SASSA Grants: Types of SASSA Grants in South Africa

SASSA Grants are in place to help improve standards of living in society and are given to people who are vulnerable to poverty and in need of state support in South Africa. These generally include older people, people with disabilities, and people with young children. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is responsible for these grants in South Africa. In this article, you will learn more about Sassa grants and requirements to apply.

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Types of Sassa Grants

Below are 8 types of Sassa Grants in South Africa.

• Care Dependency Grant
• Child Support Grant
• Disability Grant
• Foster Child Grant
• Grant-In-Aid
• Older Persons Grant
• Social Relief of Distress
• War Veterans Grant

Care Dependency Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
• The applicant and child must be resident in South Africa.
• Child must be under the age of 18 years.
• The applicant must submit a medical / assessment report confirming permanent, severe disability.
• The applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test (except for foster parents.
• The care-dependent child/children must not be permanently cared for in a State Institution.

Child Support Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The primary care giver must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
• Both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa.
• The applicant must be the primary care giver of the child/ children concerned.
• The child/children must been born after 31 December 1993.
• The applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test.
• Child can not apply for more than six non biological children.
• Child can not be cared for in state institution.

Disability Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
• The applicant must be resident in South Africa.
• The applicant must be 18 to 59 years of age.
• The applicant must submit a medical / assessment report confirming permanent, severe disability.
• The applicant’s medical assessment must not be older than 3 months at date of application.
• The applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test.
• The applicant must not be maintained or cared for in a State Institution.
• The applicant must not be in receipt of another social grant in respect of him or herself.

Foster Child Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The foster parent must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
• Both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa.
• Child must remain in the care of the foster parent(s).

Grant-In-Aid

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant must be in receipt of a grant for Older Persons.
• Disability grant or a War Veteran’s grant, and require full- time attendance by another person.
• Owing to his/her physical or mental disabilities.
• Must not be cared for in an institution that receives subsidy from the State for the care/housing of such beneficiary.

Older Persons Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee.
• The applicant and child must be resident in South Africa.
• Must not be less than 60 years.
• The applicant must not be in receipt of another social grant for him or herself.
• The applicant and spouse must comply with the means test.
• The applicant must not be maintained or cared for in a State Institutition
• The applicant must submit a 13 digit bar coded identity document.

Social Relief of Distress

Social relief of distress is a temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such dire material need that they are unable to meet their or their families’ most basic needs.

Social Relief of Distress is paid to South African citizens or permanent residents, who have insufficient means and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• The applicant is awaiting payment of an approved social grant.
• The applicant has been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of less than 6 months.
• The bread winner is deceased and application is made within three months of the date of death.
• No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful.
• The bread winner of that person`s family has been admitted to an institution funded by the state (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment centre for substance abuse or child and youth care centre).
• The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defines in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978.
• The person is not receiving assistance from any other organization or.
• Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will cause undue hardships.

Period of Social Relief of Distress (New Policy)

Social Relief of Distress is issued monthly for a maximum period of 3 months. An extension a further 3 months may be granted in exceptional cases.

Note: No person who is in receipt of social grant may receive the grant and social relief of distress simultaneously. Any person who receive both social relief and grant at the same time must repay the value of the social relief of distress received. This will be recovered from any social grant payment, including an arrear payment. However, where the person who is in receipt of a social grant received social relief of distress as a result of a disaster, that amount will not be recovered.

War Veterans Grant

Applicants must meet the following requirements for this Sassa Grant:

• The applicant must be a South African citizen / permanent resident.
• The applicant must be a resident in South Africa.
• The applicant must be 60 years and over or must be disabled.
• The applicant must have fought in the Second World War or the Korean War.
• The applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test.
• The applicant must not be maintained or cared for in a State Institution.
• The applicant must not be in receipt of another social grant in respect of himself or herself.

Note: The income of foster parents will not be taken into consideration.

SASSA Grants Application

You can now apply for child support, older persons and foster child grants online. Social security agency Sassa launched an online application portal for child support, older persons and foster child grants.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) announced the launch of its new online portal, at https://services.sassa.gov.za

A social grant refers to grants paid by government to South African citizens who are in need of assistance. In South Africa, social grants are administered by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

All applicants for social grants must be South African citizens, permanent residents or refugees (official refugee status granted by the South African government must be provided) and candidates must be living in South Africa.

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