SASSA Children’s Grant Application Guide
SASSA stands for South African Social Security Agency which is responsible for providing needy individuals in the country with SASSA grants. They work while keeping in mind the legislative and constitutional framework and distributing the SASSA grants to all the needy locals. Since here we are talking specifically about SASSA children’s grants, we will focus mainly on that.
The children’s grant from SASSA is provided to the caretaker of the child. It provides the parents or caretaker with the basic costs of the children’s needs month by month. Since the grant is provided to the parents and families that have lower income set-ups, this helps them in providing their child with a good living.
Here is all that you need to know about SASSA children’s grant status, how to check the grant balance, how to write an affidavit, and what is the foster care grant.
We will talk about everything related to the child’s grant from SASSA in the details below so keep your attention and stay focused to understand the guide below.
SASSA is an official program so it has to fulfil some basic criteria for the eligibility of the child to get a SASSA grant. In this section of the article, we will be talking about what exactly is the application procedure for the SASSA child support grant and what is the eligibility criteria including what documents you will need and how to apply.
Let us start with the application process.
Application Process
For the application for the SASSA child’s grant, you have to fill out a form. You can get the form from the nearest African Social Security Agency Office. Look for the nearest office or point of a regional office. You will be handed over the application form and the SASSA officer there.
He will fulfil the form. After completing the form and attaching the documents you will get a receipt from the officer. Make sure to put the receipt safely, as it is the only proof of the application for the grant.
Eligibility Criteria
There is an eligibility criterion for both the primary caretaker who is applying for the child grant as an applicant and the child himself. Make sure that both the applicant and child are fulfilling the criteria before applying for the grant.
Eligibility Criteria For The Applicant
- Applicants should be a child’s primary caretaker. It includes a guardian, parent, and grandparent.
- Citizenship in South African society is also compulsory for the applicant.
- If your earnings are less than R 52 800 then you are eligible for the child grant. This is for the situation if you are single. And if you are married then the combined income of both your spouse and you as an applicant should be less than R1 05600 per year. Then you are eligible for the grant of the children.
- You cannot apply for the grant for more than 6 children. This is only for those who are not biological parents or have not adopted the children legally. Otherwise, you can get the grant for more than 6 children, if you are the biological parent or have adopted the children legally.
Another important thing that you have to keep in mind is that if you are just a caretaker of the child and not the biological parent or have not adopted the child legally then you have to write a note of permission from the biological parents or true guardian of the child. The note should claim that they are allowing you to take care of their child.
Eligibility Criteria For The Child
- The age of the child you are applying for the grant for should be less than 17 years.
- He should be living with the caretaker or guardian who is applying for the grant.
- Citizenship of South Africa is compulsory for getting the grant.
Documents Needed
After fulfilling the criteria you have to make sure that you have all the documents that are needed for the application.
- ID card
- ID card of your spouse, if you are married
- The child’s birth certificate
- Description of any other grant the child is getting
- Proof of the assets and financial income like salary, bank statements, and documents related to pension.
- If you have no job then you have to provide the unemployment insurance fund.
- Marriage certificate if you are married
- Court order of custody, if the child is your biological child and there is a case of divorce or separation with your spouse
- Death certificate of the parents if the parents of the child are dead
- Proof of certificates of the parent in case any of them is missing
How To Check SASSA Child Grant Balance Online?
Here is a 4 step by step process of checking the balance easily and quickly online What you have to do is to,
- Go to sassa status check and open the website.
- A site will open that will ask you to enter the ID number you have in South Africa. Enter that number in the bar.
- After entering your ID number, enter the phone number too.
- Now click on submit and wait for the response.
If the above website isn’t working you can also use sassa.gov.za
This will take you to the place where you can see your child’s grant balance. In case the online procedure is not working and is not showing you your child’s balance you can also go with the option of checking the SASSA child support grant on phone.
SASSA Child’s Grant Balance On Phone
- For this what you have to do is to dial *120*69277#.
- Now follow the steps, the details are telling you.
How To Write Affidavit For SASSA Child’s Grant?
Make sure to fully provide the following information if you have to write an affidavit for the SASSA child grant.
- You have to provide the name and contact information of the applicant and affiant. Affiant is a person who is writing down an affidavit.
- Name and date of birth of the child for whom you are getting the SASSA grant.
- Relation of the affiant and the child.
- A statement confirming that the affiant is the only caretaker and financially responsible for the child’s living.
- You also have to mention about the child is not getting any grants or any other type of assistance from the government.
- There should be a statement in the affidavit that tells about the financial situation of the affiant and the proof of both his income and the child’s support and income.
- You also have to make sure that you are providing all the paperwork and other relevant and necessary information such as birth certificate, residency, and identity documents.
