May your pockets be full: Here’s when social grants will be paid out in May
· Citizen
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will begin paying out the next social grants in the first week of May 2026.
The agency administers more than 19 million grant payments, including the Older Persons’ Pension Grant, Disability Grant, War Veterans Grant, Care Dependency Grant, Foster Child Grant, Child Support Grant, Child Support Grant Top-Up, and Grant-in-Aid.
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May 2026 payment dates
Grant beneficiaries are advised that payments will be made on the following dates:
- Older Persons Grant – Wednesday, 6 May 2026
- Disability Grant – Thursday, 7 May 2026
- Children’s Grants – Friday, 8 May 2026
Sassa grant amounts:
- Old Age Grant (60-74 years) and Disability Grant – R2 315
- Old Age Grant (75 years and older) – R2 335
- War Veterans Grant – R2 315
- Care Dependency Grant – R2 315
- Child Support Grant – R560
- Foster Care Grant – R1 250
- Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant – R370
Relief for Sassa beneficiaries as portal restored after glitches
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) said its self-service portal is back online after technical issues disrupted access for beneficiaries trying to complete eLife Certification.
“Sassa has noted the challenges to access the self-service system by some of our beneficiaries, and the agency can report that the challenge has been resolved,” it said.
The agency blamed the delays and long queues on system integration issues with other government departments.
“The success of eLife Certification depends on the system interface with other departments… there were system glitches which led to delay and disruptions,” it said, apologising to affected users.
Sassa urged beneficiaries with internet access to use the online portal instead of visiting offices.
“Sassa appeals to all its beneficiaries with the necessary means to make optimal use of this self-service portal… thus incurring transport costs and queueing,” it said.
Life certification, required under the Social Assistance Act, ensures grants go only to eligible recipients. “This process is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of the social grants system,” the agency said.
Beneficiaries who fail to comply risk losing access to grants.
“Sassa may interpret the absence of life certification as an indication that the beneficiary is deceased or not legitimate.”
The agency also called on the public to report fraud, saying it remains committed to ensuring “the right social grant is paid to the right person, at the right time.”