Sassa grant: How much, when and where to collect in August

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has confirmed the payment dates for various social grants for the month of August.

According to Sassa, all grant payments – besides the R350 Covid-19 social relief of distress (SRD) grant – can still be collected from South African Post Office (Sapo) branches. 

Sassa grant payment dates for August

• Older Persons Grant – Wednesday, 2 August
• Disability Grant – Thursday, 3 August
• Children’s Grant and all other grants – Friday, 4 August

Here’s how much Sassa grants will be for August

The most recent increase in Sassa grants was implemented in April this year, with the next increase set for October.

• Older Persons grant – R2 080
• Older Persons (75 years and older) – R2 100
• Disability grant – R2 080
• War Veterans grant – R2 100
• Child Support grant – R500
• Child Support grant (Top-up) – R500 + R250
• Care Dependency grant – R2 080
• Foster Care grant – R1 120
• Grant-In-Aid – R500

ALSO READ: Scam alert: Don’t be fooled by bogus Sassa job offer

Call for extension of R350 grant

Last Friday, the Department of Social Development (DSD) called for an extension of the R350 grant by another two years.

The grant was initially introduced in May 2020 as a measure to provide financial relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the department, the scope of the grant now extends to South African citizens, refugees, asylum seekers and special permit holders between the ages of 18 and 60 years with a monthly income below R624, “who have insufficient means, who do not receive social grants on behalf of herself/ himself or who are not contributing to or eligible for UIF payment, and have no financial support from any other source”.

ALSO READ: ‘People need it’ – Social development calls for R350 grant extension

Sassa gold card update: What to know

Earlier this year, thousands of grant recipients struggled to have their Sassa gold cards renewed due to the closure of multiple post offices.

In a statement, Postbank spokesperson Dr Bongani Diako said social grant recipients can continue to use their expired cards until December 2023 at ATMs and merchant Point of Sale (Pos) withdrawals without the need to collect new cards or switch to other banks.

“Postbank is going to replace the cards before the end of December 2023 in line with the directive of the South African Reserve Bank,” Diako said.

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Cardless payment of Sassa grants

While grant recipients await to have their new cards issued, Diako said a new method of paying that does not require a physical card, has been introduced. Beneficiaries whose cards have expired, can receive their grants at Shoprite, Boxer, Usave, Pick n Pay and OK Foods.

“To use this new method, Sassa beneficiaries just need to bring their identity documents and their Sassa card pin code to any of the participating retailers,” Diako explained.

“At the till point, they will be asked to validate their identity and enter their cellphone number, and then enter their pin to receive their payment. The process is fast, free, and safe,” he added.

Beneficiaries are also able to use their Sassa gold cards as normal debit cards to make purchases in store.

ALSO READ: Expired gold Sassa cards still active, officials assure public

Where to collect your grant

Sassa national spokesperson Moabi Pitsi has urged beneficiaries to rather make use of alternative ways to access their funds than through post office branches. These include the following:

• Bank Account

Permanent grant beneficiaries have the option of having their grants paid directly into their bank account. This is a convenient grant payment method as beneficiaries can access their money at any time after the payment was made by Sassa. 

• Retail outlets

Sassa grants are paid to selected retailers around the country. Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Boxer stores, Usave stores, OK and Checkers all distribute social grants.

• Mobile cash pay points

There are also mobile cash pay points where grant beneficiaries can collect their money. However, this is not a flexible payment option and beneficiaries may only collect their grant payment for a few hours during a grant payment cycle.

NOW READ: Approved for the R350 grant but still don’t have a pay date? Here’s what to do