SASSA grants explained
SASSA administers South Africa’s social grants, and they support a very large share of households. Applications are free and are made directly to SASSA — anybody charging you to apply is not helping you.
The main grants cover older persons, disability, child support, foster care, care dependency, war veterans and social relief of distress. Each has its own qualifying criteria, and means tests apply to most.
Apply directly with SASSA. The application is free, and agents charging a fee to submit one on your behalf are providing nothing you cannot do yourself.
Grant income is verifiable income and a registered lender may assess against it. The amounts are modest, so the credit that follows should be too — anyone offering a large loan against a grant is not doing you a favour.
Never hand your SASSA card or PIN to anyone as security for a loan. It is unlawful, it is the mechanism by which grant recipients are most systematically exploited, and it should be reported to the National Credit Regulator and to SASSA.
Related
Sources and last checked
- National Credit Regulator — register of credit providers — Regulator, as at 10 August 2026.
Page last checked 10 August 2026. Statutory caps and lender terms change — confirm anything you intend to rely on with the provider or the National Credit Regulator. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.