The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) manages grants and allowances for people in South Africa who need financial assistance, including grants for children, senior citizens, and those who are disabled. There are several requirements a Sassa applicant must meet in order to qualify for a grant, including the minimum salary amount the applicant earns.
Because SASSA offers more than one social grant, there are different eligibility requirements for each one.
The SASSA grants that have specific salary requirements are:
War Veterans Grant
To be eligible for a War Veterans Grant, the applicant must not earn more than R 86 280 if they are single or R172 560 if married. In addition, the applicant can’t have assets worth more than R 1 227 600 if they are single or R 2 455 200 if they are married.
Other requirements applicants need to meet in order to qualify for the War Veterans Grant include:
- Being a South African citizen or permanent resident
- Living in South Africa
- Be 60 years of age or older or be disabled
- Having fought in the Second World War or the Korean War
- Have not received any other social grant for yourself
- Must not be cared for in a state institution
Child Support Grant
The Child Support Grant requires that an applicant/caregiver not earn more than R4000 if they are single. If married, the couple’s combined monthly earnings must be less than R8000.
Other requirements for the Child Support Grant include:
- Being the primary caregiver who is responsible for the child
- Being a South African citizen or Permanent Resident
- The child must be younger than 18 years old
- The child must not be in the care of a state institution
- The child must live with the primary caregiver in South Africa who isn’t paid to look after the child
Covid-19 Special Relief of Distress Fund
Although this grant doesn’t specifically list a salary requirement, one of the other requirements is that the family’s breadwinner has to be deceased (the grant application has to be submitted within three months of the passing) or have been admitted to a state institution (psychiatric hospital, prison, homes for older persons, substance abuse treatment centers or child and youth care centers).
Other requirements of the Covid-19 grant include:
- The applicant is awaiting payment for an approved social grant.
- The applicant has been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of fewer than 6 months.
- No maintenance is received from the parent, child, or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and the proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful.
- The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defined in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978.
- The person is not receiving assistance from any other organization