With the upcoming Budget Speech 2025, South African grant recipients are eagerly awaiting news about possible SASSA grant increases for the 2025/2026 financial year. Over the years, these grants have seen incremental changes to help meet the needs of vulnerable individuals and families.
Before the official announcement, let’s take a comprehensive look at the grant increases from April 2020 to March 2025 to understand how much financial support has improved and whether we can expect a similar trend in the coming year.
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SASSA Grant Increases From 2020 to 2025
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) provides essential support to millions of South Africans through various grants. These grants include Older Persons, Disability, Child Support, Foster Child, Care Dependency, War Veteran’s, Grant-in-Aid, and the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant.
Over the past five years, these grant amounts have steadily increased, although some beneficiaries received more significant adjustments than others. Here’s how the grants have changed over time:
April 2020 – March 2021
During the 2020/2021 financial year, grants received a moderate increase, with older persons, disability, and care dependency grants set at R1 860. The SRD grant was introduced at R350 as part of COVID-19 relief efforts.
- Older persons: R1 860 (+R20 if 75 and older)
- Disability: R1 860
- Child support: R445
- Foster child: R1 040
- Care dependency: R1 860
- War veteran’s: R1 880
- Grant-in-aid: R445
- SRD: R350
April 2021 – March 2022
In the following year, SASSA grants increased again, but at a modest rate, with a R30 increase for older persons and disability grants.
- Older persons: R1 890 (+R20 if 75 and older)
- Disability: R1 890
- Child support: R460
- Foster child: R1 050
- Care dependency: R1 890
- War veteran’s: R1 890 (+R20)
- Grant-in-aid: R460
- SRD: R350
April 2022 – March 2023
This financial year saw a more significant adjustment, particularly with the introduction of the Child Support Top-Up grant, which aimed to provide additional financial relief for caregivers.
- Older persons: R1 980 (+R20 if 75 and older)
- Disability: R1 980
- Child support: R480
- Child support (Top-Up): R480 + R240
- Foster child: R1 070
- Care dependency: R1 980
- War veteran’s: R1 980 (+R20)
- Grant-in-aid: R480
- SRD: R350
Mid-Year Adjustment (October 2022)
In October 2022, an extra R10 was added to grants for older persons, disability, care dependency, and war veterans, raising them to R1 990.
April 2023 – March 2024: The Biggest SASSA Grant Increase
This financial year saw one of the most significant increases, with some grants rising by R100 and others increasing by R20 to R50.
- Older persons: R2 080 (+R20 if 75 and older)
- Disability: R2 080
- Child support: R500
- Child support (Top-Up): R500 + R250
- Foster child: R1 120
- Care dependency: R2 080
- War veteran’s: R2 080 (+R20)
- Grant-in-aid: R500
- SRD: R350
Mid-Year Adjustment (October 2023)
Some beneficiaries received an additional R10 increase in October 2023, continuing the trend of mid-year adjustments.
April 2024 – March 2025: The Most Recent Grant Increases
In the latest financial year, grants continued to increase, with older persons, disability, and care dependency grants reaching R2 180. The SRD grant also saw its first increase since its introduction, rising from R350 to R370.
- Older persons: R2 180 (+R20 if 75 and older)
- Disability: R2 180
- Child support: R530
- Child support (Top-Up): R530 + R260
- Foster child: R1 180
- Care dependency: R2 180
- War veteran’s: R2 180 (+R20)
- Grant-in-aid: R530
- SRD: R370
Mid-Year Adjustment (October 2024)
In October 2024, another R10 increase was added to older persons, disability, care dependency, and war veterans’ grants, bringing them up to R2 190.
What to Expect for SASSA Grant Increases in 2025/2026?
With the 2025 Budget Speech around the corner, many South Africans are wondering if grants will see another major increase. Given the previous trends:
- The SRD grant might increase further to keep up with inflation.
- Older persons, disability, and care dependency grants could surpass R2 200.
- Child support grants may be adjusted to align with rising living costs.
- The mid-year October increases might continue in 2025.
News: SASSA Grant Beneficiaries Left in Limbo as 2025 Increases Remain Unconfirmed
Over the past five years, SASSA grants have steadily increased, with the biggest adjustments occurring in 2023 and 2024. While these increases provide some relief to South Africans, many still face financial hardships due to rising inflation and the high cost of living.
As we wait for the 2025/2026 Budget Speech, it remains to be seen whether SASSA grants will receive another substantial boost or if increases will remain modest. Whatever the case, these grants remain a lifeline for millions of South Africans who rely on them for basic survival.
Source: SASSA grant hikes in the last five years
