court order (Foster Child Grant only)
    The children's court order placing the child in your care, arranged with a social worker.
  • Cellphone you control
    SRD applicants get all communication by SMS. Keep the number you applied with — changing numbers later causes failed verifications.
  • SRD only: apply online at srd.sassa.gov.za — no office visit needed
    Have your ID number and phone ready. Never apply through a third party or pay anyone.
  • If declined: appeal within 90 days
    Permanent grants: appeal to the Minister via SASSA. SRD: appeal per month at srd.dsd.gov.za/appeals (ITSAA tribunal).

SASSA toll-free hotline: 0800 60 10 11 (weekdays 08:00–16:00). Grant fraud: the same number, or the National Anti-Corruption Hotline 0800 701 701.

Grant payment dates, office addresses and current amounts are published at www.sassa.gov.za.

Common questions

Next steps

Independent guide — not affiliated with SASSA or the Department of Social Development. Grant amounts and thresholds change with the national budget; always confirm at www.sassa.gov.za. Last reviewed: September 2026.