The South African Government offers financial assistance to caregivers or parents who care for severely disabled children through the Care Dependency Grant. The South African people can utilize this government benefit to manage their expenses for the disabled child, read the article to know more about the grant.
SASSA Care Dependency Grant
The Care Dependency grant is an effort of the South African government to support and provide assistance to parents, foster parents, guardians, and primary caregivers who care for children with severe physical or mental disabilities due to which the children need full-time care.
The South African government provides the grant under the Social Assistance Act through the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). The care dependency grant covers children from their birth until they turn 18. Eligible South Africans receive monthly assistance under this grant to manage their expenses.
Children with disabilities need special care due to the severity of their disability which sometimes increases the expenses of the parents, the government aims to assist such parents or caregivers in fulfilling all the basic needs of children.
SASSA Care Dependency Grant Eligibility Criteria
The South Africans can check their eligibility for the SASSA Care Dependency Grant from the below eligibility criteria:
- You must be a primary caregiver, parent, or foster parent appointed by the legal authority
- You must be a South African citizen or permanent resident of the country.
- Your annual income should stay within the threshold of R223 200 if you are a single parent or caregiver.
- The joint yearly income limit for couples is R446 400, remember the income limit does not apply to foster parents.
Children’s Eligibility for Care Dependency Grant:
- The child’s age must be under 18 to be eligible for the grant.
- The child is suffering from a mental or physical disability that requires full-time attention and special care.
- The child must not be cared for permanently in an SA state institution and live in SA.
SASSA Care Dependency Grant Amount
Earlier this year, the government increased social grant amounts to catch up with the increasing cost of living. The changes in the social grants have been effective from 1 April 2024. According to the hike, the beneficiaries of the care dependency grant will also receive the increased amount.
The current care dependency grant amount is R2090, which has increased to R2180 from April 2024. The government has decided to hike a little from October 2024, hence, the recipients will receive the new amount of R2190 from October 2024.
The agency usually processes the grant on the 5th to 7th day of the month. The agency advises the recipients to check their Grant status to learn the exact payment date based on their payment method. The agency clarified the grants can take two or three business days after processing the funds.
How will you receive the Care Dependency grant?
According to the SASSA, the agency processes the grants through the following methods that the recipients can choose:
- Cash payments at PayPoint: The payment method allows the recipients to receive the grants at designated pay points on certain days.
- Payment into your Postbank account or bank account via electronic deposit: The payment method allows the recipients to receive the payment through electronic deposit directly to their bank or Postbank accounts. The recipient must ensure that their bank details are correct or valid to receive timely payments from the SASSA.
- Institution acting as Care dependency grant administrator: Some institutions like welfare organizations, etc. act as grant administrators and pay the grants.
The recipients who can’t collect the money by themselves can give someone a power of attorney to collect the amount on their behalf or you can appoint a procurator at the SASSA office to continue receiving your grants.
Documents needed for the SASSA Care Dependency Grant Application
The South African citizen who meets the eligibility criteria and wishes to receive the grant can apply for the grant with the following documents:
- Medical report confirming the child’s disability
- Your Salary slip, pension slips, and bank statements for income proof
- Marital Status proof
- 13 digit bar-coded identity document or birth certificate
- School report (if applicable)
If you are a foster parent and not a biological parent of the child:
- Proof that you are responsible for the child, like an affidavit from a police official or social worker’s report/ a letter from the school authority/ an affidavit from the biological parent.
- The foster parents should present the court order stating the child is now under their care.
- The refugee foster parents should present the refugee ID and refugee status permit
How to apply for the SASSA Care Dependency Grant?
The South African people can follow the below application process to apply for a care dependency grant:
- First, visit the nearest SASSA office with the mentioned documents as the application is not available online.
- Ask for the care dependency grant application, the nodal officer will refer the child for medical assessment.
- After the assessment, complete the application form for the grant in the presence of the officer with the correct details.
- Next, submit the form to the authority and get the application receipt with your application number and other relevant details.
- The agency will review your application and inform you about the approval or rejection of the application.
According to the SASSA guidelines, the agency can take up to two or three months to process your care dependency grant application, so you must wait for the approval.
However, you can check your application status on the SASSA official website with your application number, South African ID number, and your mobile number.
The South African people must apply for this grant if they meet the eligibility to ensure that their child receives everything they need to make their life easy.