Child Support Grant: Do I Qualify?
Check one child at a time, then see what to take to SASSA.
This is an example. Change it to your own details. The income is a made-up round amount.
A guide, not an approval. SASSA makes the final decision and can allow documented income deductions.
Change your answersDocuments to take
Tick what you have. SASSA may ask for more during screening.
Missing a document? See the Home Affairs checklist.
How to apply
- Take your documents to a SASSA office. You can also use the official online application portal (new tab). If it is being maintained, apply at an office.
- Complete the application and keep your receipt. Applying is free. Processing can take up to 3 months.
- If approved, payment is normally from the date your complete application and documents were submitted and verified. See SASSA payment dates.
The top-up is part of the Child Support Grant. It needs proof that the child is an orphan; having one living parent does not by itself qualify.
This checker covers a parent or another adult caregiver. For a child-headed household, ask SASSA for help.
A guide to help you plan, not official advice. SASSA makes the final decision. Figures last checked against official sources on .
How it works
The checker uses SASSA's published income limits from April 2026: single R5 800 a month / R69 600 a year; married R11 600 combined a month / R139 200 a year. Amounts are the published 2026/27 Child Support Grant and top-up, reused from our payment-dates page.
Official sources
- Current SASSA income limits (new tab)
- Child Support Grant requirements and documents (new tab)
- Orphan top-up requirements (new tab)
- Rules on income, maintenance and deductions (new tab)
- Government application and alternative-document guidance (new tab)
- SASSA booklet: application and payment dates (new tab)
- Grant amount source (new tab) · Top-up amount source (new tab)
Figures last checked against official sources on .
Questions
Can grandparents or other relatives apply?
Yes, if you are the main caregiver and meet the other rules. You do not have to be the biological parent. The limit of six applies to children who are not your biological or legally adopted children. A relative caring for an orphan may also qualify for the top-up. SASSA separately lists support for children aged 16 or 17 heading a household; ask SASSA for help with that application.
Does maintenance count as income?
Yes. The regulations include maintenance in income. Declare your income from all sources and your spouse’s if married, including maintenance, earnings, rent and private pensions. Social assistance itself is excluded. This checker uses income before deductions; SASSA can allow some documented deductions, so ask it to check if you are over the limit.
Can I apply without the child’s birth certificate?
Yes. Ask SASSA for its standard affidavit and complete it before a Commissioner of Oaths who is not a SASSA official. Take a sworn statement from a reputable person who knows you and the child, proof you applied to Home Affairs, and supporting records you have, such as a temporary ID, baptismal certificate, Road to Health card or school report. Tick “Missing an ID or birth certificate?” above to add these to the checklist.
What happens when the child turns 18?
An existing Child Support Grant ends at the end of the month in which the child turns 18. This checker is for a child under 18 and does not decide whether another kind of support is available.