National Treasury has confirmed that most social grants will increase in the 2026/27 financial year.
The announcement was made in the 2026 Budget Review released on Wednesday.
New SASSA Grant Amounts For 2026
The updated monthly payment amounts are as follows:
- Old Age Grant: Increase from R2 315 to R2 400
- War Veterans Grant: Increase from R2 335 to R2 420
- Disability Grant: Increase from R2 315 to R2 400
- Foster Care Grant: Increase from R1 250 to R1 295
- Care Dependency Grant: Increase from R2 315 to R2 400
- Child Support Grant: Increase from R560 to R580
- Grant-in-Aid: Increase from R560 to R580
The SRD grant will remain at R370 per month, with funding extended until 31 March 2027.
Social Grant Spending To Rise
“Social grants constitute the largest share of spending on social development. Excluding the [SRD] grant, spending increases from R246.6 billion in 2025/26 to R276.5 billion in 2028/29. The social relief of distress grant is allocated an additional R36.4 billion to extend payments until 31 March 2027 at the current R370 per month per beneficiary.
“The social grant allocation has been adjusted down over the medium-term in line with a lower inflation outlook and improved grant targeting and verification, which is expected to yield savings of R2 billion in 2026/27 and R1 billion in 2027/28,” the department said.
Overall, the Social Development budget will grow by 4.2%, increasing from R412.2 billion in 2025/26 to R466.4 billion in 2028/29.
“This supports poverty reduction by providing social grants, risk benefits through social insurance and welfare services. It also funds development initiatives, empowerment programmes, gender equality efforts, and advocacy for children, women, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities,” the budget review read.
SASSA Tightens Grant Verification Measures
National Treasury revealed that the 2025/26 allocation for the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) was made conditional on improving grant verification processes.
“By December 2025, the agency had checked the bank accounts of about six million clients and eight million credit bureau clients. These checks flagged 291 581 grant beneficiaries for review.
“As a result of the review process and strict implementation of the sliding scale, which bases grant values on recipients’ incomes, grant amounts were adjusted for 8 599 disability and old-age grant recipients in accordance with the eligibility criteria.
“This results in projected savings of R36.4 million in 2025/26. A further 34 661 grants were cancelled, generating expected savings of R170.7 million by the end of 2025/26,” the department said.
SASSA has also introduced biometric verification for new applicants to strengthen identity checks.
“It will intensify efforts to combat fraud and corruption, while ensuring that legitimate beneficiaries remain protected,” Treasury said.
The latest increases aim to provide relief to millions of beneficiaries while improving oversight and ensuring that social grants reach eligible South Africans.
