The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), through the Disability Grant, has continued to extend financial assistance to people with disabilities in the country. Changes that beneficiaries need to pay attention to in 2025 will concern the application procedure, eligibility requirements, and payment schedules.
What is SASSA Disability Grant?
The Disability Grant will be extended to grant South African citizens, permanent residents, and refugees who have been medically certified that they cannot work because of a physical or mental disability. It provides assistance in their basic living requirements and access to essential needs.
TYPES OF DISABILITY GRANTS
The temporary disability grant applies to people having disabilities with the duration between 6 and 12 months. The permanent disability grant applies to people who meet the requirement of being disabled for at least more than a year.
It should be understood that “permanent” in this context signifies the expected duration of the disability but shall not be considered as the basis for an automatic grant of payments for life; reassessments are required.
New Application Process for 2025
For 2025, SASSA has again made the application process simple and reasonable.
- The SASSA also provides an online self-assessment on the official website. This can allow potential applicants to determine whether they meet the minimum criteria before scheduling an appointment to visit the offices.
- Now, all in-person applications require a pre-booked appointment. Book via the SASSA website, USSD code, or at your nearest SASSA office.
- Applicants should be assessed psychologically by a state doctor attached to SASSA. The doctor shall issue a report confirming the gravity and duration for which the disability affects the applicant.
- Documents must be submitted in person at a SASSA office. Bring a certified ID document, a medical assessment report not older than 3 months, proof of income and assets, banking details, and marital status documentation if applicable.
Ineligibility Criteria for 2025
Requirements for 2025: be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or recognized refugee. All applicants are between the ages of 18 and 59 years old with medical assessment confirming the disability who live outside of state institutions and available to the means test.
The means test threshold for 2025 indicates that a single applicant must earn no more than R96,840 a year or R8,070 a month. Combined income should not exceed R193,680 yearly for married couples. Individual asset ceilings for single applicants should be less than R1,372,800, while that for married couples should be less than R2,745,600.
Amount of Disability Grant 2025
The amount for the Disability Grant will therefore stand at R2,180 per month in April 2025. However, this amount could change during the budget review process in October 2025.
Payment Dates for 2025
The SASSA payments for Disability Grant are made monthly, with each date fixed for the month. Thus, your expected dates of payment in SASSA Disability Grant for the first half of the year 2025 are as follows.
- April – 4 April 2025
- May – 6 May 2025
- June – 5 June 2025
Payment dates are set, as a rule, on the first week of every month, usually on a Thursday. Hence, beneficiaries should wait for SMS confirmation and should not hurry to the pay-points to ease congestion.
How to Check Your Grant Status
The status of your application or payment for the SASSA Disability Grant can be checked through the SASSA website, WhatsApp, USSD code or contact centre.
Reapplications and Reviews
There is no permanent disability grant; it is temporary in the case of most beneficiaries. Certain other beneficiaries would be called in for a periodic review and assessed afresh medically and conducted a means test. Kindly make sure that SASSA has your current contact information, so you will receive notifications.
How to Avoid a Suspension of Grant Payments
Some of the reasons for suspension of grants include improvement in financial status, failure to respond to reviews by SASSA, admission to the state institution, or giving of false information.
In Summary
The SASSA Disability Grant is a very important assistance mechanism in the lives of thousands of disabled South Africans. With the updated procedure set to roll out in 2025 focusing fully on medical reassessments and applying digital tools, it will be important for applicants to keep themselves updated and organized across the application cycle.