Check your Old Age Grant
Aged 60+ · means tested on income and assets
This is an independent estimate based on published SASSA rules and does not guarantee approval. Always confirm and apply through official SASSA channels.
Check the Older Persons Grant means test and see your estimated monthly amount — R2,400 for ages 60–74 and R2,420 for 75+.
Aged 60+ · means tested on income and assets
This is an independent estimate based on published SASSA rules and does not guarantee approval. Always confirm and apply through official SASSA channels.
People aged 60–74 receive R2,400/month; at 75 and older it rises to R2,420/month.
Single applicants must earn under R9,350/month and hold under R1,584,000 in assets. Married couples are assessed on double those figures combined.
If you are slightly over the income limit SASSA may still pay a reduced amount rather than nothing.
The Older Persons Grant — most South Africans still call it the Old Age Grant or simply the pension — is a monthly payment from the SASSA for people who have reached pension age and who do not have enough income or assets to support themselves. It is not linked to whether you ever worked, paid tax, or contributed to a pension fund. It is a means-tested social grant, which means the question is not what did you earn in your life but what do you have coming in and what do you own right now.
To qualify you must meet all of the following at the same time:
That last point matters and trips people up, so it is worth being precise. You cannot receive two grants for yourself at the same time — you cannot, for example, draw both an Older Persons Grant and a Disability Grant. You can, however, receive a grant on behalf of someone else in addition to your own. A pensioner raising a grandchild can draw the Older Persons Grant for herself and a Child Support Grant or Foster Child Grant for the child. If you are unsure how these stack, our note on whether you can get multiple grants walks through the combinations that are allowed.
There is no upper age limit and no requirement to re-apply once you turn 75 — SASSA automatically moves you onto the higher rate, which we cover next.
There are two payment tiers, and the only thing that separates them is your age.
| Your age | Monthly amount (Feb 2026) |
|---|---|
| 60 to 74 | R2,400 |
| 75 and older | R2,420 |
The extra R20 a month from age 75 is a small recognition of the added costs that come with advanced age. You do not apply for it separately; SASSA uses your ID number to switch you over in the month you turn 75.
Grant amounts are reviewed by the Minister of Finance and usually adjusted twice a year — in April and again in October. The figures above are the amounts in force at the start of 2026. When an increase is announced it applies automatically; you do not need to do anything to receive it. For a full picture of every grant and how the two annual adjustments work, see SASSA grant increases in 2026 and the overview of current grant amounts.
Amounts change. Always confirm the current figure at sassa.gov.za or your nearest SASSA office before making financial plans around it. This is an independent help site and not SASSA.
It is also worth knowing that the War Veterans Grant pays slightly more — R2,420 — for the very small number of people who served in the Second World War or the Korean War. If that applies to you, apply for that grant instead of the Older Persons Grant.
The means test is where most confusion lives, so this section takes it slowly. There are two separate tests — an income test and an assets test — and you have to pass both. Which thresholds apply depends on whether you are single or married.
| Marital status | Annual income limit | Monthly income limit |
|---|---|---|
| Single | R112,200 | R9,350 |
| Married (combined) | R224,400 | R18,700 |
If you are married, SASSA adds both spouses' income together and compares the total to the married limit — even if only one of you is applying. This is the single most common surprise for couples.
"Income" here is broader than a salary. It includes:
| Marital status | Asset limit |
|---|---|
| Single | R1,584,000 |
| Married (combined) | R3,168,000 |
Assets include savings, fixed deposits, shares, a second property, and the surrender value of policies.
This is the part that reassures most applicants:
So a widow living in a fully paid-off family home worth R1.5 million, with a modest bank balance and a small monthly pension, can still qualify, because the house she lives in is set aside entirely.
If your income sits below the threshold you receive the full grant. But the grant does not switch off the instant you go one rand over. SASSA applies a sliding scale: the more income you have, the smaller your grant, tapering down until it reaches zero at the upper limit. This means people with a small private pension often still receive a partial Older Persons Grant rather than nothing at all — which surprises many who assume any private pension rules them out.
Because the arithmetic of the sliding scale is fiddly, it is easier to model it than to do it by hand. The calculator on this page estimates your position, and the standalone SASSA means test calculator lets you test different income and asset figures side by side. For the underlying rules in plain language, read the means test explained.
You apply for the Older Persons Grant in person at your nearest SASSA local office. There is no fee — applying is free, and you should never pay anyone to "help" you get approved.
SASSA aims to process applications within a defined period, and your grant is paid from the date you applied, not the date of approval, so apply as soon as you turn 60. Our step-by-step guide to applying for the Older Persons Grant covers the process in more depth, and if you are weighing your options, applying online versus in person explains why this grant is an in-person process.
A complete, current checklist lives in documents for a SASSA grant. Bringing everything on the first visit saves you a second trip.
Once approved, you choose how to receive the money: into a personal bank account, or via the SASSA/Postbank card. Payments follow a monthly schedule, and older persons are usually paid on the first payment day of the cycle, ahead of other grant types.
You do not have to collect the full amount on day one. Money stays in your account until you draw it, so there is no need to queue on the first day if it is inconvenient.
The Older Persons Grant is not always granted for life without check-ins. SASSA periodically reviews grants to confirm that your circumstances still meet the means test. You may be asked to submit a life certificate to prove you are still alive, or to provide fresh proof of income if your financial position may have changed.
These examples are illustrative estimates only; your real outcome depends on SASSA's assessment of your full circumstances.
Grace is 68, single, and lives in her own paid-off house. Her only income is R400 a month that her son gives her, and she has R30,000 in savings. Her income is far below the R9,350 single limit, and her house is excluded from the asset test. Grace qualifies for the full R2,400. When she turns 75, this rises to R2,420 automatically.
Joseph is 72 and applying. His wife receives a private pension of R6,000 a month; Joseph has no income of his own. Because they are married, SASSA combines their income: R6,000 against the R18,700 married limit. They are comfortably under, so Joseph qualifies for the full grant. Note that his wife's pension counts even though she is not the applicant.
Nomsa is 65, single, and draws a private annuity of R7,500 a month. That is below R9,350, so she is eligible — but because she is close to the ceiling, the sliding scale applies and she receives a reduced Older Persons Grant rather than the full R2,400. She still benefits, and if her annuity ever falls, her grant would rise again on review.
Peter is 70, single, and owns the home he lives in (excluded) plus a second flat worth R900,000 that he rents out, and he holds R700,000 in investments. His countable assets exceed R1,584,000, so he does not qualify on the asset test — even though the home he lives in is ignored, the second property and investments push him over.
If you are helping an older relative organise their SASSA affairs, these tools work well alongside this one:
Finally, remember that everything here is a guide to help you prepare. The final decision, the current amounts, and the official rules all rest with SASSA. Verify the details at sassa.gov.za, call the toll-free line on 0800 60 10 11, or visit your nearest SASSA office before you rely on any figure.