The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) handles social grants in South Africa. The Government supports millions of South Africans by providing financial support. This guide explains How to apply for Sassa grant online and what you need while applying for the social security grant application.

Sassa Online Application
There are different types of Sassa grant that includes:
- Older persons
- War Veteran’s Grant
- Disability Grant
- Child Support Grant
- Care Dependency Grant
- Foster Child Grant
- Social Relief in Distress
Care Dependency grant:
This grant is for children who suffer from severe disabilities and need special care and observation.
Qualification requirement:
- For qualifying the grant, you as an applicant must be a South African citizen, permanent residence, or refugee.
- You and your child must live in South Africa if you want to get benefits from the grant.
- A child who is less than 18 years can apply for a grant
- Medical assessment report as proof of disability
- Meet the mean test requirement (spouse also, if married but except foster parents)
- Not funded by the state institution
Required Document:
The document that is required for a care dependency grant are:
- ID document (applicant and spouse also)
- Childbirth certificate
- Marriage certificate or spousal relationship document( For example sworn statement, Divorce order, or death certificate if a spouse died, etc.)
- Provide income and assets proof
- Medical Assessment document

How to apply?
You can apply for a grant at any nearest Sassa office. If you are sick or unable to visit the office, you can also give the power of attorney to your friend or any family member who can apply on your behalf. When your Sassa application is completed, a receipt is given to you. You must have to keep it safe as it is the only proof that you have applied for the grant.
Child Support Grant:
Sassa is one of the country’s biggest child support programs through which millions of people get support from the government for their children.
Qualification Requirement:
For qualifying the grant, as an applicant you must be:
- the primary caregiver of the child as a parent, grandparent, or the child itself if has a family at age of 16.
- South African citizens or permanent residents
- currently living in South Africa
- A caretaker should not be paid to look after the child
- must not care by state institute
- As a child you must be:
- Less than 18 years old.
- Not under care by the institute that belongs to the state
- The caretaker and child share the same residential place
Required Documents:
- ID(with 13 digit ar code )
- Childbirth certificate
- earning proof
- marriage certificate (if any)
- Court order (If you have custody of the child)
- Divorce paper (in case of separation)
- Death certificate (in case of missing or deceased)
fill out the application form (Sassa officer assist you if you need help)
How to apply for Sassa grant?
You can apply for the grant through any nearest office in Sassa. After completion of applying form, you will be given a receipt that is the proof of your application, So try to keep the receipt safe.

Foster Care SASSA Grant
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) provides grants for foster children. Foster children are those who are in the custody by court order in case of being orphaned, abandoned, at risk, abused, or neglected.
Qualification Requirement:
To qualify the grant you must be:
- A South African citizen, permit residence holder, or refugee status.
- you and your child must have a South African residential address
- child age less than 18 years
- The child is cared for by Foster parents
Required Documents:
Before submitting an application, you need to confirm that the following document is with you:
- Identity Documents (spouse also if any)
- For refugees, a status permit and refugee ID are required.
- Birth certificate of the Child
- If you don’t have the ID documents or child birth certificate, you need to bring:
An affidavit on a standard SASSA format which is completed in the presence of the Commissioner of Oaths who is not a Sassa official.
Sworn statement with a signature by a councilor, traditional leader, social worker, minister of religion, school principal, or any reputable person that knows the child and family.
Then you will have to apply for the ID at the Department of Home Affairs If you want your application in processing otherwise your grant will be suspended.
Your fingerprint also is taken in the presence of a Sassa official.
After applying for an ID at the Department of Home Affairs, you need to submit proof that you have applied for ID documents.
Department of Home Affairs issued a temporary ID card that you can submit while application processing. - baptismal certificate of the child(if any)
- health clinic card (if any)child’s school certificate(if any)
Complete the application form in the presence of a Sassa official. If you are unable to fill out the form, the Sassa official is there for help. After form submission, the receipt has been given o you that is the proof that you have applied for the grant.
How to apply?
You can apply for the grant at any nearest Sassa office. Your application will be processed within three months and You will be granted an R1 070 per month per child.
Disability Grant
Sassa provides support to a person who has a physical or mental disability for longer than 6 months. Sassa provides temporary and permanent disability grants depending upon the applicant’s disability health situation.
Qualification Requirement:
For qualifying the disability grant you must be:
- 18 and 59 years old
- You are a South African citizen, permit holder, or a refugees
- Must be lived in South Africa at the time of application
- Not under care by any Institution that owned by the state
- Earning should be less than R86 280 (if single)
- combined income should be less than R172 560 (if married)
- Asset worth less than R1 227 600 (if single)
- Assets worth less than R2 455 200 (if married)
- determine the severity of your disability through medical examination or test

