South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

A social grant refers to grants paid by the government to South African citizens who are in need of assistance. In South Africa, social grants are administered by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

Social grants are in place to help improve standards of living in society and are given to people who are vulnerable to poverty and in need of state support.

These generally include older people, people with disabilities, and people with young children. All applicants for social grants must be South African citizens, permanent residents or refugees (official refugee status granted by the South African government must be provided) and candidates must be living in South Africa. Social Assistance is provided in the form of:

Grant for older persons
Disability grant
War veterans grant
Care dependency grant
Foster child grant
Child support grant
Grant-in-aid
Social Relief of Distress

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is a national agency of the government created in April 2005 in order to distribute social grants on behalf of the Department of Social Development. The DSD has an oversight role over the Agency but no operational control over it.

It was also designed to reallocate the function of social security from South Africa’s provinces to the national sphere of government and reports to the Department of Social Development (DSD).

SASSA is a public entity in terms of Schedule 3A of the Public Finance Management Act.

The key functions of the parastatal are related to the administration and payment of social grants: the processing of applications, verification and approval of applications, disbursement and payment of grants to eligible beneficiaries, quality assurance, and fraud prevention and detection.

SASSA Relief Grant – SASSA Grant: Millions of South Africans received the temporary Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant from May 2020.

Previously, all nine (9) provincial governments were responsible for the administration of social grants, but this created serious social delivery challenges especially the delay in the approval and payments of grants, possible fraud and corruption in the system, inhumane pay points facilities and huge administration costs in delivering social grants.

SASSA R350 Grant: The special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant

The National State of Disaster was declared as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic. In this regard, Covid 19 Social Relief of Distress Grant ( SASSA SRD) of R350 per month for 6 months was introduced to be paid to individuals who are currently unemployed, do not receive any form of income, social grant or UIF payment etc.

This Social Relief of Distress Programme was confirmed in the Regulations made under Section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002): Measures to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19, as amended. – SASSA Unemployment grant.