SASSA Disability Grant (2024), A Complete Guide

As a South African Resident, or a refugee (section 24), if you have a physical or mental disability that renders you unable to work for more than six months you qualify to apply for SASSA disability grant. Eligibility for this grant can be determined through a means test.

Permanent Disability Grant

You can receive a permanent disability grant if you have been suffering from a mental or physical disorder for more than a year. “The term ‘permanent’ in this context does not imply ‘forever.’ it signifies that you will receive grant payments over a year, as long as your disability persists.

Temporary disability grant

If your disability persists for a duration of at least 6 months but not exceeding 12 months, you will qualify for a temporary SASSA disability grant. This disability grant can be renewed if your disability continues to hinder your ability to work.

Following are the requirements you should fulfill while applying for this SASSA disability grant

SASSA Old Age Grant
Sassa Foster Child Grant
SASSA War Veterans Grant

The means test assesses the financial situation of applicants, considering factors such as income, assets, and other financial aspects. Its purpose is to ensure that only deserving individuals qualify for the grant. As of April 1, 2023, there exist two primary thresholds.

Assets Threshold

For an individual, the total value of assets should not exceed R1,372,800. In the case of a married couple, the combined value of their assets, including both spouses, should not surpass R2,745,600

Income Threshold

For single individuals, it’s important to keep their annual earnings below R96,840. In the case of married couples, the total combined income, including both spouses, should not exceed R193,680 per year.

The amount of this grant is classified based on the progressive scale of the disabled person. However, starting from October 1, 2024 you will receive R2 090 every month.

There are two main differences in the amount of SASSA disability grant:

This is because the SASSA disability grant is designed to facilitate or help the most deserving people thus there is a difference in the allocating of this grant amount.

Fee to Applying For SASSA Disability Grant

It’s free of cost. Nothing will be charged for applying for this grant.

To apply for an SASSA disability grant, you must provide an approved medical examination report from a qualified physician as evidence of your impairment. Following a thorough assessment, the SASSA team determines whether you qualify for a permanent or temporary disability grant.

Medical practitioners assess your condition, but the final decision on granting the SASSA disability grant lies with SASSA. Additional key factors like your financial condition, and your assets worth are also considered for better assessment of eligibility for this grant. After accomplishing all these steps, you should visit your nearest SASSA office to apply for the grant.

If you are not capable of visiting the SASSA office or have difficulty completing the whole process due to your disability. The trusted person can apply on your behalf. He should bring a letter from you and a doctor’s note explaining why you cannot visit the SASSA office independently.

The SASSA application forms can be obtained from SASSA offices and must be filled out in the presence of a SASSA officer. While you have the option to complete the application on your own, if you face any difficulties, the officer will be available to assist you in filling out the form.

The forms for application are not accessible online. They can only be collected from the SASSA office nearest to you.

They will also conduct an interview, either with you or your designated representative. Following the interview, they will notify you about your eligibility for the grant

To avoid any interruption or inconvenience, you must provide all details to SASSA officials such as your marital status, your income, assets worth, and bank statement for the last three months, if you had a job in the past show your discharge form as proof of your unemployment. If your spouse no longer shows the death certificate

Upon finishing the application and interview process, you will be provided with a dated stamp receipt. This receipt will include the name of the SASSA officer who assisted you during the application, as well as the reference number for your application. It is essential to keep this receipt as evidence of your application, even if you do not meet the eligibility criteria.

If you possess the original 13-digit bar-coded ID (identity document), you can proceed with the application. However, if you do not have an ID, follow these steps

If you are below 18 years old and require ongoing care due to a disability, your primary caregiver has the option to apply for a Care Dependency Grant. In case you do not possess an identification document (ID), you will need to fill out an affidavit and provide evidence that you have initiated the process of obtaining the ID from the Department of Home Affairs. It is essential to apply for the ID within three months of submitting your grant application.

To verify your disability, you must provide a recent medical report and a functional assessment report from a SASSA-recognized medical practitioner. The evaluation should have taken place within the last three months prior to your application.

Remember to follow the appropriate legal procedures based on your situation. 

