Which Grant Do I Qualify For?
Not sure which grant fits you? One means test checks them all and recommends your options.
SASSA offers different grants for different stages of life and different needs. Whether you are unemployed, elderly, living with a disability, or caring for children, there is likely a grant designed for your situation. This overview walks through each group, explains the core qualifying rules, and points you to the right guide and calculator so you can act quickly.
Common rules across all grants
Before the group-by-group detail, a few conditions apply to almost every SASSA grant:
- You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or recognised refugee.
- You must generally live in South Africa.
- You must not already hold a conflicting grant (you may keep only one personal grant).
- Except for the Foster Child Grant, you must pass a means test on your income, and for some grants your assets too.
With those foundations in place, the sections below cover who fits each grant.
Working-age and unemployed
If you are between 18 and 59 and out of work, the grant for you is the SRD R370 grant. To qualify you must:
- Be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
- Be aged 18 to 59.
- Be unemployed with no other income support.
- Not receive any other SASSA grant, NSFAS, or UIF.
- Have no more than R624 entering your bank account in the month assessed.
The SRD grant has been extended to 31 March 2027. It is assessed on the money that lands in your bank account, not on assets. You can check your outcome quickly with our SRD status calculator or read how the R624 threshold works.
Elderly (60 and over)
Once you reach 60 you may qualify for the Old Age Grant of R2,400 a month, rising to R2,420 at 75. To qualify you must:
- Be 60 or older.
- Be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
- Pass the means test — income of R9,350/month or less (single) or R18,700 combined (married), and assets under the set limits.
Your primary home does not count as an asset. Our Old Age Grant application guide walks through the paperwork step by step.
Living with a disability
Adults aged 18 to 59 who cannot work because of a disability may qualify for the Disability Grant of R2,400 a month. You will need:
- A medical or functional assessment confirming the disability.
- To pass the same means test as the Old Age Grant.
- To be aged 18 to 59 (at 60 you move to the Old Age Grant).
See our Disability Grant guide for how the medical assessment works. If you already receive a personal grant and need full-time care, you may add Grant-in-Aid of R580, as explained in our multiple grants guide.
Caregivers of children
Several grants support people raising children.
| Grant | Amount | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Child Support | R580/child | Caregiver income ≤ R5,800 single / R11,600 married |
| Care Dependency | R2,400 | Child has a severe disability |
| Foster Child | R1,290 | Court order in place |
The Child Support Grant is the most common. It is paid to the primary caregiver for each qualifying child, so caring for several children means several grants. Read the Child Support application guide or compare it with SRD in our SRD vs Child Support guide.
The Care Dependency Grant is for a child with a severe disability who needs permanent care; its income limit is far higher at R24,000 (single) or R48,000 (married). See how to apply for Care Dependency.
Foster parents
If a court has placed a child in your care, you may qualify for the Foster Child Grant of R1,290 per child. This grant is unusual because it has no means test — qualification rests on the court order, not your income. Our Foster Child Grant guide explains the process.
War veterans
A small group of veterans of specific conflicts qualify for the War Veterans Grant of R2,420 a month, subject to the same means test as the Old Age Grant. It is one of the two highest grant values, alongside the Old Age Grant for people aged 75 and over.
Quick eligibility finder
Not sure which section fits you? This table maps common situations to the grant most likely to apply.
| Your situation | Grant to look at |
|---|---|
| Unemployed, aged 18–59, no other support | SRD R370 |
| Aged 60 or over, modest income | Old Age |
| Aged 18–59, medically unable to work | Disability |
| Raising a child, income under the limit | Child Support |
| Court placed a child in your care | Foster Child |
| Caring for a severely disabled child | Care Dependency |
| Already on a grant but need full-time care | Grant-in-Aid add-on |
Treat this as a starting point, then confirm the detail with the relevant section above and the grant amounts guide.
Worked examples by situation
Real cases often sit across two groups. These examples show how the rules combine.
The unemployed graduate
A 24-year-old citizen finished studying, is not on NSFAS any longer, and has no job. She has no other grant and less than R624 comes into her account most months. She qualifies for the SRD R370 grant. If a month arrives where a friend transfers her R700, she would be declined for that month only and can be reassessed the next cycle. Our SRD status calculator shows the outcome instantly.
