SASSA pension grants will NOT be doubled, confirms department

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The Department of Social Development (DSD) has confirmed that SASSA pension grants will not be doubled. In fact, speaking before the Parliamentary portfolio committee on social development this week, the department said it is ‘between a rock and a hard place’ on social grants.

Referring to the still-unapproved 2025 Budget, the DSD was responding to calls for SASSA pension grants to be doubled. Or at the very least increased again in 2025. As part of the committee meeting, SASSA pension grant advocate Riyad Isaac explained that the current grant amount was not enough to combat rising living costs in South Africa …

SASSA PENSION GRANTS WILL NOT BE DOUBLED

Furthermore, the DSD overseas the South African Social Security Agency, which is tasked with disbursing social welfare to nearly 45%of the population. Nevertheless, there is still confusion over whether above-inflation grant increases in 2025 will remain or be overturned under a new budget.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana must convince parliament for a third time of his budget intentions. However, he famously said he was only proposing a VAT increase in 2025 to help pay for the ever-increasing social welfare contribution. This has led to wide-scale conjecture that suspended SASSA accounts in May are an attempt to claw money back.

STILL NOT ENOUGH

After a five-week gap, SASSA pension grants were paid this week. Image: File

Nevertheless, even with the above-inflation increases approved in April 2025, beneficiaries of SASSA pension grants are not happy. “I understand pensioners are now getting R2 310 (and R2 330 for over 75s) but it’s nowhere near enough to survive. My heart goes out to all the over 60s. Remember, they are the backbone of society,” said Isaac in front of parliament.

“Some might have a pension, which is lucrative. But the majority of people are not that fortunate. Many live below the poverty line and struggle to make ends meet. R2 310 is not nearly enough if you look at the rates and rental they have to pay. There is no way we should allow pensioners to survive on only that amount,” Isaac concluded.

ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

In response, DSD acting chief director, Dr. Maureen Mogotsi said she sympathised, but said it would not be feasible to double SASSA pension grants. Of the roughly 19-million ‘core’ grants paid monthly, 4 million are SASSA pension grants.

She said R285 billion has already been allocated to the social grants for the 2025/26 financial year. And because SASSA pension grants are already the highest paid among all grants, it makes it difficult to argue for an increase, let alone doubling, explained Mogotsi.

“It (Older Person grants) already exceeds the upper poverty line. While, in contrast, the R560 SASSA Child Support Grant is below the food poverty line, even though child poverty is higher than adult poverty. You see, we are between a rock and a hard place. Who should we consider first? It’s simply not possible for us to double SASSA pension grants,” Mogotsi concluded.