The agency also rejected claims that any money deposited into a beneficiary's bank account would result in their grant being cancelled.
Picture: iStock and Sassa
While the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) started distributing social grants for October last week, they are still continuing this week, with beneficiaries receiving payments according to the agency’s scheduled payment dates.
Sassa administers more than 19 million grant payments, including the Older Persons Pension Grant, Disability Grant, War Veterans Grant, Care Dependency Grant, Foster Child Grant, Child Support Grant, Child Support Grant Top-Up and Grant-in-Aid.
October 2026 payment dates
Grant beneficiaries are advised that payments will be made on the following dates:
- Older Persons Grant – Friday, 2 October 2026
- Disability Grant – Monday, 5 October 2026
- Children’s grants – Tuesday, 6 October 2026
- Fourth-day payment – Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Sassa grant amounts:
- Old Age Grant (60-74 years) and Disability Grant – R2 400
- Old Age Grant (75 years and older) – R2 400
- War Veterans Grant – R2 420
- Care Dependency Grant – R2 400
- Child Support Grant – R580
- Foster Child Grant – R1 290
- Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant – R370
With the Disability Grant scheduled for Monday and children’s grants for Tuesday, beneficiaries should follow their respective payment dates.
Sassa clears up grant review concerns
Sassa has also moved to clarify misconceptions about grant reviews, stressing that being selected for a review does not automatically mean a grant will be cancelled.
The agency said a review happens after a grant has already been approved and is used to establish whether a beneficiary still meets the qualifying requirements.
“A social grant review, on the other hand, is a process undertaken after a grant has already been approved,” it said.
Sassa said beneficiaries’ circumstances could change over time, including their income, financial situation, marital status, residential circumstances, care arrangements or, for certain grants, medical circumstances.
“A review is therefore not a punishment, nor should it automatically be interpreted as a decision to terminate a grant,” Sassa said.
Money in bank account does not automatically cancel grant payment
The agency also rejected claims that any money deposited into a beneficiary’s bank account would automatically result in their grant being cancelled.
“This is incorrect,” Sassa said.
It explained that its verification processes use information from relevant institutions and databases, but the existence of money in a bank account does not automatically mean a beneficiary no longer qualifies for assistance.
“For example, the existence of money in a bank account does not mean that every amount reflected in that account is automatically treated as a permanent monthly income that disqualifies a person from receiving a grant,” it said.
Beneficiaries who receive a review notification have been urged not to ignore it.
“A review is an opportunity for a beneficiary to confirm their circumstances and provide the information required to establish continued eligibility,” Sassa said.
Sassa also reminded beneficiaries of a fourth-day payment scheduled for 7 October for those identified for a review or certification process, once the required process has been completed.
