SASSA Disability Grant 2026

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

• be a South African citizen, permanent resident or recognised refugee living in South Africa
• be aged 18 to 59
• not be maintained or cared for in a state-funded institution
• not receive another social grant for yourself
• have a disability confirmed by a medical or functional assessment
• provide clinical information or a referral form confirming the disability
• pass a means test on your income and assets, and your spouse's if you are married

If your application was rejected on medical grounds before, the booklet says you must submit a referral form completed by your treating facility or practitioner.

Up to R2,400 a month, according to SASSA's 2026/27 announcement, an increase of R80 from April 2026. The Disability Grant is paid on a sliding scale, so a higher private income can mean less than the full amount. Disability grants are paid second each month, after older persons and before children's grants.

The means test limits

The government's service page shows R86,280 a year for a single applicant and R172,560 for a couple, with assets of R1,227,600 and R2,455,200. Use these as a guide.

An officer runs the actual test.

A doctor appointed by the state examines you. The government says the medical report is valid for three months from the date of the assessment, and the doctor sends their findings to SASSA. That three months is the number to plan around. The six months in SASSA's May 2025 statement covers the documents you upload for an online application, and the statement sets no period for the medical report. SASSA then decides whether you qualify and whether the grant is temporary or permanent.

SASSA also asks for a referral letter from the practitioner or clinic that treats you, signed and stamped, with clinical information about your condition. SASSA's doctors use the referral letter as input for their assessment.

In a May 2025 statement, SASSA encouraged disability applicants to book assessments through its online platform, to save on transport and queues. Anyone without internet access can book at a SASSA office. SASSA also warned applicants not to seek help from strangers.

• Temporary. For a disability that will stop you working for at least six months but not more than 12. It ends when the assessed period ends.
• Permanent. For a disability that will last longer than 12 months. The government notes that permanent doesn't guarantee payment for life, because SASSA reviews grants.

When a temporary grant expires you must reapply. SASSA said in 2021 that the new award may be temporary or permanent, depending on your circumstances, and its booklet lists the expiry of a temporary grant as a reason a grant lapses.

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
• 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 you hold, and your spouse's
• A bank confirmation letter, or three months of statements, for the account you want to be paid into
• Proof of permissible deductions, such as tax, UIF, medical aid or a private pension
• Proof of assets, such as property you own but don't live in, cash investments, shares or lump sums
• A signed and stamped referral letter with clinical information from your treating practitioner or institution

The account must be in your name.

1. Book your medical assessment, online or at a SASSA office.
2. Collect your documents and the referral letter.
3. Complete the application form in front of a SASSA officer at your nearest office, or, if you booked your assessment on SASSA's online platform, complete the application there and submit it. SASSA said in May 2025 that documents must be certified and valid within six months; the medical assessment and means test still happen with SASSA staff. The medical report has its own, shorter clock of three months, so apply soon after your assessment.
4. Keep your receipt. It is proof of when you applied.

Applying is free. Processing may take up to three months, and if you are approved you are paid from the day you applied. SASSA says it never asks for your PIN. To report fraud, call 0800 701 701.

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. To appeal, ask a SASSA official to help you lodge it, or email Grantappeals@dsd.gov.za. A SASSA statement reported by SAnews in November 2023 said an appeal must be lodged within 90 days of the rejection letter, and the appeal regulations give 90 days from learning of the decision.

A lapsed temporary grant isn't the same as a rejection. In a 2021 statement on lapsed temporary grants, SASSA told people to go to their nearest office with a detailed referral report from their treating doctor. What Pending and Declined mean explains the results you may see. If you also need someone to care for you full time, Grant-in-Aid is paid on top, and the comparison of all SASSA grants shows the rest.