The processing of your application span a period of up to three months. When your grant receives approval, they’ll start the payments right from the day you put in your application.

After you have submitted your grant application, it’s important to regularly monitor its status to stay informed. You can easily track the progress of your application to see if it has been approved, declined, or to understand its current status. Once your application is approved, you should check the status regularly to stay updated about forthcoming payments. There are several methods available to check status of SASSA disability grant.

Only a medical professional contracted by SASSA is authorized to carry out the evaluation and provide a report to SASSA. This report decides if the applicant is eligible for a temporary or permanent disability grant. The report is compiled based on the data provided to the doctor and the results of a physical examination. After receiving the assessment report from doctor, the social security office will provide written confirmation regarding the success or failure of your application.

If your grant application is not approved, the appeal should be submitted within a 90-day period after receiving the denial notification, and it generally takes around 30 days to review the appeal. If the you find the denial reason ambiguous, you have the right to seek an explanation from the officials at SASSA. Moreover, you also have the option to submit a written appeal to the Minister of Social Development, explaining your disagreement with the decision.

The Ministry of Social Development will assess your appeal for a final verdict. If they find your arguments convincing, they will reverse SASSA’s decision, and the disbursement of your grant payments will commence. If your appeal is not successful, you will be provided with a written statement detailing the reasons for the decision.

Upon approval of your disability grant, the payments will commence from the date of your application. SASSA issues a monthly payment schedule as there are no predetermined dates for the payments.

SASSA will release the grant payments via three different methods, and you are required to choose one of them:

If you prefer to have your grant payments deposited directly into a bank account, you’ll need to fill out a ‘Consent Form for Bank Payment of SASSA Grant’ and provide the following documents

You can switch your bank account or payment method at any point by filling out the necessary form at the welfare office. However, it’s important to note that the payments will be routed through the new payment method from the month following the completion of the verification process.

If for any reason, you are unable to personally collect the grants, you can appoint someone else to receive the payments on your behalf.

The SASSA balance check service provides you with the ability to monitor the remaining balance of your grant. By keeping track of your balance, you can stay informed about your funds, manage your finances effectively, and make well-informed decisions regarding your grant money. Once your disability grant application is approved and you begin to receive grant payments, it might be necessary for you to regularly check your balance using the following methods:

SASSA holds the authority to perform a review of your grant, which is based on the income you reported during the application process. These reviews are carried out to confirm that you continue to satisfy the means test requirements of the grant and that your situation has not yet improved. It’s also a way to verify if you are still alive or not. To facilitate the review process, it’s recommended that you keep your application current whenever there are changes in your circumstances.

SASSA will provide you with a written notification prior to the three-month review period or the deadline for submitting your life certificate (evidence of your continued existence). This written communication will also detail the date, time, and location of the review.

For those who receive their grant via a bank, institution, or agent, it’s required to submit the life certificate to the SASSA office on an annual basis. If you are unable to leave your home due to health reasons, SASSA officials will conduct the review at your residence. Once the review is completed, you will receive a compliance receipt.

The review procedure for applicants with refugee status will commence upon the expiration of their refugee status.

The grant may be suspended due to the following reasons:

If you think that your grant’s suspension was unjustified, or if you disagree with SASSA’s verdict, you have the right to challenge this decision. You can do so by filing an appeal with the Ministry of Social Development under the National Department of Social Development. It’s important to remember that this appeal should be lodged within a timeframe of 90 days from the date of the suspension.

If you are unable to provide the requested evidence of your existence, your grant will undergo an annual review to confirm your living status.

If you fail to collect your grant payments for a consecutive three-month period, you have the option to request the resumption of these payments. However, if this period extends beyond 90 days, you will be required to submit a new grant application.

In a case you are admitted to a government-funded institution, such as a hospital or prison, the same rules apply.

As a recipient of a SASSA grant, you are also required to meet certain responsibilities.

For uninterrupted access to your SASSA grants, it’s essential to keep your information up to date. SASSA communicates important notices and updates to the address you provided during your application. If your contact details change and you don’t inform SASSA, it could lead to the suspension of your grants, as they won’t be able to reach you.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact SASSA through the following channels