SASSA Old Age Grant [2024] – A Detailed Guide on Old Age Pension
South Africa is ranked as an upper-middle-income country, But you will find many incidences of poverty and inequality there. To tackle this financial issue and help South African citizens, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has started various social grants. Old age grant is one of them.
The Old Age Grant (an old age pension or old persons grant) is a social grant offered by SASSA to provide financial assistance to older people in South Africa who are 60 years old or above and have no income source. This old age grant offers a monthly payment to South African citizens.
The person should be a permanent resident or refugee whose age is 60 years or above. This grant aims to help the older residents financially who can’t work anymore. To qualify for this grant you have to fulfil the eligible criteria. Let’s understand the eligibility criteria and requirements, what is the means test, and how much money you will receive for an old age grant.
SASSA Old Age Grant Eligibility Criteria and Requirements
To qualify for the old persons grant you have to fulfil the below eligibility criteria. If you complete the below requirements, you become eligible for this grant –
SASSA Old Age Grant Means Test
The SASSA offers social assistance based on the means test. The SASSA evaluates the income and assets of the person applying for social assistance as well as his/her spouse to check if the person’s means are below the stipulated amount.
This grant is only for people who have insufficient means to support them. Using this means test the SASSA determines whether a person qualifies to receive the grant or not. Only people who receive a monthly income below the threshold can receive this grant. As of 1st April 2023, the SASSA has decided on two monthly thresholds for means test –
1) Income Threshold- If you are single then you should not earn more than R96 840 a year.
- If you are married then your yearly income should not exceed R193 680 a year.
- If you are single then you should not own assets worth more than R1 372 800.
- If you are married then your combined assets should not be worth more than R2 745 600.
Each grant has its means test to verify eligibility and check financial status.
How much is the SASSA Old Age Grant?
The amount of old age grants varies depending on the applicant’s age. The grant amount increases each year. As per the last amount increase of 1 October 2023, the applicant aged between the age 60 and 74 receives a monthly payment of R2 090 per person, while the applicant aged 75 or older receives a monthly payment of R2 110 per person.
Generally, the changes in grant amount are reflected yearly in the national budget speech or at the opening of Parliament. It is projected that in the upcoming update of 1 April 2024, the old age grant monthly payments are expected to increase by R10 per person.
It would be best if you also remembered that this older person’s grant is paid on a sliding scale. It means that the more private income you have, the smaller the support you may get from the government.
How to apply for the SASSA Old Age grant?
The application process is quite straightforward. You can apply for the SASSA old age grant by visiting your nearest SASSA office or online via the SASSA services website. If you want to apply online then check how you can apply for SASSA grants online.
If you are too old or sick and unable to travel to the SASSA office to apply personally, your family member or friend can apply on your behalf. They are known as the procurator. The procurator is the person who applied for the grants on your behalf.
The procurator should take a letter from you and a doctor’s note saying why you can’t visit the SASSA office by yourself. The procurator can legally apply and collect the grant on your behalf.
When you visit the SASSA office, you will get the application form there. The application form should be completed in the presence of the SASSA officer. Only you, as the applicant and the SASSA official can fill out the application form. If you find it hard to complete the application then the SASSA officer will help you.
The SASSA officer will take your interview and inform you if you qualify for the grant. The old age grant application is completely free. After you submit your application form, you will get a dated stamp receipt from the SASSA officer with his name on it. Keep it as proof of application.
Documents Required for Old Person’s Grant
To apply for the old age grant successfully, you have to submit the following documents along with your application. So when you visit the SASSA office, take these documents with you.
How long it takes to process the old age grant application?
It may take up to 3 months to process your SASSA old age grant application. If your application gets approved, you will receive the payment from the date on which you applied. If your application is declined or rejected by SASSA, they will give you a letter explaining why your application is not approved and how you can challenge this decision within 90 days of being notified.
If you are admitted to a state institution or if your income and assets improve so much that you no longer pass the means test or if you die, SASSA will cancel your grant.
How To Check SASSA Old Age Grant Status?
Until now your application has been submitted and the application process is complete. But your work doesn’t stop here. You should regularly check the application status to know if your application is approved or not. The SASSA has provided various methods to check your application status.
If your application gets approved, you can see the payment dates in your account. Along with your approval status, the payment dates are also displayed. Use any of the below methods to check the status –
- Through the official SASSA website – https://srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status
- Through the Moya App. This is the data-free method.
- Via SMS to SASSA at number 082-046-8553
- Through SASSA Whatsapp Number 082-046-8553
- Contact SASSA Toll-Free number 0800-601011
How To Receive SASSA Old Age Grant Payment?
