SASSA Care Dependency Grant eligibility

The SASSA Care Dependency Grant is designed to provide financial support to parents or guardians of children with severe mental or physical disabilities who require full-time and special care. This grant was introduced by SASSA to alleviate the financial burden on families who might otherwise struggle to meet the additional costs associated with caring for a child with a severe disability. The complete process of applying for the SASSA Care dependency grant is explained below.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the SASSA care dependency grant, the applicant must be:

A permanent resident or Citizen of South Africa.
The parent, primary caregiver, or the foster parent of the child below 18 years of age according to the order issued by the court.
Passed the Means test for the SASSA care dependency grant.

To apply for the SASSA care dependency grant the child:

Must be living in South Africa.
Must be younger than 18 years of age.
Must have severe mental or physical disability.
Must need full-time and special care.
Must not be cared for in any state institution.

Means Test For SASSA Care Dependency Grant

SASSA approves grant applications for the care dependency grant only when the applicants pass the SASSA Means test. The means test is the SASSA’s method of evaluating the applicant’s income and assets to determine whether they qualify for the grant or not. To pass the Means test, the applicant’s income must not be more than R250,800 annually if he/she is single. If the applicant is married, then the annual combined income of the couple should not be more than R501,600.

Required Documents

To apply for the SASSA care dependency grant, the applicants must have the following documents:

The applicant’s 13-digit bar-coded ID.
The child’s birth certificate.
A medical report confirming the child’s disability.
Proof of the applicant’s marital status.
Proof of the applicant’s income. This includes salary slips, pension slips, or bank statements of the last three months (this does not apply to foster parents).
Proof that the applicant is the primary caregiver of the child. This includes
An affidavit from the police office.
A social worker’s report.
An affidavit by the child’s biological parent.
Letter from the principal of the school the child attends.

If the applicant is the biological parent and the sole care provider for the child, then he/she must provide evidence of getting the other parent to pay maintenance.
Proof that the applicant is unemployed. He/She must provide
Proof from the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
A discharge certificate from the previous employer.
If the applicant is a refugee foster parent, he should provide:
Refugee status permit.
Refugee ID.
If the applicant is the foster parent of the child, he must provide the court order that placed the child in his/her care.

How to apply for the SASSA Care Dependency Grant?

To apply for the SASSA care dependency grant, the applicants must

Visit the nearest SASSA office with all the required documents.
Meet the SASSA representative there and ask for the SASSA care dependency form.
Fill out the form in the presence of a SASSA representative.
Submit the form and get the stamped receipt. The receipt is the proof of your application.

Application Outcomes

After you have submitted your application, it can take up to 90 days to get the outcome. During this time, SASSA performs various verification tests to make sure that there is no fraudulent or incorrect information in the application. During this period, you should perform the SASSA status check on a regular basis. If your SASSA status says “Pending”, it means that your application needs further verification. After the SASSA verification process is complete, your application will either be approved or rejected.

Approved Grant Application

If your grant application is approved, then you can get your grant funds each month through your preferred method of payment on a specific day. You will get the grant from the month you applied. The most common methods of payment are:

Direct grant deposit in your bank account.
Cash collection from approved pay points.
From specific welfare institutions.

Rejected Grant Application

If your grant application is rejected, you will get a written explanation from SASSA explaining the reason for rejection. However, if you do not agree with the SASSA decision, you can appeal to SASSA within 90 days of being notified about the application rejection.

SASSA Care Dependency Grant Amount

After the application for the SASSA care dependency grant is approved, the applicants will get R2,180 each month. This amount, provided by the South African government through SASSA is for assisting the parents and caregivers of severely ill children.

Grant Review

SASSA decides when the care dependency grant should be reviewed. The income that the applicant declared when he/she applied for the SASSA grant forms the basis of this review. The applicants are notified about the date and place of the review three months prior to the review.

Grant Suspension

The SASSA care dependency Grant can be suspended when:

The child’s circumstances change.
SASSA decides to suspend the grant after a review.
The applicant fails to cooperate during a review.
SASSA notices fraudulent activity or misrepresentation of the child.
SASSA mistakenly approved the grant.

If you are a SASSA beneficiary receiving a SASSA care dependency grant and your grant gets mistakenly suspended due to any of the above reasons, you can apply to SASSA for the restoration of your grant within 90 days of the suspension notice.

Grant Lapses

The SASSA care dependency grant will lapse when:

The child passes away.
The child is admitted to a state institution.
The applicant does not claim the grant for three consecutive months.
The child is not in the country.
The child becomes 18 years old.

Things to Remember

Always keep SASSA updated about your personal or financial circumstances and about changes in your contact details or physical address.
The Service to apply for the SASSA care dependency grant is free.
There is no online way to apply for the SASSA care dependency grant. The applicants have to pay an in-person visit and apply for the grant at the SASSA office.
Applicants who are foster parents of a child eligible for the SASSA care dependency grant can also apply for the SASSA Foster child grant.
The SASSA will ask a State medical officer to assess the child before the grant is approved.
If the applicant is too old or sick and can not visit the SASSA office to apply for the grant, a daily member or a friend can apply on your behalf by showing a medical report stating the applicant’s condition.
If the beneficiaries receive the money through the bank, an institution, or a procurator, they are required to fill in a life certificate at the SASSA office every year.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the SASSA care dependency grant is provided to ensure that children with severe disabilities have access to the care and support they require to live a dignified life. Through this grant, SASSA tries to cover the costs of special care, medical treatment, and other needs. It also assists the caregivers of the child to fulfill their responsibilities without any added stress and promotes social equality by making sure that children with disabilities have the same opportunities for care and development as other children.