Everything You Need to Know About SASSA in South Africa

According to  research, more than one-third of South Africans depend directly and indirectly on grant payments. It makes a great impact on a significant number of South African households. 

If you have found your way to this, you probably need answers about SASSA in South Africa. Worry not! We’ve covered everything from defining SASSA and application requirements to how SASSA works. 

What is SASSA?

SASSA is an abbreviation for the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). It’s the government agency in South Africa that handles social security services, including payments in South Africa. It also manages and administers grants and allowances to categories of people vulnerable to poverty and in need of state support to improve their standard of living. 

The Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution (Section 24-29) recognises the socio-economic rights of citizens. Consequently, the government takes reasonable legislative and other measures within its available resources to achieve a progressive realisation of this individual right. It’s also worth noting that SASSA is administered by the SASSA Act of 2004. 

Social grants are administered by SASSA in South Africa

The SASSA Act of 2004 and regulations provide a legal framework for administering seven major social grants in South Africa to targeted groups of people vulnerable to poverty. They include: 

• Child support grants 
• Foster child grant 
• Care dependency grant 
• Disability grant 
• Grant in Aid 
• Older person’s grant 
• War veteran’s grants 
• Social relief of distress grant 
• Covid-19 social relief of distress grant 

Note: The Social Relief Distress Grant is a temporally social grant that runs for three months. The Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grants is also temporally, and it was extended to run until March 2023. 

Qualifications for SASSA grants in South Africa

According to the Department of Social Developments of South Africa, here are guidelines to know if you qualify for SASSA grants: 

• It would be best to be a South African national or a permanent resident.
• You must be a resident of South Africa.
• You are not eligible for any other social grant.
• In a governmental institution, you might not get the care you need.
• If you are single, you cannot make more than R78 120, and if you are married, you cannot earn more than R156 240.
• If you're single, your assets can't exceed R1 115 400, and if you're married, they can't exceed R2 230 800.

Who must contribute SASSA payments? 

SASSA doesn’t require particular persons to contribute because it receives its funds through national taxes. Through the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the government has progressive income tax rates ranging from 18% to 36%, depending on the income bracket. 

How does SASSA work? 

SASSA manages and administers social security services to South African citizens and permanent residents with income and assets below specified thresholds. Primary caregivers, foster parents, the elderly, war veterans, and those with mental and physical disabilities are recipients of SASSA funding. 

Applicant must declare their source of income and assets and specify whether they are married or not to help determine their eligibility for any applied grants. The test determines the amount of old-age, child dependency, war veterans, and disability grants. 

Depending on the means test results, you must not receive the total percentage of grants you qualify for. Additionally, being a recipient of other grants or being under the care of state institutions might disqualify you for some SASSA grants. 

What is the income and asset threshold set for the means test?  

Below is the means test income and asset threshold: 

1. A single person's assets should not exceed R1 056 000 in total.
2. A married person’s joint assets with their spouse shouldn’t total more than R2 112 000
3. A single person's annual income should not exceed R73 800 or R6 150 per month. 
4. A married person’s joint income with their spouse shouldn’t be more than R147 600 per year or R12 300 per month. 

For more specified details, checkout SASSA’s website:  http://www.sassa.gov.za/

Where to apply for SASSA grants

You should apply for SASSA grants at your nearest South African Security Agency office. That’s where you make an application. A 13-digit bar-coded ID or a sworn statement signed by a reputable person who can verify your name and age should be brought with you. Among other things you need to provide include: 

• Proof of residence 
• Proof of income/ savings
• Verification of assets and pension (if any)
• Evidence of marital status (if applicable)
• Bank statement for the last three months 
• Unemployment Insurance Fund book or discharge certificate (if you were employed) 
• A copy of will and accounts (if your spouse died within the last five months). 

How long the SASSA grant application takes

The application processing starts immediately if all documents are correctly submitted, and it may take up to 3 months. However, you’ll be paid retrospectively from the application date if it’s successful. 

How to know if your SASSA application was successful

If your SASSA application is successful, you’ll receive a message or text indicating that your application was successful and ready to accept payment for the period stated. 

How long  it takes for SASSA to verify bank details

The process of bank verification does have a specified timeframe. However, banks may take about seven business days to verify and process banking details. 

How to check the SASSA balance

To check SASSA balance, follow the below steps: 

• Dial *120*69277# on your phone 
• Choose your preferred language 
• Follow the prompts. 
• You should then get an SMS notification. 

You can also check your SASSA balance via ATM by following these steps: 

• Insert your SASSA card into the ATM 
• Enter your card pin 
• Choose the type of transaction you want to do
• Select “Check Balance” 
• Your balance will be displayed
• Now remove your card from the ATM  

How to know if your SASSA R350 has been approved

To check the status of your SASSA R350, go to the official website and check if you’re approved. Another option is to add 082 046 8553 as a contact and then chat with the number by sending a message saying “status.” This is how you can keep tabs on your grant's progress.

What pending means on SASSA status

“Pending” status means that your SASSA application is not yet approved. Probably, SASSA is still in the process of scanning your details for verification. ‍

The SASSA grant payment

The SASSA will pay grants through two methods. First, you can get cash at a specific pay point. The other way is electronic deposit into your bank or Postbank account. You must be aware that the bank may charge you for the service. 

It’s also worth noting that SASSA payments are paid during the first week of every new month.