From Monday (14 September) social grant applicants will be able to apply for certain social grants online, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) says.
Table of Contents
SASSA application online
The pilot project will at this stage cover the Child Support, Older Persons, and Foster Child grants and Sassa said that other grants will also be added to the portal after a review process.
“This should be a relief to grant applicants as it will save them the inconvenience of standing in queues at Sassa offices in order to apply for their grants,” the agency said.
“The added advantage is that the convenience of online applications eliminates the risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus because there will be no need to gather at public places in order to apply.”
“This remote self-service will be possible on both a computer and a mobile phone. The turnaround time is 10 days, provided the applicant supplies all the stipulated documents such as identity documents of applicant and spouse as well as banking details among others.”
What’s the grant amount?
The amount changes every year, but the child support grant is currently R440 per month per child.
What’s the application process?
You can apply for the child support grant by filling in an application form at your nearest SASSA Office or counter service point of a Regional Office. Application is free.
Your application form will be completed in the presence of an officer of SASSA. When your application is completed, you’ll be given a receipt. The receipt must be kept as proof of your application.
You’ll also need to show certain documents and provide some information, including:
- 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.
Sassa said that users will be able to access the following features online:
- Applications for grants for foster child grant, older persons grant and child support grant;
- Online submission of the required supporting documentation linked to the application;
- Change of circumstances (payment method, banking details, address);
- Status of application.
To access this service, applicants need to have an email address to sign up and to be able to login for further services. Feedback to applicants will be sent through SMS notification to applicants with no email addresses and an email response will be sent to applicants choosing to be contacted by email.
A receipt will be generated when the application is completed.
The testing of the system will run from 14 September 2020 till 25 September 2020. It is important to note that required supporting documents to be attached must be certified. These documents should be certified by a commissioner of oaths,” Sassa said.
Payments will stop if:
- the child dies,
- the end of the month in which the child turns 18,
- if the caregiver doesn’t claim for 3 consecutive months.
- If the child is absent from the country, or
- The child is admitted to a state institution.
Your grant will be reviewed from time to time to check this. You must also inform the department of any changes in your or your child’s circumstances.
Social Grants during Covid-19
SASSA shared the following news on 23 October 2020, “All the top up amounts for the social grants (Old Age, Disability, War Veterans, Child Support, Foster Child and Care Dependency) have come to an end. The grant amounts as from November will revert to pre-covid amounts. There is no extension to the top up amounts. #SASSACARES“
Please contact the SASSA toll-free number: 0800 60 10 11, or Email: [email protected] for more details. You can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter
General Enquiries
South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)
Phone the toll-free helpline at 0800 601 011 for information on:
- pay-out dates,
- qualifying rules for all government grants,
- district office addresses and contact numbers,
- for help with what’s happened to your application,
- how you can also report any fraud or corruption.
Sassa said that applications can be lodged on its secure website here. The website was not online at the time of writing.