Which Grant Do I Qualify For?
Not sure which grant fits you? One means test checks them all and recommends your options.
Many South African households receive support from more than one SASSA grant at once, but there are firm rules about which grants can be combined. Some grants are strictly one-per-person, while others are paid per child and can stack up. This guide explains exactly what you can and cannot claim together, with practical examples for common family situations.
The one personal grant rule
You may only receive one personal grant at a time. Personal grants are those paid to you for your own circumstances:
- Old Age (Older Persons) Grant
- Disability Grant
- War Veterans Grant
You cannot hold two of these together. For example, a disabled person who turns 60 does not receive both the Disability Grant and the Old Age Grant — they move from one to the other. Because the amounts are similar, the switch usually makes little difference to the payment, but it must still be processed correctly with SASSA.
The SRD R370 grant also counts here: you cannot receive SRD alongside a personal grant, because SRD is only for people with no other income support.
Grants that are paid per child
Child-related grants work differently. They are paid to the caregiver for each child, so a single caregiver can hold several at once:
- Child Support Grant — R580 per qualifying child, with no cap on the number of children.
- Foster Child Grant — R1,290 per child under a court order.
- Care Dependency Grant — R2,400 for a child with a severe disability.
A caregiver looking after four children could receive four Child Support Grants. If one of those children is in foster care under a court order, that child draws the Foster Child Grant instead. The grants attach to the child, not the caregiver, so they add together for the household.
Combining a personal grant with child grants
This is where households often gain the most. Because personal grants and child grants are separate categories, you can hold both. For example:
| Situation | Grants received |
|---|---|
| Grandmother (65) raising 2 grandchildren | Old Age + 2 Child Support |
| Disabled parent with 1 child | Disability + 1 Child Support |
| Foster parent also on Old Age | Old Age + Foster Child |
Each grant is tested on its own rules. The caregiver's income is measured against the Child Support means test (R5,800 single / R11,600 married), while the Old Age or Disability portion is tested against its own thresholds.
A quick reference: what stacks and what does not
The grid below summarises the combinations people ask about most. "Yes" means the two can be held together; "No" means they cannot.
| Combination | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Old Age + Disability | No | Two personal grants |
| Old Age + Child Support | Yes | Personal grant plus a child grant |
| Disability + Care Dependency | Yes | One is for the adult, one for a disabled child |
| SRD + Child Support | Yes | SRD is for the adult, Child Support for the child |
| SRD + Old Age | No | SRD blocked by any personal grant |
| SRD + UIF or NSFAS | No | SRD requires no other income support |
| Old Age + Grant-in-Aid | Yes | Grant-in-Aid is an add-on |
| Foster Child + Child Support (different children) | Yes | Each grant attaches to a different child |
Use this as a first check, then confirm your specific household with our means test calculator.
SRD and Child Support together
A common question is whether you can receive both the SRD R370 grant and the Child Support Grant. The answer is usually yes. The SRD grant is for the unemployed adult, while the Child Support Grant is for the child. Holding a Child Support Grant does not count as a "personal grant" that would block SRD.
We cover this combination in detail in our dedicated SRD vs Child Support guide. Just remember that SRD is assessed on money entering your bank account, so the Child Support money itself should not push you over the R624 monthly limit if it is used for the child. You can pressure-test an unemployed adult's SRD position with our SRD status calculator.
The Grant-in-Aid add-on
There is one true "top-up" grant. The Grant-in-Aid pays an extra R580 per month to someone who already receives the Old Age, Disability, or War Veterans Grant and needs full-time care from another person because they cannot look after themselves.
Grant-in-Aid is not a standalone grant — you can only get it on top of a qualifying personal grant. It recognises the extra cost of needing a full-time carer. Because it rides on an existing grant, it is not separately means tested: if you already pass the means test for your Old Age or Disability Grant, the add-on turns on the assessed need for care rather than a fresh income check.
A worked example
Consider a 70-year-old man who is frail and needs daily care. He receives the Old Age Grant of R2,400, plus Grant-in-Aid of R580, for a combined R2,880. If he were also raising a grandchild, he could add a Child Support Grant of R580 on top. Use our means test calculator to see which combinations your household qualifies for.
