SASSA pays a Child Support Grant to the primary caregiver of a child under 18. Primary caregivers can include the child’s parents or grandparent(s) and anyone older than 16 in charge of a family.
Child support grants are designed to help families with lower incomes and offer financial assistance to the parents of children or their primary caregivers. Grants are not intended to replace income; they’re meant to help families cover the gap between earnings and cost of living. The primary caregiver can receive up to six Child Support Grants, even if the children are not legally or biologically related.
From April 1, 2024, the Child Support Grant will be R530 per month per child. SASSA launched the Child Support Grant top-up on June 1, 2022. This assisted relatives and main caregivers with the orphan’s basic needs. The top-up amount per child will be R250 every month from April 2023. The sum of the child support grant for each child will be R750 per child with the addition of the monthly top-up.
SASSA Criteria for Child Support Grants
The applicant must meet certain eligibility requirements before applying for child support.
- To qualify for this grant, you must be a South African national, a recognized refugee, or hold permanent residence status.
- Your child must also live in South Africa.
- The primary caregiver must be a parent, grandparent, or someone older than 16 who cares for the children.
- The child must be younger than 18 years.
- No state institution should be caring for the child.
- A 13-digit barcoded identity document (ID) or smart card is required. You can apply even if you don’t have these documents.
- If you are married, your spouse and you must meet the means test requirements.
- No more than 6 non-biological children can be added to your family.
What is the SASSA child support grant test?
The mean test evaluates the applicants for the child grant to ensure they are only those who deserve the grant. For a person to meet the criteria for means testing, their annual income must not exceed R60,000. If you’re married, your combined annual income cannot exceed R120,000. The criteria used to determine financial eligibility for each grant is different.
What is the cost of child support?
There is no fee for applying for SASSA Child Support Grants.
Grant Suspension: Reasons for Granting it
These reasons can lead to a suspension of the grant:
- You may need to make changes if your situation changes.
- Fraud or false statements are considered fraud.
- The grant review was not conducted in a cooperative manner
- The review’s outcome.
- Your grant may have been approved in error.
Grants of Restoration
You can appeal the decision of SASSA if you feel that it was made in error, or you disagree with the SASSA. This must be done within 90 days of suspension.
The reasons for the lapse of the Child Maintenance Grant
If one of the conditions below occurs, your child maintenance grant will expire.
- The child has died
- Three months running, the primary caregiver did not receive the grant payment.
- A state-run institution will support the child.
- The child must be out of the country.
- The child will reach the age of 18 by the month’s end.
- You may no longer qualify for a grant if your assets or income have increased to the point that they are outside means-testing.
If you stay in the station longer than 4 months, your grant will be reduced by 25%. Upon discharge, your grant amount will immediately increase to its maximum value.
How to apply for the Child Support Grant
If you wish to apply for the SASSA Child Support Grant, please fill out the application at your closest SASSA branch or, if you prefer, follow the online instructions provided on the SASSA Services website.
If you’re too sick, old, or disabled to submit your application yourself, you can ask a family member, friend, or trusted relative to do so. You should give the person applying for you a note from your doctor explaining why you are unable to visit the SASSA offices.
You can get the application form at SASSA and complete it in front of an officer or by yourself. If you are having trouble filling out the form, the officer is available to assist you. The officer will conduct your interview or have your designated person do it. After you have taken the interview, they will let you know if you are eligible for the grant.
You will receive a receipt with a date and the name of the SASSA officer who helped you complete the application. This receipt proves that you applied, even if you don’t qualify. It also contains your Application ID.
Documents Required to Apply for Child Support Grant
When applying for a child grant, you must bring the following original or certified documents with you to the SASSA offices:
- You must have your original barcode 13-digit ID document (identity card) and your child’s birth certificate (the latter should include an ID number). However, you can still apply if you do not have your child’s ID or birth certificate.
- A SASSA official will provide the form, which you can download here. You can also Download the SASSA Affidavit here or ask a SASSA official to provide it.
- Please bring the following documentation:
- Bring a validated declaration attested to by someone you trust (such as an official community leader, licensed social worker, recognized religious leader, or school principal) so they can confirm your identity and that of the child.
- Department of Home Affairs documentation should confirm your identification card or birth certificate application.
- The Department of Home Affairs will provide you with a temporary identification document. (if applicable).
- If you possess a baptismal certificate.
- If available, the school certificate.
- If you can provide it, please consider a Road to Health Clinic.
- You will need your marriage certificate if you’re married.
- If you have a child and are divorcée, the court will grant you custody.
- If one or both of your parents is deceased or has disappeared, then you will need to provide the death certificates or police reports for that individual.
- You must prove that you have the responsibility of caring for the child, even if you’re not its biological parents.
- A sworn police statement.
- The principal of the school attended by your child.
- You must have written permission from a biological parent to care for an infant.
- Report by the Social Worker
- You must provide proof of all your income.
- If you are employed, payslips or bank statements for the past 3 months.
- UIF Card if you receive UIF benefits
- If you were previously employed, please provide either a certificate of termination from your previous employer or proof of membership in the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
- If you receive a pension, then the receipt is yours.
- You must provide proof of financial assistance you’ve received for your child, or that you tried to obtain financial aid from his biological parents but failed.
One of the child support grants’ main objectives is to ensure that children attend school and finish their education. If the child does not attend school, the grant will not be refused.
Process Time to Apply for Child Support Grant
The processing time for applications to receive the Child Support Grant is usually around 3 months. Payments begin after your application has been approved. You will start receiving payments as soon as your application has been approved. SASSA sends a rejection letter explaining why your application was not accepted.
SASSA child support grant reviews
SASSA has the right to review your grant based on what you reported during the application. These reviews ensure that you still meet the grant criteria and that your situation has not changed. They are also conducted to confirm that the child’s life is still intact. You should update the application whenever you’re or your child’s situation changes.
SASSA will notify you in writing before three months have passed or you must submit a life certificate as proof of your continued existence. This written notice will include details on the location and date of the review.
If you receive your grant from a bank or institution through an agent, the SASSA requires that the child’s life certificate be submitted annually to their office. If you’re bedridden, the SASSA will audit your house. Once the SASSA officials have completed their visit, you will receive a receipt for your compliance review. When the refugee status of a refugee applicant expires, he or she will begin the review process.