Key Instructions For Writing An Affidavit
- Write clearly and precisely
- Use specific and direct language
- Right true information
- For legal binding, the affiant should sign the affidavit in front of a commissioner or notary public.
Increase in SASSA Children’s Grant 2023
While looking at the benefits of the child grant the social development of South Africa has just now taken measures for further increment in the grant. All of the qualifying children and the caretakers will receive the basic CSG child support Grant of R480.
This, when combined with an additional R240 which is 50% of the basic CSG comes with a total of R720. It means one child with qualifying information will get the CSG of R720. The step has been taken by considering the proclamation of the social assistance amendment act on the 30th May 2022 Sunday.
Moreover, this step has enabled the minister of social development and the minister of finance to take steps for a 50% increment in the child sports grant, mainly for orphans who are under the care of relatives. But make sure the relatives and the child both support grants are qualified.
Foster Care Grant
A foster child care grant is a grant that is provided by the South African government to a foster parent. A Foster parent is a parent of a child with a valid and legal court order. Your child should be under 18 years of age and you should be eligible for financial assistance.
How much is Foster Care Grant?
A total of R 1070 per month grant is issued as of October 2022. What you have to do is to keep in mind the requirements that you have to fulfil to qualify for a foster child grant. Make sure to meet the following criteria before applying for the grant.
- You should be a South African citizen.
- You should be a foster parent.
- Your child should also be a South African citizen.
- You should have a court notice of custody for the child.
- The child should be 18 years old.
If you are looking for an application for a foster child grant, visit the SASSA office or look for the details available online. There are certain requirements for the documents that you should provide with the application.
These are,
- The child’s birth certificate.
- South African identity card of you and your child.
- Your spouse’s ID card.
- Proof of the spousal relationship.
- Court order of your custody.
- If you are a refugee your status is permission to be a refugee.
It hardly takes around 90 days and your applications are checked. If it is approved you will get the grant and in case it is rejected you can apply for reconsideration. You can get the payments directly in your bank account or as cash from the approved pay points. You can also get payment from specific institutions.
What are the reasons for grant lapsing?
There are chances that the child grant will be stopped if the child is dead if he turns 18 years of age if he is not present in the country if any of the other state institutes are taking care of that child. Plus, the grant will also be stopped in case the child’s caretaker has not received the grant for three consecutive months.
What if the grant is not approved?
If your grant is rejected, you have the option of appealing to the minister of social development and the national office of the department of social development in South Africa. Make sure that the appeal you are putting forward is within 90 days of rejection notification.
Can I reapply for a SASSA Child Support grant?
Yes, you can re-apply for SASSA Child’s Support Grant in case your previous application was not accepted. You can re-apply by filling in the necessary criteria and providing the documents in addition to the application form. The replication procedure for SASSA Child’s Grant is similar to the first application form.
Can sassa cancel child grant?
Yes, SASSA can cancel a child grant in certain circumstances. Here are some reasons why a child grant might be cancelled:
1. Change in circumstances: If there is a change in the beneficiary’s circumstances, such as an increase in income or the child is no longer in the beneficiary’s care, SASSA may cancel the child grant. Beneficiaries are required to report any changes in their circumstances to SASSA, and failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the grant.
2. Failure to meet eligibility requirements: If the child or the beneficiary no longer meets the eligibility requirements for the grant, SASSA may cancel the grant. For example, if the child is no longer under the age of 18, the grant may be cancelled.
3. Fraud or misrepresentation: If it is discovered that the beneficiary provided false information or misrepresented their circumstances to obtain the grant, SASSA may cancel the grant.
If your child grant has been cancelled, you will receive a notification from SASSA explaining the reason for the cancellation.
How much is sassa child grant in 2023 and during lockdown?
During the lockdown period in South Africa, which started in March 2020 and ended in February 2021, the child grant amount was increased to R445 per child per month. This was an additional amount of R300 per child per month, which was added to the usual child grant amount of R145 per child per month.
It’s worth noting that the child grant amount is adjusted annually in line with inflation, and the amount may change from year to year. The current child grant amount, as of February 2023, is R520 per child per month.
Final Thoughts
There are so many people in South Africa that are having a hard time taking care of their children. To assist them in providing a better living for their children, the government of South Africa has initiated the SASSA Child Support Grant program. Above mentioned article tells you about the details of how you can apply for the grant.
Read the details and see if you and your child are qualifying the eligibility requirements for the grant you can apply for the grant. The application procedure, required documents, and eligibility criteria are all mentioned above.
After completing the whole procedure, you can get the grant easily and within the told time. In case your application is denied, make sure to re-look and re-consider the details as you also have the option of re-applying.