Older Person's Grant 2026

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

• be a South African citizen, permanent resident or recognised refugee living in South Africa
• be 60 or older
• not be maintained or cared for in a state-funded institution
• not receive another social grant for yourself
• pass a means test on your income and assets, and your spouse's if you are married

The means test decides whether you qualify, and it also sets how much you get. The Older Person's Grant is paid on a sliding scale, so a higher private income can mean less than the full amount.

R2,400 took effect in April 2026, an increase of R80, according to SASSA's 2026/27 announcement. The R2,420 rate for people aged 75 and over is on the government's old age pension page. Older Person's Grants are paid first each month, ahead of disability and children's grants. If you also need full-time care from another person, Grant-in-Aid is paid on top.

The means test limits

The limits change every April. The government's own service page shows R86,280 a year for a single person and R172,560 for a couple, with asset limits of R1,227,600 and R2,455,200, but it carries no date.

Use those as a guide, not a promise. A SASSA officer runs the actual test.

Bring certified copies, and bring them all. SASSA records your application date as the day your documents are submitted and checked, so an incomplete file pushes back the date you are paid from.

• Your 13-digit barcoded ID, and your spouse's if you are married. If you don't have one, SASSA accepts approved alternative identification.
• A certified copy of your Section 24 refugee permit, if you are applying as a refugee.
• Proof of marital status: a marriage certificate, a death certificate for a spouse, a divorce decree, or an affidavit in case of desertion.
• Your latest payslip, if you have one, not older than three months. Your spouse's too, if married.
• Three months of bank statements for every active 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.

The account must be in your own name and able to receive electronic transfers. Officers may ask for more during your interview.

1. Collect your documents.
2. Go to your nearest SASSA office and ask for the Older Person's Grant application form.
3. Complete it in front of a SASSA officer. Only you or an officer can fill it in.
4. Keep the receipt. It is your proof of when you applied.

The application is free. SASSA also runs an online application portal at services.sassa.gov.za, launched in 2020 for the Older Person's, Child Support and Foster Child grants. It needs an email address and certified copies of your documents, according to SAnews. If you can't travel to an office, an authorised representative can apply for you with medical documentation explaining why.

SASSA says it never asks for your PIN. To report fraud, call 0800 701 701.

Happy birthday in advance. Once you turn 75, your grant rises from R2,400 to R2,420 a month. Keep an eye on your first payment after your birthday to see the new amount. If it hasn't gone up, ask at your SASSA office or call 0800 60 10 11.

Your application is still Pending

SASSA says processing may take up to three months. Past that, you are the one who follows up. Visit the office where you applied, call 0800 60 10 11, or email GrantEnquiries@sassa.gov.za, and quote the receipt. The SRD status checker doesn't cover this grant. What Pending and Declined mean explains the results you may see on a permanent grant, and how they differ from SRD.

Your application is declined

SASSA must send written reasons if an application is unsuccessful. If you disagree, you can appeal. Ask a SASSA official to help you lodge it, or email Grantappeals@dsd.gov.za. You have 90 days from learning of the decision to appeal, under the appeal regulations.

Your grant is suspended or lapses

A grant can be suspended if you don't respond to a review, if your marital status, address or finances change and SASSA isn't told, or if it was approved in error. It can lapse if you are admitted to a state-funded care institution, if you don't claim it within 90 days of approval, or if you leave the country for more than 90 days.

If it was suspended because you missed a review, or because you didn't collect it for three months in a row, you must apply for restoration within 30 days. Tell SASSA about any change in your circumstances, and answer any request to attend a review.