Updates on SASSA children’s grants for January 2025

For new parents, there are three SASSA Children’s grants available for January 2025, all managed by the South African Social Security Agency. Each month, billions in taxpayer money is set aside to help more than 14-million financially distressed families with minors.

Here is a concise breakdown on how SASSA Children’s grants for January 2025 work and how to apply for them. There are currently three different government grants for children. However, not all of them may be applicable to your family and children. And only one parent may claim for a childcare grant for their child. We will get into the detail of each child grant now …

SASSA CHILDREN’S GRANTS FOR JANUARY 2025

The recently suspended SASSA CEO explained that 14-million parents will benefit from SASSA Children’s grants for January 2025. The R530 Child Support Grant is the most prevalent and represents the highest spend of any social welfare grant in South Africa. Even higher than the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD).  

However, this time last year, at the roll-over of New Year 2024, more than 150 000 Child Support profiles were suspended suddenly without warning. Many thought this was an IT issue after a large-scale attempted hack. However, the agency later said it was due to improperly secured profiles that had been compromised by fraudulent activity. Click HERE to secure yours now …

CHILD APPLICANTS WANTED IN 2025

Nevertheless, there don’t appear to be any such repeats with SASSA Children’s grants so far in 2025. And the agency wants young mothers to know that if they were to put their newborn onto the social welfare system from birth, all the way to their 18th birthday, that child would receive roughly R135 480. Note that this figure conservatively factors in estimated annual grant increases of roughly 5%.

That said, the Department of Social Development still believes more can be done for young parents with newborns. As a result, the agency made an urgent call in 2024, for any mothers with newborns to apply for a SASSA Child Support grant immediately after birth.

WHAT ARE THE THREE CHILD GRANTS?

When it comes to the SASSA Children’s grants for January 2025, there are three that will be paid next week on Tuesday 7 January 2025. Besides Child Support, there is also Foster Child and Children’s Dependency. However, to qualify you must pass the following means test (note that there is no asset test like some other SASSA grants):

• Earn less than R8 800 per month if you’re married (R105 600 annually)
• Earn less than R4 400 per month if you’re single (R52 800 annually)

Of course, your child must be under the age of 18, too, and parents cannot receive more than one grant at a time. Also, applications take up to three months to be processed, however, you will be back-paid to the date of application if successful.

APPLY FOR A NEWBORN’S ID

Critical to mothers gaining access to SASSA Children’s grants for January 2025 is registering their birth with the Department of Home Affairs eHome as soon as possible. You need an unabridged birth certificate and identification document for your newborn. Or you will not be eligible for SASSA child support payments.

After you have been through Home Affairs online portal, you can visit the new SASSA service portal to make an appointment online. You do this online and visit a SASSA branch in-person for your biometrics (digital photo and fingerprints). Be sure to bring the following documents with you:

• Official birth certificate and ID of the child you’re applying for.
• Valid identity documents of both the applicant (child) and spouse (if married).
• Proof of marital status (via a marriage, birth or death certificate of your spouse).
• Proof of income (of both you and your spouse).
• Approved three-month bank statement (no more than three-months old).
• Proof of address (a utility statement with your name on it that’s not more the three-months old).

CARE DEPENDENCY AND FOSTER CHILD

SASSA Children’s grants for January 2025 for a mental or physically disabled child or a foster child require additional permissions. A child must be declared disabled by a government-appointed doctor. Likewise, you are only eligible for the foster child grant if you are the rightful, court-appointed foster parent in accordance with the South African Child Care Act. The grants pay R2 190 (Care Dependency) and R1 190 (Foster Child),respectively.

The remaining Children’s grant payment dates till the next renewal and increase in April 2025 are:

• Thursday 6 February 2025
• Wednesday 5 March 2025

For application or payment queries you can contact SASSA directly here:

• SASSA Toll-Free Call: 0800 60 10 11
• SASSA Head Office: 012 400 2322
• Email SASSA: grantenquiries@sassa.gov.za
• Or email: president@presidency.gov.za