Required Documents:
Before applying for the Sassa disability grant, you need to submit the following documents:
- Identity document with 13-digit bar code ID
- If you don’t have an ID then submit an affidavit in a standard SASSA format, a sworn statement signed by a reputable person, Apply for ID at the Department of Home Affairs.
- medical report as proof of your disability
- marital status proof (if you are married)
- Residencial document
- income report or document
- Assets or your property proof
- Private pension document (if you take any)
- Bank account information or statement (for previously 3 months)
- Refugee ID if you are an asylum seeker
- UIF Unemployment Insurance Fund) document or certificate of your previous job
- copy of the will (if a spouse died)
How to apply Sassa?
You can apply for the Sassa grant at any nearest office where you live. Your friends, relatives, or a family member are also allowed to apply for a grant on behalf of your’s If you
are unable to apply himself because of certain reasons. After submitting your document, the Sassa official will give you a receipt that is proof of your Sassa application. So keep the receipt safe.
Old age pension grant:
The old age grant is also called the state old-age pension which is paid on monthly basis to those whose age is 65 or above with no other means of financial income. The only purpose of the grant is to help people in their old age.
Qualification Requirement:
To qualify for the old age grant, you must
- Be a South African citizen, residence permit holder, or asylum seeker status as a refugee.
- Have South Africa as your residence country
- Not take any other kind of social grant for himself
- not remain in care under state institution
- Earning should be less than R86 280 (if single),
- earning should be not more than R172 560 (if married)
- Assets worth should be less than 1 227 600 if single and R2 455 200 if married
Required Documents:
To process the grant application, you need to provide the following document.
- 13-digit bar code ID
- Marriage certificate (if you are married)
- Residence proof
- Income proof or monthly payslip
- proof of the property you own
- private pension documents(if you take any)
- bank statements (previous three months)
- proof of your Unemployment Insurance Fund(if you are unemployed)
- discharge certificate of the previous job (if recently on the job)
- copy of the will (on a deceased spouse)
If you do not have an ID, bring a sworn statement, or affidavit completed in the format of Sassa standard. the SASSA official will take your fingerprints and advise you to apply for ID at the Department of Home Affairs if you want to prevent your grant from suspension.
Applying for Sassa grant?
You can apply for the older age grant at any nearest office of the Sassa branch. You have to complete the form in the presence of a Sassa official, Only you as an applicant or Sassa official are allowed to fill the form. If you are too old or unable to apply yourself, your family member or friend is allowed to apply for you. But the person should have a letter from you that explains you gave him the authority of applying for a grant on your behalf and also a medical certificate or letter from a doctor that explains your current health situation that you are unable to attend to the office himself. The officer will give you a receipt after the process of application submission. You have to keep it safe, as it is only proof of your application.
War Veterans Grant
The War Veterans Grant is for the former soldiers who fought in the Second World War (1939-1945) or the Korean War (1950-1953). Now they need support because they are unable to support themselves.

Grant Qualification:
To qualify for the grant, you must meet the following criteria.
- You are a South African citizen or permanent resident holder in South Africa
- 60 years older or in case of disability
- soldier of the Second World War or the Korean War
- does not get benefits from other types of grant
- does not in the care of a state institute
- salary should be less than R 86 280 if single and R172 560 if you are married
- assets worth not more than R 1 227 600 if single and R 2 455 200 if you are married
Sassa how to apply?
You can apply for War Veteran’s Grant at any SASSA Office that is located near you. After the decision, as the beneficiary, you will get an amount of R 1 910 per month.
Social relief of distress grant:
The unemployed persons can now apply for R350 SASSA Social relief of distress grants. It is the temporary provision of assistance for the people who are currently unemployed and unable to fulfill the basics requirement of their families.
You can apply for the social relief of distress grant because of the following factors:
- In the situation of crisis or disaster
- while processing children’s grants application unable to work because of a medical condition,
- On the deceased of Breadwinner
- If the breadwinner has been punished to prison for less than six months
- You are affected by a disaster in spite the area in which you live has not been declared a disaster area.
Required Document:
You need the following documents to apply for the r350 grant.
- 13-digit bar-coded ID
- Proof of your application
- Proof you face an emergency situation
- Have no support or financial means
- maternal status whether you are married, divorced, or single
- Have a medical disability or unfit for short term
If you do not have the ID card or birth certificate, you can still apply for the grant with the following documents:
- Affidavit commissioned by a Justice of the Peace
- sworn statement having sign of a reputable person
- Proof you have applied for a birth certificate or identity document
- Submit temporary identity documents that are issued by the Department of Home Affairs
- baptismal certificate (if any)
- health clinic card (if any)
- School certificate (if any)
How to apply for sassa grant online?
You can apply for the grant online as well as through any nearest Sassa office that is located where you lived.
1. You can apply for the grant online via one of these:
- You can apply Sassa via WhatsApp line by sending a message to 082 046 8553
- Via SRD Website, click on the link and follow the steps: https://srd.sassa.gov.za
- Through SASSA Chatbot: www.sassa.gov.za
2. Then you have to agree with the term and conditions
3. Provide personal details (phone number, ID card documents, and other personal details )
4. Submit banking details by choosing the payment option through which you want to collect the grant.
5. Then you receive an SMS on your mobile number. You have to accept the ID.
6. Sassa then verify and validate the application through different means
7. After submission of the application, you can check the current status of the Sassa application also by Visit SRD Website: https://srd.sassa.gov.za.
Read also about: Legal action over Sassa r350 grant withdrawn.
Conclusion:
So, Sassa provides all the above grants for South African citizens, with only the purpose to reduce poverty with the idea of making people’s lives happier and prosperous.
So, if you are eligible and meet the requirement of grant application you as a South African citizen are always welcome to apply and get the opportunity to fulfill your dreams.
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