The latest outlook for March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants is not as straightforward as usual. All South African Social Security Agency beneficiaries are waiting to hear what the annual increases will be. Unfortunately, President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) this week failed to touch on the subject. Therefore, this only leaves Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech on 19 February to address the increase.
Nevertheless, March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants will be part of a broader budgetary arm-wrestle that’s on-going in the agency. With just seven weeks to go to April 2025 disbursements, there is still no official word on grant increases for the year. This is not a good sign for a department besieged with in-fighting. Young families with children are waiting with bated breath to know if they will be able to make ends meet in a few months’ time. We predict little more than 5% increases for the year, because of the mess Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has been left with after her predecessor.
MARCH 2025 SASSA CHILD SUPPORT GRANTS
Despite the recent landmark High Court ruling that says SRD applicants have been ‘unlawfully’ excluded for two years, March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants will go ahead as usual. However, doubling monthly SRD payments will cost the taxpayer approximately R35 billion and will almost certainly impact ‘core’ disbursements like SASSA Childcare and Older Persons. If you’re unfamiliar with how March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants work, besides the aforementioned, there are two more government grants offered. Only one parent (if married) may claim a grant for any child (under the age of 18).
So, let’s explore the latest updates for March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants and see which, if any, may be applicable to your child. SASSA disburses approximately 13-million R530 SASSA Child Support Grant each month. This stipend costs government more than any other grant in South Africa. Even more than R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD), due to the sheer numbers.
WHAT CAN NEEDY PARENTS DO?
If you put a newborn child onto March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants from birth and it runs all the way to their 18th birthday, that child’s household would receive approximately R135 480 in support. This conservatively factors in estimated annual grant increases of 5% per annum. Nevertheless, SASSA still believes even more can be done for young parents with newborns. The agency is calling on mothers with newborns to urgently apply for SASSA Childcare. However, this is only possible if the parents register their newborn with the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible.
Besides March 2025 SASSA Child Support grants, two more stipends will be paid on Thursday 6 March 2025. These are Foster Child and Childcare Dependency. To qualify you must pass the following means tests for each:
- Earn less than R8 800 per month if you’re married (R105 600 annually).
- Earn less than R4 400 per month if you’re single (R52 800 annually).
Applications can take up to three months to be processed, however, you will be back-paid to the date of application if successful.
HOW DO YOU APPLY FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILD?
After you have been through Home Affairs to get an unabridged birth certificate and ID document for your child, visit the SASSA service portal. Make an appointment online before you visit a SASSA branch in-person. And be sure to bring the following documents with you:
- Official birth certificate and ID of the child.
- Valid identity documents of both the applicant (child) and spouse (if married).
- Proof of marital status (marriage, birth or death certificate of your spouse).
- Proof of income (you and your spouse).
- Approved three-month bank statement (no older than three-months).
- Proof of address (a utility statement with your name on it that’s not more the three-months old).
CARE DEPENDENCY AND FOSTER CHILD GRANTS
Mentally or physically disabled children and foster children also get government grant support. These grants do require additional paperwork. A child must be declared disabled by a government-appointed doctor. Likewise, you are only eligible for the SASSA Foster Child grant if you are the rightful, court-appointed foster parent in accordance with the South African Child Care Act. The grants pay R2 190 (Care Dependency) and R1 190 (Foster Child),respectively. The final remaining Childcare grant date before (unconfirmed) April 2025 increases is:
For assistance you can contact SASSA directly:
- SASSA Toll-Free Call: 0800 60 10 11
- SASSA Head Office: 012 400 2322
- Email SASSA: grantenquiries@sassa.gov.za
- Or email: president@presidency.gov.za
CAN WE HELP WITH YOUR SASSA CHILD SUPPORT GRANT IN ANY WAY?
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