How to qualify for a grant in South Africa

There are numerous social grants available in South Africa. We have a look at why social grants are important, and we detail which grants are available and how you can qualify for them.

There are numerous social grants available in South Africa. They exist to protect the most vulnerable individuals in society, and keep them afloat during challenging times.

We have a look at why social grants are important, we detail which grants are available and who qualifies for them, and we briefly consider how the grant system can be improved.

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Why are social grants important?

Ruth Katz, a social worker of 30 years’ experience, maintains that social grants play a vital role in South Africa.

“Grants are intended for people who are vulnerable and in need of state support. For a developing country, South Africa has a well-established social welfare system and a large proportion of social spending goes towards social grants,” says Katz.

More than 18 million social grants are paid every month, with the aim of improving standards of living and creating a more equitable society. Social grants are administered by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), which is mandated by the South African Social Security Act of 2004.

Katz notes that the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution recognises the socio-economic rights of citizens, including the right to social security.

“The government is obligated to progressively realise these rights, which means that the state is required to enforce legislative measures to make these rights a reality,” says Katz.

Which grants are available in South Africa?

Katz points out that there are six major social security grants in South Africa, and eligibility for each grant is dependent on an income-based means test, as well as other specific criteria.

In accordance with government websites, these are the main grant types, their qualifying criteria, and how much they will pay out:

Social Grant	About the grant	Qualifying Criteria	Payout
State Old Age Pension	A support mechanism for South Africans in their old age, usually those who are over 60 years old.	You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee who lives in South Africa. You must not receive any other social grant for yourself, or be cared for in a state institution. You must not earn more than R86,280 per annum if you’re single, or R172,560 if you’re married. You must not have assets worth more than R1,227,600 if you’re single or R2,455,200 if you’re married.	Maximum of R1,890 per month, or R1,910 if you’re older than 75.
Disability Grant	This is for people with disabilities, who have been mentally or physically unable to work for the last 6 months.	You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee who lives in South Africa. You should be between 18 and 59 years old, you shouldn’t be cared for in a state institution, and you should have a 13-digit, bar-coded identity document. You cannot earn more than R86,280 per annum if you are single or R172,560 if you’re married, and you can’t have assets worth more than R1,227 600 if you’re single or R2,455,200 if you’re married. You have to undergo a medical examination, where a doctor appointed by the state will assess the degree of your disability. You should bring along any previous medical records and reports when you make the application and when the assessment is done.	Maximum of R1,890 per month.
Foster Child Grant	This is to help you take care of a foster child that’s been placed in your care.	You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee, and you and the child must live in South Africa. The foster child must be legally placed in your care, and the child – who has to be under 18 years of age – must remain in your care.	Maximum of R1,090 per month per child.
Child Support Grant	If you do not have the means to care for your child, you can apply for this grant.	You must be the child’s primary caregiver. If you are not the child's parent, you must provide proof that you are the child’s primary caregiver through an affidavit from a police official, a social worker’s report, an affidavit from the biological parent, or a letter from the principal of the school attended by the child. You must be a South African citizen or permanent resident. You must not earn more than R52,800 per year if you are single, or R105,600 if you are married.	Maximum of R460 per month per child.
The Care Dependency Grant	If you have a child who has a disability or requires full-time special care, this grant will apply until they are 18.	You must be a parent, primary caregiver, or a foster parent appointed by the court. You must also be a South African citizen or permanent resident, and you must not earn more than R223,200 a year if you are single, or R446,400 if you’re married. Your child must be younger than 18 years of age, must not be cared for permanently in a state institution, and they must have a severe disability and need full-time and special care. Both you and the child must live in South Africa.	Maximum of R1,890 per month per child.
Social Relief of Distress Grant	Provides immediate temporary assistance to those who are in dire need of help to support themselves and their families.	This applies if you need help while you wait for your children’s grants to be processed, when a crisis or disaster has occurred, or when you do not qualify for a grant but you are in a desperate situation. Alternatively, this applies if you are unable to work for a period of less than six months because you are medically unfit, or you are unable to get maintenance from the other parent of your child or children, or the breadwinner in the family has died or been sent to prison for less than 6 months. It also applies when you have been affected by a disaster, but the area or community in which you live has not been declared a disaster area.	Vouchers, food parcels, or money for a three-month period.

If there were more resources available, Katz believes that a social grant for prospective adoptive parents would be helpful. This would give new adoptive parents the additional support they may need to care for their adopted child.

How could the grant system be improved?

Grants in South Africa are often critiqued. In 2009, a research paper by the University of Limpopo found that young mothers who were the recipients of child grants knew what they were meant to do with it, but they were often ignorant and careless in their use thereof.

As a solution, the researchers suggested that recipients receive vouchers that can only be used to purchase products for children. This would prevent them from using the funds on unrelated items.

Katz believes that SASSA should implement more anti-fraud measures to better combat grant money being unlawfully claimed and used.

For further details on the grants available in South Africa, visit official South African government (.gov.za) websites, or visit this contact directory.

If you have a good reason to do so, you can take out a personal loan to help you during difficult times.

How to qualify for a grant in South Africa

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