You will receive the grant payment only if your application gets approved. After the approval, you will get paid on the date on which you applied. You can check the SASSA payment dates to know more. Generally, the grant is paid on the 2nd or 3rd day of each month. You can choose any of the below ways to get paid your old age pension.
To receive the payment in your bank account you have to complete some documentation. You will need to fill out the consent form for bank payment and submit it along with the following documents.
- Identity proof, such as your ID, driving license or birth certificate.
- Your bank account number (Account should be registered in your name)
- Last three months’ bank statement. Your name and account number should be visible on the bank statement.
If your bank details are changed, you should update the bank details as soon as possible. You will receive the payment in the new bank account from the next payment date. Generally, the bank may charge a nominal fee for the service. So if you want to change the payment method, you will need to fill out a form at the welfare office.
Note: if you are not able to collect the grant money in person, you can appoint someone from your family member or friends to collect the grant on your behalf.
What to do if the old age grant application is not approved by SASSA?
If your application is declined or rejected by SASSA and you are not happy with the SASSA’s decision. If you believe that this mistake was made in error, then you can request SASSA to reconsider your application. If your reconsideration request is also rejected or denied by SASSA then you can appeal the SASSA’s decision to ITSAA.
From the date you are notified, you get 90 days to appeal against the decision. If the Ministry of Social Development find you eligible for the grant and approves your application, they will reverse the SASSA’s decision and you will start to receive the grant payment. If your appeal gets declined then the last option is to get help from the High Court.
How to check the SASSA old age grant balance?
If your application is approved and you are the beneficiary of an old age grant, you will receive the monthly payment. But it’s important to manage the grant money and make the right decisions about these funds. So to do that you need to check the balance regularly. You can use the following methods to check the SASSA balance.
Why does SASSA conduct a review for old age grants?
The old age grant aims to help old South African people financially. The beneficiaries receive this grant based on the income they declared during the application process. You must provide all your income proofs in your application. The SASSA reserves the right to review your application periodically.
The reviews are conducted to ensure that the grant holders still meet the means test criteria and that their financial condition or circumstances have not improved yet. The review is also done to see if the grant holder is still alive.
SASSA will send you the written notification three months before the application to be reviewed. The written notification also includes the date and location of your review and what will happen after the review. If you receive your grant payment via bank, procurator or institution, you need to submit the life certificate to SASSA every year.
If you are bedridden, SASSA officials will give you a home visit to conduct your review. After your review is completed, you will receive a receipt of compliance. If you are a refugee applicant, your review will be conducted when your refugee status expires.
Reasons for Old Age Grant Suspension
Your old age grant may get suspended or cancelled due to any of the following reasons.
How to restore the grant?
If you think that your grant is suspended because of the above reasons or it was suspended by error, you can appeal to the Ministry of Social Development to reinstate your grant. You have to appeal within 90 days of receiving the suspension.
Reasons for Old Age grant lapse
The old age grant may lapse due to the following reasons –
- The grant holder has passed away
- The grant holder was admitted to state-funded institutions
- The beneficiary did not claim the grant for 3 consecutive months
- The grant holder does not live in South Africa anymore
- The grant holder no longer fulfils the means test criteria. It means that the income and assets of the beneficiary have improved so much.
The old age grant is based on a sliding scale. The more private income you have, the less grant money you will receive. So if you are admitted to state institutions for more than four months, your grant amount will be reduced to 25% of the total grant.
SASSA Grant Holder’s Responsibility
As an active SASA grant holder, you have some responsibilities to fulfil.
- Keep the SASSA updated about your changes in personal and financial circumstances.
- If your physical address or contact details are changed then update SASSA as soon as possible.
- Always provide true and correct information. False information may lead to suspension of your grant.
If there is any change in the above circumstances, update the SASSA promptly to avoid delay and suspension of your grant. SASSA sends the notices or updates to the physical address you have provided. So if there is any change, inform the SASSA about it. If you don’t inform and SASSA is unable to contact you, it will result in the suspension of your grant.
FAQs
Conclusion
The SASSA old age grant has been a great help for the old citizens of South Africa. After the person is retired and he/ she does not manage their funds properly, their financial situation becomes worse. Many elders get abused, and their money gets stolen. In such time the old age grant is a help for them. So if you fulfil the criteria, apply for the old age grant now!
SASSA Contact Details
If you have additional queries or need any assistance with the application then you can reach out to SASSA directly via the following channels.