More worked examples
Households rarely fit a single neat category, so here are three fuller scenarios.
A three-generation household
A 66-year-old grandmother lives with her unemployed 30-year-old daughter and two young grandchildren. The grandmother draws the Old Age Grant. The daughter can claim the SRD R370 grant for herself, provided less than R624 lands in her account each month. As the children's primary caregiver, the daughter also claims two Child Support Grants of R580 each. That is one personal grant, one SRD grant, and two child grants running in the same home — none of them in conflict, because each is tested on its own rules.
A foster and biological mix
A couple fosters one child under a court order and also has a biological child of their own. The fostered child draws the Foster Child Grant of R1,290, which has no means test. The biological child can draw a Child Support Grant of R580, provided the caregivers' combined income is under R11,600 a month. Two different children, two different grants, both payable.
Turning 60 while disabled
A 59-year-old on the Disability Grant is about to turn 60. She will not receive both grants — she transfers from Disability to the Old Age Grant, because both are personal grants and only one is allowed at a time. The payment is almost identical, so the change is administrative rather than financial, but she must let SASSA process the switch so her payments are not interrupted.
Why the rules are structured this way
The logic behind the one-personal-grant rule becomes clearer when you see what each grant is for. Personal grants — Old Age, Disability and War Veterans — are designed to be a person's main source of income when they cannot earn a living through work. Since one person only has one set of living costs to cover, the state pays only one such grant. That is why a disabled person turning 60 moves across rather than doubling up: their situation has changed category, but they are still one adult with one income need.
Child grants follow a different principle. Each child in a household has their own costs — food, clothing, schooling — regardless of how many other children live there. So the grants attach to the child and are paid to whoever is the primary caregiver. A caregiver of four children is helping cover four sets of costs, and receives four grants to match. This is also why a personal grant and child grants sit together comfortably: the personal grant covers the adult's own needs, while the child grants cover the children's.
Grant-in-Aid is the exception that proves the rule. It is not extra income for the recipient's ordinary costs — it is money toward the specific expense of employing or relying on a full-time carer. Because that cost only arises for someone already receiving a qualifying personal grant, Grant-in-Aid is built as an add-on rather than a grant you can hold alone.
Combinations that are not allowed
To be clear, these do not work together:
- Two personal grants (e.g. Old Age + Disability).
- SRD R370 plus any personal grant.
- SRD R370 plus NSFAS, UIF, or another income-support payment.
If your circumstances change — for instance you start receiving a personal grant — you should stop claiming SRD to avoid having to repay funds. See our grant amounts overview for the full list of values, and our reapply guide if your situation changes back later.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the Old Age and Disability grant together?
No. Both are personal grants and you may only hold one personal grant at a time. When a disabled person reaches 60 they typically move onto the Old Age Grant instead.
Can I receive SRD and Child Support at the same time?
Usually yes. SRD supports the unemployed adult and Child Support supports the child, so they are not in conflict. Just keep your monthly bank deposits under the R624 SRD limit. Our SRD vs Child Support guide explains this fully.
What is Grant-in-Aid and who can get it?
Grant-in-Aid is an extra R580 per month for someone already on the Old Age, Disability, or War Veterans Grant who needs full-time care from another person. It cannot be claimed on its own.
How many Child Support Grants can one caregiver receive?
There is no fixed cap. The Child Support Grant is paid per qualifying child, so a caregiver of four children can receive four grants, provided the caregiver's income stays under the R5,800 single or R11,600 married limit. See our Child Support application guide for the details.
Can two people in the same house each hold a grant?
Yes. The grants are assessed per person and per child, not per household. A grandmother on the Old Age Grant and her unemployed adult child on the SRD grant can both be paid in the same home, as long as each meets their own rules.
What happens to my SRD grant if I start a personal grant?
Your SRD eligibility ends, because SRD is only for people with no other income support. You should stop claiming SRD once the personal grant begins to avoid being asked to repay funds. If your personal grant later ends, you can look at reapplying for SRD using our reapply guide.
This is an independent helper site. Always verify your eligibility and current figures at SASSA or on 0800 60 10 11.