Sassa Child Support Grant

The recent economic hardship has hit every country and South Africa is not exempted. Due to this, taking care of a child in these hard times is very expensive. We are aware of this and would like to help you understand how child support grants work and who qualifies to apply for a South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant.

What is Child Support Grant?

The Sassa Child support grant is aimed at parents who live in lower-income households to assist them to take care of the basic needs of their children. The grants are intended to bridge the cost of the living gap, not to replace other income.

Who qualifies to apply for a Child support Grant?

If you are the child’s primary caregiver (a parent, grandparent, or person primarily responsible for the child’s care), to qualify for benefits you must:

• Be a South African citizen or have permanent residency.
• Not earn more than R52 800 a year (R4 400 a month) if you’re single. If you’re married, your combined income shouldn’t be above R105 600 a year (R8 800 a month). 

If you are not the parent, you must prove that you are the child’s primary caregiver. You can use an affidavit from a police officer or birth parent, a report from your social worker, or a letter from your child’s school principal.

For the child to qualify they must:

• be under 18 years old,
• not be in the care of a state institution,
• live with the primary caregiver, who isn’t paid to look after the child.

You and your child must live in South Africa. Children other than legally adopted or biological children cannot receive more than six grants.

You’re unable to get a grant if you’re:

• being paid to look after the child,
• not the child’s primary caregiver,
• someone is already getting a grant for the child,
• you represent an institution that takes care of the child

What’s the grant amount?

The amount changes each month, however, the child support grant is currently R480 per month per child. 

How to apply for a child support grant

You can apply for child support by completing an application at your local SASSA office or regional office counter. The application is free.
The application is completed in the presence of her SASSA representative. A receipt will be issued once the application is complete. Receipts should be kept as proof of the claim.

You will also need to present certain documents and provide some information, such as:

• your South African identity document (ID), which must be bar-coded,
• the child’s birth certificate, which must have an ID number, 
• your salary slip, bank statements for 3 months, or pension slips, and any other proof of income,
• if you’re unemployed, your Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) card – “blue book” – or a discharge certificate from your previous employer,
• if you’re not the child’s parent or guardian, a written note of permission from the parent or guardian that you should take care of the child,
• if you’re not the child’s parent or guardian, information about how you’ve tried to get the parents to pay maintenance,
• information that shows that you’re the child’s primary caregiver.