Care Dependency Grant 2026

According to SASSA's You and Your Grant booklet, you must:

• be a South African citizen, permanent resident or recognised refugee living in South Africa
• live in South Africa with the child
• be the child's primary caregiver, and the child must be under 18 and need permanent care because of a disability
• submit clinical information or a referral form as a starting point for the assessment
• make sure the child has a medical or functional assessment confirming the disability
• meet the means test on your income and your spouse's, unless you are a foster parent
• provide the child's birth certificate
• show that the child isn't permanently cared for in a state-funded institution

If the child is old enough for school, you must provide proof of school attendance, though missing it won't lead to a refusal on its own.

The two grants can look alike, so the difference is worth knowing before you queue.

The Care Dependency Grant pays about four times as much. The government's service page also shows a much higher income limit for it, R223,200 a year for a single caregiver against R52,800 for Child Support, so a household that is too well off for Child Support may still qualify. The income limit section below has the detail.

Can a child receive both? If your child needs full-time care because of a disability, apply for this grant and ask the officer about Child Support at the same visit. The Child Support Grant page covers that one.

A child who is a foster child and care dependent can receive the Care Dependency Grant and the Foster Child Grant together, and the foster parent's income is left out of the means test, according to SASSA's booklet.

R2,400 a month, according to SASSA's 2026/27 announcement, an increase of R80 from April 2026.

The income limit

The government's own service page shows R223,200 a year for a single caregiver and R446,400 for a married couple, without a date.

An officer runs the actual test.

The government says a state medical officer must assess the child before the grant is approved, and that SASSA arranges the referral. You provide a referral letter with clinical information from the child's treating practitioner or institution. If an earlier application was rejected on medical grounds, the booklet says to submit a referral form completed by the treating facility or practitioner.

A doctor confirms what the child needs. This page can't tell you whether a particular condition will qualify, and neither can a website. The assessment does.

Bring certified copies.

• Your 13-digit barcoded ID, and your spouse's if you are married
• A certified copy of your Section 24 refugee permit, if applicable
• The child's birth certificate
• A referral letter with clinical information from the treating health practitioner or institution
• Proof of marital status: a marriage certificate, death certificate for a spouse, divorce decree, or an affidavit in case of desertion
• Your latest payslip, not older than three months, and your spouse's
• Three months of bank statements for every account, yours and your spouse's
• A bank confirmation letter, or three months of statements, for the account you want to be paid into

The account must be in your name.

1. Collect the documents and the referral letter.
2. Go to your nearest SASSA office. The child's medical assessment is arranged before a decision.
3. Complete the application form in front of a SASSA officer.
4. Keep the receipt.

Applying is free. Processing may take up to three months. SASSA says it never asks for your PIN. To report fraud, call 0800 701 701.

SASSA reviews grants to confirm the details are current and that beneficiaries still qualify. It may send a courtesy notice inviting you to review your circumstances, and the booklet warns that ignoring one can lead to suspension. Tell SASSA about any change in the child's care, in your income or in who the primary caregiver is. How often a Care Dependency Grant is reviewed depends on the case.

If a grant is suspended because you missed a review, you must apply for restoration within 30 days.

If your application is stuck or declined

If SASSA can't give you an outcome on the day, following up is your job. Visit the office where you applied, call 0800 60 10 11, or email GrantEnquiries@sassa.gov.za, and quote your receipt. The SRD status checker doesn't cover this grant.

An unsuccessful application gets written reasons. You can appeal by asking an official to help lodge it, or by emailing Grantappeals@dsd.gov.za. You have 90 days from learning of the decision to appeal, under the appeal regulations. What each status means explains Pending and Declined results. See how all eight grants compare in SASSA grants.