SASSA stands for South African Social Security Agency, which was created in 2005.
They are an agency which distributes social grants, on behalf of the Department of Social Development, to South Africans who need them the most.
Types of Social Grants From Sassa
They offer several social grants including:
Care Dependency Grant,
Child Support Grant,
Disability Grant,
Foster Child Grant,
Grant-In-Aid,
Older Persons Grant,
Social Relief of Distress,
War Veterans Grant, and
Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant.
Care Dependency Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee. You and the child need to be residents in South Africa. The child needs to be under the age of 18 years. You need to submit a medical / assessment report confirming permanent, severe disability. You and your spouse need to meet the requirements of the means test (except for foster parents).
The care-dependent child/children must not be permanently cared for in a State Institution.
Child Support Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be the primary care giver of the child/ children concerned. You need to be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee. You and the child need to reside in South Africa. The child/children need to have been born after 31 December 1993. You and your spouse need to meet the requirements of the means test. Child can not be cared for in state institution.
Disability Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee. You need to be a resident in South Africa. You need to be between 18 and 59 years of age. You need to submit a medical / assessment report confirming permanent, severe disability.
Your medical assessment must not be older than 3 months at date of application. You and your spouse need to meet the requirements of the means test. You must not be maintained or cared for in a State Institution. You must not be in receipt of another social grant in respect of him or herself.
Foster Child Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be the foster parent of a child/children. You need to be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee. You and the child need to reside in South Africa. Child must remain in the care of the foster parent(s).
Grant-In-Aid
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be in receipt of a grant for Older Persons. Disability grant or a War Veteran's grant, and require full- time attendance by another person. Owing to his/her physical or mental disabilities. Must not be cared for in an institution that receives subsidy from the State for the care/housing of such beneficiary.
Older Persons Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee. You need to be older than 60 years old. You can not be in receipt of another social grant. You and your spouse must comply with the means test. You may not be maintained or cared for in a State Institution. You need to submit a 13 digit bar coded identity document.
Social Relief of Distress Grant
Social Relief of Distress is paid to South African citizens or permanent residents, who have insufficient means and meet one or more of the following criteria: You are awaiting payment of an approved social grant. You have been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of less than 6 months. The bread winner is deceased and application is made within three months of the date of death.
No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful. The bread winner of that person`s family has been admitted to an institution funded by the state (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment centre for substance abuse or child and youth care centre).
You have been affected by a disaster as defines in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978. You are not receiving assistance from any other organization or. Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will cause undue hardships.
War Veteran's Grant
In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be a South African citizen / permanent resident. You need to be a resident in South Africa. You need to be 60 years and over or must be disabled. You need to have fought in the Second World War or the Korean War. You and your spouse must meet the requirements of the means test. You may not be maintained or cared for in a State Institution. You may not be in receipt of another social grant.
COVID-19 SRD Grant In order to qualify for the grant, you will have to meet the following requirements: You need to be a South African citizen / permanent resident. You need to be a resident in South Africa. You need to be over the age of 18. You need to be unemployed.
For more information please visit the official Sassa website at www.sassa.org.za
