SASSA Disability Grant

The Disability Grant (DG) is a payment from the government of South Africa, to adults who are living with a physical or mental disability, making them unable to work for a period of 6 or more months.

The permanent disability grant is for people whose disability will continue for longer than 1 year, while the temporary disability grant is for people whose disability will continue for between 6 and 12 months.

The Disability Grant is R2 180 per person, per month, as of 1 April 2024. The Disability Grant value works on a sliding scale – therefore people with higher private income will receive a smaller grant amount. This is an increase of R90 per grant, with a further increase of R10 expected on 1 October 2024.

If you would like to find out more about the Disability Grant, carry on reading.

What are the requirements to apply for the Disability Grant?
What is the Means Test for the Disability Grant?
How do I apply for the Disability Grant?
When will I receive the outcome of my Disability Grant?
How will I get paid my Disability Grant?
Why was my Disability Grant application suspended?
Why did my Disability Grant application lapse?
How do I contact SASSA for any queries I have regarding my Disability Grant application?

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SASSA DISABILITY GRANT

In order to apply for the SASSA Disability Grant, it is important that you meet the criteria to apply (note that these criteria are subject to change). The criteria is as follows:

You must be a South African Citizen, a Permanent Resident or a Refugee
You must be between 18 and 59 years old
You must NOT be receiving permanent care in a state-funded institution
You must reside within South Africa
You must have a temporary or permanent disability (physical or mental)
Your disability must make you unfit to work for a period of longer than 6 months, but less than 12 months: if you are applying for the temporary disability grant
Your disability must make you unfit to work for a period of longer than 12 months: if you are applying for the permanent disability grant
You must meet the means test as stated below (for income and assets)
You must undergo a medical examination where a doctor appointed by the state will assess the degree of your disability
You must NOT be receiving care in a state institution
You must NOT be receiving any other social grant for yourself

READ ABOUT: Other types of grants
SRD R350 Grant Care Dependency Grant Child Support Grant Foster Child Grant
Disability Grant Older Persons Grant Grant-In-Aid War Veterans Grant

MEANS TEST FOR THE SASSA DISABILITY GRANT

SASSA awards social grants based on a means test. A means test is a method of evaluating an applicants income and assets, to determine whether they qualify for a grant.

Income threshold: Single applicants must not earn more than R97 320, while married applicants must not earn more than a combined income of R194 640 a year.
Asset threshold: Single applicants must not have assets valued at more than R1 379 400, while married applicants must not have assets valued at more than R2 758 800.
These are the thresholds as of 1 October 2023. Applicants who are married will have half of the annual joint and assets income taken into consideration.

Read more about the means test here and what is considered an asset.

The means test varies between grant types.

APPLYING FOR THE SASSA DISABILITY GRANT

As part of the Disability Grant application, applicants will be required to undergo an assessment, by a doctor appointed by the state. The assessment will allow for the SASSA-approved practitioner to diagnose your temporary or permanent disability and determine whether your disability is severe enough to qualify for the Disability Grant.

The final decision to award the Disability Grant will be at SASSA’s discretion, not the medical practitioners.

After the medical assessment, applicants can apply for the Disability Grant by visiting SASSA office close to you or you may apply online (read instructions on how to apply online via the SASSA services website here).

If you are unable to visit the SASSA office yourself, due to being too sick, old or disabled, you may have a family member or friend apply for you, by way of a power of attorney. This person is your procurator and they will be able to legally apply or receive your social grant on your behalf.

The application form is available at the SASSA office and must be completed in the presence of a SASSA officer. A SASSA officer will be able to assist you or your appointed person, to complete the application form if you or they are unable to do so.

You will receive a dated stamped receipt, with the name of the SASSA official who assisted in the application. You will need to keep your receipt as proof of application.

