The Blackout Bulletin

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana had announced a variety of SASSA grant increases during his 2024 Budget Speech in February 2024. Much to everyone’s delight, many South Africans who struggle with the financial strain of day to day expenses will have a little bit more help to get by.

The SASSA grant increases announced by Minister Godongwana were said to start taking place in April 2024. The Social Security Agency has since released the year’s SASSA grant payment dates for everybody’s convenience.

NEWS: How to apply for a SASSA grant in 2024: A step-by-step guide

SASSA GRANT INCREASES

The best part about the new SASSA grant increases is that the National Treasury increased the SASSA grant payments in line with the annual inflation rate. That means that grants have increased at the same rate as food prices and other basic living expenses.

NEWS: Why your SASSA grant application was denied

This is a comforting thought when one considers the rising food prices and the heavy load of other household expenses like water and electricity. So, from April 2024, senior South African citizens aged between 60 and 74 years of age will see their SASSA grant payments rise to R2,180 and those 75 years of age and above will receive R2,200.

NEWS: How to appeal your SASSA grant application

HOW MUCH ARE YOU GETTING IN YOUR SASSA GRANT INCREASES?

Not all grants are increasing the same this year. We’ve outlined the SASSA grant increases. See here below:

• The old-age grant, disability grant, war veterans grant, and care dependency grant will witness a boost of R90 in April followed by an additional R10 increment in October.
• The child support grant will receive a single increase of R20 in April.
• The foster care grant will also have a solitary increase of R50 in April.

WILL THE SASSA SRD GRANT GET AN INCREASE IN APRIL?

The SASSA SRD grant which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 aims to support unemployed individuals who are of adult working age. While this grant was hotly debated between South African politicians and activist groups, the SASSA SRD grant grant increase was not mentioned in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech.

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The Basic Income Grant, however, is still being discussed and could very well be a reality for South Africans soon. Should it be approved, the SASSA SRD grant would be scrapped for the Basic Income Grant. While a solid number hasn’t reached for the Basic Income grants, Human Rights activist groups are pushing for grants between R1,500 and upwards of R1,800. Until then, the SASSA SRD grant will remain at R350.

APRIL 2024 SASSA GRANT PAYMENT DATES

Beneficiaries can anticipate the following payment dates for April 2024:

• Older Persons Grant: Wednesday, 3rd April 2024
• Disability Grants: Thursday, 4th April 2024
• Children’s Grants: Friday, 5th April 2024

2024 SASSA grant payment dates

SASSA has released the payment dates for the rest of the year. They are as follows:

May

• Older Persons Grants: Friday, 3 May
• Disability Grants: Monday, 6 May
• Children’s Grants: Tuesday, 7 May

June

• Older Persons Grants: Tuesday, 4 June
• Disability Grants: Wednesday, 5 June
• Children’s Grants: Thursday 6 June

July

• Older Persons Grants: Tuesday, 2 July
• Disability Grants: Wednesday, 3 July
• Children’s Grants: Thursday, 4 July

August

• Older Persons Grants: Friday, 2 August
• Disability Grants: Monday, 5 August
• Children’s Grants: Tuesday, 6 August

September

• Older Persons Grants: Tuesday, 3 September
• Disability Grants: Wednesday, 4 September
• Children’s Grants: Thursday, 5 September

October

• Older Persons Grants: Wednesday, 2 October
• Disability Grants: Thursday, 3 October
• Children’s Grants: Friday, 4 October

November

• Older Persons Grants: Tuesday,  5 November
• Disability Grants: Wednesday, 6 November
• Children’s Grants: Thursday,  7 November

December

• Older Persons Grants: Tuesday, 3 December
• Disability Grants: Wednesday,  4 December
• Children’s Grants: Thursday, 5 December