SASSA grant increases: the 2026/2027 amounts and how they change

By the SA Benefits Editorial Team·Updated 21 Aug 2026·3 min read·Verified 21 Aug 2026

Published 21 Aug 2026

Every SASSA grant increased on 1 April 2026, confirmed by SASSA after National Treasury approval on 20 March 2026. The Older Persons, Disability and Care Dependency grants rose R80 to R2,400; War Veterans rose R80 to R2,420; Foster Child went to R1,290; and the Child Support Grant and Grant-in-Aid both went from R560 to R580. The SRD grant did not increase — it remains at R370, where it has stood since 2024.

The 2026/2027 amounts

What the increases are actually worth

R80 on R2,320 is about 3.4%, and R20 on R560 is about 3.6%. Both sit close to or below inflation, which is why the increases were widely described as below-inflation adjustments: the rand amount rises while what it buys does not. The gap is starkest for the SRD grant, unchanged at R370 against a food poverty line of around R855 — a point at the centre of the court challenge to the SRD rules.

How grant increases are decided

1. February — the Budget

   The Minister of Finance announces the proposed grant amounts for the coming financial year in the Budget Speech, with the detail set out in the Budget Review.

2. March — Treasury approval and SASSA confirmation

   National Treasury signs off the amounts and SASSA confirms them alongside the payment schedule for the new financial year. In 2026 that approval came on 20 March.

3. 1 April — the increase takes effect

   New amounts apply from the first payment run of the new financial year, automatically, for every active grant.

4. October — occasional second adjustment

   In some years the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement adds a smaller October adjustment. It is not guaranteed, and we only report one once it is announced.