The application process is completely FREE.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED WHEN APPLYING FOR A DISABILITY GRANT

Applicants must take along the following documents when applying for the disability grant through SASSA (these must be original documents or certified copies):

ID Document (if this is not available, you may submit an affidavit to confirm personal information) (download the SASSA affidavit here)
Refugee status permit and 13-digit refugee ID: if applicable
Medical report and functional assessment report confirming your disability (download the form here)
Proof of marital status: if you are married
Proof of residence
Proof of income or dividends: if applicable
Proof of assets, including the municipal value of your property: if applicable
Proof of private pension: if applicable
3 months bank statements

DISABILITY GRANT OUTCOME

Applications are assessed within 30 business day, after which time you will be informed in writing, whether your application was approved or rejected. If you were rejected, SASSA will provide a reason for your rejection.

You will be able to request SASSA to reassess your application, if it was rejected. Download the Application for Reconsideration of SASSA Grant here.

If after reconsidering, your application is still rejected, you may appeal to the Minister of Social Development. Read about the appeal process here.

Approved applicants will start receiving payments within 3 months of applying. Payments will be backdated to when you applied.

GRANT PAYMENTS

After your grant is approved, you will be paid on the date on which you applied. You can find the SASSA payment date here (it is usually around the 3rd or 4th day of each month).

Your Disability Grant will be paid in any of these 3 ways (depending on your preference):

Directly into your bank account (this must be a bank account in your name)
Collected in cash from approved pay points (using your SASSA gold card)
From specific institutions

CHANGING GRANT PAYMENT METHOD

Recently, a Postbank payment glitch left many grant recipients stranded and unable to access their grants. For this reason (or perhaps another reason), you may wish to change your grant payment method from the SASSA Gold Card into your own personal bank account.

If you would like your grant to be paid into your bank account, you will need to complete the Consent Form for Bank Payment of SASSA Grant, as well as provide the following documents: proof of identity (ID document/ birth certificate/ drivers license) and proof of bank account in your name (received from the bank) or 3 months bank statement showing your personal details (name and bank account number).

All of these documents must be submitted to a SASSA office near you. Alternatively, you may visit your nearest SASSA branch and they will assist you in how to change your payment method. Note that the new payment method will come into effect the following month.

If you are unable to collect your grant yourself, you may nominate someone to collect it for you.

GRANT REVIEWS

You must provide proof of all incomes you receive in your application.

Applications are reviewed to verify that grant-holders still meet the criteria of the grant, to continue receiving the grant. Applications are reviewed to assess whether your circumstances have changed.

Applicants will receive a notification in writing from SASSA, 3 months before applications are to be reviewed. The notification will inform you when and where the review will be conducted and what will happen after the review. Applicants who are bed-ridden will receive a home visit. After the review has been completed, you will receive a receipt of compliance.

Applicants who are refugees will have their application reviewed when their refugee status expires.

GRANT SUSPENSION

Your grant may be suspended due to the following reasons:

Your circumstances change – either financially or medically
You provided false or incorrect information in your application
You failed to co-operate when the grant is reviewed
Outcome of a review
The grant was approved when it should not have been

DISABILITY GRANT RESTORATION

If your grant was suspended due to any of the reasons above, you may apply to have the grant restored within 90 days of receiving the suspension.

DISABILITY GRANT LAPSE

Your grant may lapse due to the following reasons:

The grant holder has died
The grant holder was admitted into a state-funded institution
The grant has not been claimed for 3 consecutive months
The period of temporary disability has expired
The grant holder is no longer living in South Africa
The grant holder is no longer a refugee: if they had refugee status when applying for the grant

DISABILITY GRANT NOTES

As a grant holder, it is your responsibility to:

keep SASSA updated with regards to changes to your personal and financial circumstances
keep SASSA updated with regards to changes to your physical address or contact details

Applicants must inform SASSA immediately of any changes to the above, as official notices are sent to your most recent address by registered mail. If you do not receive or act upon the notices, your grant may be suspended.

SASSA will not tolerate any fraudulent activities.

CONTACT SASSA

For any further queries, please contact SASSA directly:
Contact the SASSA Toll Free Call centre on: 0800 60 10 11
Contact the SASSA Head Office on: 012 400 2322
Email SASSA Head Office at: Grantsenquiries@sassa.gov.za
Contact details of SASSA offices across the country: SASSA offices