Being an anomaly among the developing nations, South Africa recognises the need to create an equitable society by wealth distribution. It does this by having a well-established social welfare system that offers social grants to the less fortunate members of the society. Every month there are more than 18 million SASSA grants payouts in South Africa. Read on to know more about the currently available social grants.

Now that you understand the different social financial assistance offered by the South African government, how do I apply for a SASSA grant? Here is the procedure for applying for any of the above SASSA financial aids:

• Visit the nearest SASSA branch office to apply for a social grant. In case you are weak, sick, or too old to physically go, you can send a family member or a friend with a letter authorizing the application. Alternatively, you can request a SASSA official through a call to conduct a home visit.
• The application process involves filling in the SASSA application form in the presence of an officer from the department. It is essential to ensure that the information that you provide on the SASSA application forms is legitimate.
• The SASSA official will finish registering you for the financial assistance and offer you a receipt. which you need to keep as evidence of the application. You do not have to pay a dime for this process as it is free of charge.
• In case your request is unsuccessful, SASSA must write a letter explaining its decision.
• Individuals have the right to ask SASSA to review its decision if they feel it is unfair. Please note that this request has to be done within 90 days after receiving the application rejection notification. If one is still not given financial aid, they can appeal to the Minister of Social Development.
• All applicants of social grants must have proof of identity. In case you do not have the 13-digit bar code ID card or a birth certificate for the kids, you need to contact SASSA to know which substitute documents can be used for the same purpose.
• Once your application is successful, you will be issued a SASSA card as well as a bank account where the cash will be deposited every month. The card offered is linked to MasterCard; hence, you can use it to make purchases, withdraw funds, as well as other transactions without incurring additional costs.

SASSA website

If you qualify for the social financial aid, you could check out the different payment options that the department has highlighted on sassa.gov.za. The payment options have outlined the charges that an applicant will incur when transacting the funds and the various methods on how to check SASSA balance.

SASSA grant payment dates

According to the South African Social Security Agency, from May Disability and Older Persons Grants will be paid from the 4th day of the month. All other grants will be paid from the 6th of every month. The changes were made in order to prevent the Covid-19 spread.

With the fine details above, you should be well equipped with information on how to apply and who qualifies for SASSA grants. Keep checking SASSA grants news for latest developments, and for more SASSA grant inquiries, contact the institution using their hotline 0800 601 011.