South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) social grants such as the Child Support, Disability, Older Person’s, and Social Relief of Distress grants are the country’s financial safety net. They enable people to meet basic needs like food, medicine, and even the payment of utility services. In the especially trying times of rising prices, they provide some relief. As of 22 August 2025, new amounts will be effective for old age and disability grants, as well as the Social Relief of Distress grant, whose payment is scheduled to commence on 2 August 2025.
August 2025 Payment Schedule
To make payments simpler and have fewer people at the payment points, SASSA has released a payment schedule for August 2025. The payments of R2,315 for Older Persons and Disability grants will start on 22 August 2025. Operational challenges will be addressed through changes at a provincial level. The key dates are as follows:
- Older Persons Grant: 22 August 2025
- Disability Grant: 23 August 2025
- Child Support Grant (R560): 26 August 2025
- Grant Foster Care (R1,250): 26 August 2025
The SRD R370 grant will be paid to all eligible beneficiaries between 25 and 30 August 2025. The detailed schedule per province will be available on the SASSA website (sassa.gov.za) as well as their local offices. The actual dates of payment depend on the province and may be altered due to the population density and banking infrastructure availability.
Differences in Payments by Province
Unlike the other provinces, the payment schedules are different in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. This is due to the area being rural in comparison to the other regions. Having fewer pay points, a stricter waiting time is necessitated. Having to adhere to the schedules of pay points available to banking and payments infrastructure. Pay points and banking infrastructure are more evolved in the urban regions of Gauteng and the Western Cape allowing them to pay earlier. The Amazon payments and retail partner payments kick off on:
- Gauteng: Bank deposits and ATM payments start on the 22nd of August.
- Eastern Cape: Specialist payout vehicles and rural pay points start on the 23rd of August.
- Northern Cape: CashSend and retail partner payments start on the 22nd of August.
To avoid queuing, beneficiaries should inquire about their province collection schedule.
Biometrics Verification Requirements
To curb fraudulent activities, SASSA will implement biometric verification and fingerprint authentication for all payments by August 2025. Hence, it is imperative that all beneficiaries update their biometric details both at SASSA centres and at any payment points instituted to capture biometric details. SASSA has also stated that there may be payments suspensions imposed on non-compliant beneficiaries. Further to that, SASSA encourages the use of ATMs and retail outlets such as Shoprite and Pick n Pay for transactions for quality and speed of payments.
Steps for Payment Verification
Beneficiaries have several options for checking their payment status. Hence, there is no reason to worry about payments being late, as they can:
- Online: Go to the srd.sassa.gov.za website and enter your ID and phone number.
- WhatsApp: Send your application ID to 082 046 8553.
- SMS: Send “STATUS [ID number]” to 32555.
- Moya App: Notifications can be checked under the “Discovery” tab.
Random audits help check that payments are made when expected and help highlight risks like incorrect bank account payment details.
Tips For Recipients
Payments won’t be held up if the debit bank and contact details are correct and up to date. SASSA cautions recipients against scammers offering early payments and insists on using proper channels. Help can be given through SASSA’s toll-free help line at 0800 60 10 11. The 50-30-20 rule (50% of wages on essentials, 30% on rent or mortgage, and 20% on savings) is a budgeting rule that can optimise the value of the grant.
also read : SASSA Grant Payments Begin 2 September: Check Pension, Child, and Disability Dates Now