The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) disburses millions of grants monthly to financially vulnerable individuals across South Africa.
According to the expanded Budget 2024 review by the National Treasury, social grant expenditure, excluding the SRD grant, is projected to increase from R217.1 billion in 2023/24 to R259.3 billion in 2026/27.
Sassa is responsible for the Sassa payout of several different permanent grants aimed at assisting financially vulnerable people living in South Africa. Social grants distributed by Sassa include the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.
Sassa Grant Payment Dates For March
Sassa typically disburses permanent social grants during the first week of the month, commencing on the second working day. However, grant payments are not processed on weekends and public holidays.
Here are the Sassa grant payment dates for March:
- Older Persons Grant: 5 March 2024
- Disability Grants: 6 March 2024
- Children's Grants: 7 March, 2024
SRD Grant Payment Dates For March
For March, the SRD grant payment period is scheduled from 25 March to 29 March. Grant recipients should note that it usually takes approximately 2-3 working days for the funds to reflect in their bank accounts after processing.
SRD grant payments are disbursed during the final week of the month following Sassa's completion of various verification checks aimed at ensuring deserving individuals receive assistance.
Sassa Grant Increases
Sassa grants are set to increase on 1 April 2024, and again on 1 October 2024. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the following grant increases:
The old age grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, and the Care Dependency grant will see an increase of R90 in April and an additional R10 in October.
The child support grant will experience a single increase of R20 in April.
The Foster Care grant will be increased by R50 in April.
Unfortunately, Godongwana did not announce any increase for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which currently stands at R350 per month.
Grant beneficiaries in need of financial assistance can access their Sassa grants at various payment points, including ATMs and retail stores such as Pick n Pay, Checkers, Shoprite, and Boxer.