The near-threshold pensioner
A 67-year-old widower receives a private pension of R7,900 a month. He is under the R9,350 single ceiling, so he qualifies for the Old Age Grant, but because his income is close to the top of the range the sliding scale reduces his monthly payment below the R2,400 maximum. Our means test calculator estimates where he lands.
The caregiving grandmother
A 63-year-old grandmother cares for three grandchildren and has almost no income. She qualifies for the Old Age Grant for herself and three Child Support Grants of R580 each for the children — a personal grant and three child grants running together, because child grants are separate from personal grants.
Common misconceptions about eligibility
- "Only citizens can apply." Permanent residents and recognised refugees qualify for many grants too.
- "If I own a house I will be declined." Your primary home is excluded from the asset test.
- "I can hold two personal grants." You cannot — Old Age, Disability and War Veterans are mutually exclusive.
- "The SRD grant checks my assets." It does not; it uses the R624 bank-deposit rule.
- "Foster and Child Support are the same grant." They are different, with different amounts and different rules — Foster Child requires a court order and has no means test.
What can cause a decline even when you seem to qualify
Meeting the headline rules for a grant is not always enough. A surprising number of applications are declined for reasons that have nothing to do with income or age. The most common are administrative: an identity mismatch where your details do not line up with Home Affairs records, a name or ID number captured incorrectly, or bank details that do not match your own name. For the SRD grant specifically, a single month with more than R624 entering your account produces a decline for that month even when you are otherwise eligible.
If this happens to you, it is usually fixable. You can supply corrected documents, update your details, or lodge an appeal or reconsideration rather than starting over. The important point for this overview is that qualifying "on paper" and being approved are two different steps, and the gap between them is almost always paperwork rather than a fundamental problem with your eligibility.
How to confirm your eligibility
Because most grants are means tested, the fastest way to gauge your chances is to run your figures through our means test calculator. Then gather the documents SASSA requires and decide whether to apply online or in person.
Remember the golden rules: you may hold only one personal grant, but child grants are paid per child and can be combined with a personal grant. The full values are in our grant amounts guide.
It is worth being realistic about timing too. Even a straightforward application takes time to process, and grants for children or disability need supporting paperwork — a birth certificate, a court order, or a medical assessment — that can add weeks if you do not have it ready. The applicants who are approved fastest are almost always the ones who arrived with every document in order and figures that clearly cleared the means test. Running your numbers through the means test calculator first, and checking the SRD side with the SRD status calculator, tells you whether it is worth gathering that paperwork now or waiting until your circumstances change.
Frequently asked questions
Can non-citizens qualify for SASSA grants?
Yes, in defined cases. Permanent residents and recognised refugees qualify for many grants, including the SRD R370 grant, alongside South African citizens. Always confirm your specific status with SASSA.
At what age do I move from Disability to Old Age Grant?
At 60. The Disability Grant is for adults aged 18 to 59. When you turn 60 you transfer to the Old Age Grant, since you may only hold one personal grant at a time.
Which grant has no means test?
The Foster Child Grant has no means test. Qualification depends on a valid court order placing the child in your care rather than on your income or assets.
Do I need to be unemployed to get the Old Age or Disability Grant?
No. Those grants are means tested on income, not on employment status. You can earn up to the ceiling and still qualify, though a higher income reduces the payment through the sliding scale. It is the SRD grant that specifically requires you to be unemployed with no other income support.
Can I qualify for more than one grant at once?
Often, yes. You may hold one personal grant plus child grants for each qualifying child, and Grant-in-Aid on top if you need full-time care. Our multiple grants guide explains which combinations are allowed and which are not.
What documents do I need to prove I qualify?
At minimum you will need your ID, proof of income, and three months of bank statements, plus grant-specific paperwork such as a medical assessment for Disability or a court order for Foster Child. Our documents guide lists exactly what to bring for each grant.
This is an independent helper site. Always verify your eligibility and current figures at SASSA or on 0800 60 10 11.