Grant for Someone Who Needs Full-time Care (Grant-in-Aid) | Western Cape Government

Grant for Someone Who Needs Full-time Care (Grant-in-Aid)

Description:

Home care for elderly womanIf you're already receiving an old age, disability or war veteran's grant and you're unable to care for yourself, to the point where you need full-time care from someone else, then you may get an additional monthly payment from the government called a grant-in-aid. You can't get the grant-in-aid on its own; it must be in addition to one of these main grants.

You can't get the grant-in-aid if you're living in any kind of state-subsidised institution.

The same requirements that apply to your main grant, apply to the grant-in-aid. You must also have a valid medical report or assessment report (less than 3 months old), which shows that you need full-time care. This can be from a private doctor and doesn't have to be from a state doctor. You can apply for the grant-in-aid at the same time as when you apply for the main grant.

The grant is paid to you, the beneficiary, and not to any third party. The amount you'll get paid per month is R440. For more information about the grant-in-aid, please have a look at the latest You and Your Grants booklet.
Instructions:

You can apply for the grant-in-aid by filling in an application form at your nearest South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) or counter service point of a regional office. You don't need to pay anything to make the application.

You'll be interviewed, have your fingerprints taken and given information on whether you qualify for the grant. You'll also need to show certain documents and provide some information, including:

  • Your bar-coded South African identity document (ID).
  • Your medical report or medical assessment report.
  • Information about your marital status:
    • If you're single, an affidavit stating that you're single.
    • If you're married, your marriage certificate.
    • If you're divorced, your divorce order.
    • If your spouse is dead, your spouse's death certificate.

Care for the elderlyIf you can't 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'll get a letter explaining why it's been refused and how you can appeal.

If it's approved, you'll start getting payments within 3 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 toll-free SASSA telephone number 0800 601 011.

The grant-in-aid will be cancelled if you're no longer in the care of another person, if you die, if you're 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.

General Enquiries:

National Department of Social Development
South African Social Security Agency
Toll-free help line: 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.
Provided by:
Government Body:
Department of Social Development (National)
(The Government of South Africa)
The content on this page was last updated on 29 May 2020