• Who can apply for the Old Age Grant?
• The Means Test
• Old Age Grant 2006
• Applying for the Grant
• Enquiries

If you are a woman older than 60 or a man older than 65, you may get a monthly payment from the government called an old age grant.

You must be a citizen or permanent resident of South Africa and living in South Africa at the time of applying for the grant. You cannot get the grant if you are in prison, living in a state institution (such as a state old age home), living in a psychiatric hospital, getting care from a state treatment centre, or if you are getting state care for a drug habit.

Only people whose financial situation is below a certain level can get the grant. The test to decide this is called a means test.

The means test changes every year and for the old age grant this depends on your income, whether or not you are married, and on the income of both you and your spouse if you are married.

In 2006 the means test for the old age grant for a person who is not married said that you cannot get the grant if your assets are worth more than R295 200 (the value of your home is not taken into account, as long as you are living in the dwelling). Your income must also be less than R20 232 per year.

If you are married, you cannot get the grant if your joint assets (the assets belonging to both you and your spouse together) are worth more than R561 600 (the value of your home, whether it belongs to you or your spouse, is not taken into account as long as you live in it). Your joint income (your income plus that of your spouse) must be less than R37 512 per year.

The amount of the old age grant changes every year. In 2006 it is R820 per month.

You can apply for the old age grant by filling in an application form at your nearest District Welfare office or counter service point of a District Office. You do not need to pay anything to make the application.

The application process should not take longer than two hours. You will be interviewed, have your fingerprints taken, and given information on whether you qualify for the grant. You will also need to show certain documents and provide some information, including:

• Your South African identity document (ID), which must be bar-coded.
• Information about your marital status:
• If you are single, an affidavit stating that you are single.
• If you are married, your marriage certificate.
• If you are divorced, your divorce order.
• If your spouse is dead, your spouse's death certificate.
• Information about your income and assets:
• If you are employed, your wage certificate.
• If you are unemployed, your Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) 'blue book' discharge certificate from your previous employer.
• If you have a private pension, proof of the private pension.
• If you have a bank account, your bank statements for three consecutive months.
• If you have investments, information on the interest and dividends you earn.

If you cannot go to make the application yourself, a friend or family member can bring a letter from you and a doctor's note saying why you can't visit the office yourself. A home visit may then be arranged.

When you make the application, you should say how you would like the money to be paid. The money can be paid out in cash on specific days at a Pay Point, or you can get the money paid electronically into your bank account. Remember that normal bank charges can apply to any money going in and out of your bank account. You can decide to change the payment method at any time by filling in a form at a Welfare office, but the change will only happen a month later.

It will take about 30 working days for your application to be processed and checked and either approved or refused. If your application is refused you will get a letter explaining why it has been refused and how you can appeal.

If it is approved you will start getting payments within three months. The payments will be backdated to the day you applied for the grant. You can find out what has happened to your application and when you can expect payment by calling the South African Social Security Agency's (SASSA) toll-free helpline on 0800 601 011.

The old age grant will be cancelled if you die, if you are admitted to a state institution, or if your income or assets improve so much that you no longer qualify in terms of the means test. You must inform the Department of any changes in your circumstances.

National Department of Social Development

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)
Toll-free helpline: 0800 601 011 for information on:

• Pay-out dates.
• Qualifying rules for all government grants.
• District office addresses and contact numbers.
• For help with what has happened to your application.
• How you can also report any fraud or corruption.