SASSA at 20 years: 73% of pensioners receive the old age grant
Grant has helped reduce poverty, but it is being stretched to maintain households
Twenty years after its inception, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) continues to provide old age grants to a significant portion of the country's older population. Currently, about 73% of people aged 60 and over receive the grant, valued at R2,400 to R2,430 per month. This figure has risen from R820 per month in 2006, indicating that the grant has kept pace with inflation, although not by a wide margin.
The increase in beneficiaries is due to the eligibility criteria being widened over time, with men becoming eligible at 65 and women at 60. However, the rising cost of living and growing care needs have put pressure on the grant. It is not only used to support older people but also to meet the expenses of extended families and cover transport, healthcare, and other household necessities.
Since 2006, the number of grant recipients has increased faster than the older population. In 2006, the grant was R820 a month, and today it is R2,400 for those aged 60 to 74 and R2,430 for those 75 and older. The government spent R21.2-billion on the grant in 2006/07, and this figure has nearly doubled to R115.8-billion in 2025/26 when adjusted for inflation.
Despite the grant being a vital source of income for many older households, research suggests that it is often stretched across multiple kin, with food and other household expenses taking priority. The poorest families have to use their resources more widely and often take out loans to cover food costs. For people with disabilities or specific care needs, private transport and incontinence products can consume any benefits derived from the state pension.
While 87% of older people surveyed are satisfied with SASSA, about a third of those who are dissatisfied cite the inadequate grant money as the reason. Pensioners have staged protests over the years, demanding an increase in the grant to R5,000 a month, with annual increases of at least 6%. Support for caregivers, separate grants for caregiving work, and improved access to housing, toilets, and medication are also frequently requested.
Written by urgent.news from GroundUp's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
