SASSA Grant Amounts 2026: Old Age, Disability, Child Support and SRD, With Payment Dates

If you're asking how much SASSA pays this month, here's the short version: R2,400 for the older persons, disability and care dependency grants, R580 for the child support grant and grant-in-aid, R1,300 for the foster child grant, and R370 for the SRD grant. These are the amounts in force across South Africa as of October 2026, after increases the Department of Social Development gazetted on 23 March 2026 and phased in on 1 April and 1 October. Over-75s and war veterans get an extra R20 a month on top of their R2,400.

Quick facts: SASSA grant amounts in October 2026

Checked against Government Gazette 54397, Notice No. R.7287 (23 March 2026) in October 2026. The Foster Child Grant figure already reflects the second increase, which took effect on 1 October 2026.

How much is each SASSA grant worth in 2026?

Older Persons Grant: R2,400 a month if you're 60 to 74. From your 75th birthday, SASSA adds a R20 "additional payment", taking it to R2,420. You still have to pass the means test on income and assets to qualify. Many people in this age group use part of the grant to pay for funeral cover, so it's worth checking what a realistic funeral cover premium actually costs before you commit to one.

Disability Grant: R2,400 a month for adults aged 18 to 59 who SASSA's medical officer confirms can't support themselves because of a physical or mental disability, temporary or permanent.

Care Dependency Grant: R2,400 a month, paid to the parent or primary caregiver of a child with a severe disability who needs full-time, special care at home.

War Veterans Grant: R2,420 a month (R2,400 plus the same R20 top-up as over-75s). Very few people still qualify, since you need to have served in the Second World War or the Korean War.

Foster Child Grant: R1,300 a month per child, paid to a court-appointed foster parent. It went up from R1,290 on 1 October 2026, the second increase this year.

Child Support Grant: R580 a month per child, for a primary caregiver (parent, grandparent, or an older sibling heading the household) whose income falls under the means test. SASSA caps this at six non-biological or non-adopted children per caregiver.

Child Support Grant Top-Up: R870 a month (R580 plus a R290 top-up) for a relative or a child-headed household caring for a child who has lost both parents. You apply the same way as the ordinary Child Support Grant but need the children's parents' death certificates, or an affidavit at a SASSA office if you're missing one. The Minister of Social Development has asked relatives and child-headed households caring for orphans to come forward for the top-up, since take-up has been lower than the number of eligible children.

Grant-in-Aid: R580 a month, paid on top of an existing older persons, disability or war veterans grant to cover the cost of a full-time carer, when the grant holder needs someone else to look after them daily.

SRD R370 Grant: R370 a month for anyone aged 18 to 59 (unemployed or earning very little) who doesn't qualify for another grant and passes the SRD means test. Unlike the grants above, it isn't paid from the Social Assistance Act fund, and it hasn't increased since April 2024.

Say your mother, 68, draws the Older Persons Grant and also looks after two of your late sister's children on the Child Support Grant Top-Up, since both their parents have passed away. Her monthly SASSA income, if all three grants are paid into her account, is R2,400 + (2 × R870) = R4,140.

What changed on 1 April and 1 October 2026?

The increases came from the February 2026 Budget, gazetted by the Department of Social Development with the concurrence of the Finance Minister.

The Child Support Grant's R20 rise was the smallest in rand terms but the biggest jump in percentage terms of any grant this year, because Treasury put extra money behind closing the gap between the grant and the food poverty line. The Foster Child Grant is the only one with a second increase mid-year, going from R1,290 to R1,300 on 1 October.

When does SASSA pay grants in October, November and December 2026?

SASSA's own rule, confirmed when it released the 2026/27 payment calendar, is that in most months the Older Persons Grant goes out on the 2nd, the Disability Grant on the 3rd, and children's grants (Child Support, Foster Child, Care Dependency) on the 4th. When any of those dates lands on a weekend, a Monday, or the day right after a public holiday, SASSA moves the payment to the next working day instead.

That rule gives these dates for the rest of 2026:

Your money is already in your bank, Postbank or SASSA card account from that date — there's no need to queue at a till on the day itself, and standing in a long line any later in the month achieves nothing.

The SRD R370 grant works differently: it doesn't have one fixed date for everyone. SASSA pays it out in batches through the month, and which batch you're in depends on when your application was approved and checked against the means test. Check your own payment date at SASSA's SRD status page rather than relying on a date someone else gives you, since two people can be in different batches in the same month.

Do you pay tax on a SASSA grant?

No. SASSA grants aren't taxable income, and SARS doesn't want them on your tax return. If you also earn a salary alongside a grant you're managing for someone else, that salary is taxed as normal — run it through our South Africa income tax calculator to see what actually lands in your account each month.

Where it gets confusing is the means test: any salary, pension, rental income or regular deposit in the same bank account SASSA checks does count towards the income limit, even though it isn't taxed the same way. If you're filing your own return, see our guide to SARS eFiling step by step, and if you've already filed, check how big your SARS refund might be this year.

What to watch out for

• Fake "your grant has increased" SMS and WhatsApp messages asking you to click a link or share your PIN. SASSA never asks for your PIN, card number or OTP by text. Delete and report these.
• "Facilitators" who charge a fee to apply or to speed up a SASSA application. Applying is free, whether at a SASSA office or online. Anyone charging you for it is taking money that belongs to you.
• Loan sharks and shop owners who hold your SASSA card as security for a loan or goods on credit. This is illegal; your card and PIN are yours to control, and handing them over puts your whole grant at risk, not just the amount you borrowed.
• Letting someone else's income count as yours by mistake. If a pension payout, rental income or a relative's regular deposit lands in the same account SASSA checks, it can push you over the means test and cost you the grant. Keep grant money and other income in separate accounts where you can.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the SASSA old age grant in 2026?

R2,400 a month if you're 60 to 74, and R2,420 a month from your 75th birthday. Both figures have applied since 1 April 2026, when SASSA increased every older persons grant by R80.

How much is the SASSA disability grant?

R2,400 a month, the same amount as the Older Persons and Care Dependency grants. You need a SASSA-appointed doctor to confirm your disability before it's approved, and you still have to pass the income and asset means test.

How much is the SASSA child support grant, and is there more for orphans?

R580 a month per child for the standard grant. If you're a relative or a child-headed household caring for a child who has lost both parents, the Child Support Grant Top-Up adds R290, bringing it to R870 a month.

Did the SRD R370 grant increase in 2026?

No. The SRD grant has stayed at R370 a month since it was last increased in April 2024, even though the grants under the Social Assistance Act went up in April and October 2026.

When will SASSA pay my grant this month?

In October 2026, the Older Persons Grant pays on 2 October, the Disability Grant on 5 October, and children's grants (Child Support, Foster Child, Care Dependency) on 6 October. SRD R370 pays in batches through the month rather than on one fixed date — check your own status on SASSA's SRD portal.

Can you get more than one SASSA grant at the same time?

You can't hold two grants meant for the same person (for example, the Older Persons and Disability grants together), but you can receive different grants for different people in the same household, or a Grant-in-Aid on top of your own grant if you need a full-time carer. A caregiver can also draw a Child Support Grant for more than one child, up to six non-biological children.