The agency hasn’t set the payment dates for the April 2026 SASSA Children’s Grants yet. But if you look at a strange date on the calendar, you can see why the agency that helps families with needy children is taking its time.
This is because Children’s Grants are usually paid on the first Thursday of every month. This month, it happened on Thursday, March 5. But it looks like the SASSA Children’s Grants for April 2026 might have to be pushed back a week, which would make it a five-week cycle for all recipients.
SASSA CHILDREN’S GRANTS FOR APRIL 2026
The first Tuesday for SASSA Old-Age Grants in April is the 7th, so the first Thursday of the month, 2 April 2026, can’t happen before that. Because the agency hasn’t approved it yet, it will have to be moved back to Thursday, April 9, 2026, behind Old-Age Grants.
The April 2026 SASSA Children’s Grants are much lower than anyone thought they would be after the official announcement of increases in the 2026 Budget Speech. Civil society groups are angry, but the increases are tied to the country’s yearly inflation, which the National Treasury kept at about 3.4% in 2026.
THREE GRANTS FOR CHILDREN GIVEN OUT
Children’s Grants from SASSA in April 2026
There is still no clear information about when official pay will be in April. They could happen between April 2 and April 9, 2026. Picture: File
Still, let’s quickly go over the three types of grants that are part of the April 2026 SASSA Children’s Grants. How much the South African Social Security Agency will pay starting next month:
- The most expensive grant to the government is SASSA Child Support. In April 2026, this goes up by R20, from R560 to R580. It goes to more than 13 million households with kids under 18 who meet the requirements.
- The next thing is SASSA Foster Child. This is only for households that have been chosen by the court to care for foster children. In April 2026, this will go up by R40, from R1 250 to R1 290.
- Lastly, SASSA Care Dependency is for kids under 18 who are mentally or physically disabled. Because of this, it pays the same as adult disability. This means that it goes up by R80, from R2,320 to R2,400 for April 2026. A state-approved doctor must say that someone is disabled for the agency to accept them.
ADVANTAGES OF THE APRIL 2026 SASSA CHILDREN’S GRANTS
Also, did you know that these government benefits except for Care Dependency start when a child is born and last until they turn 18? So, Child Support would add up to about R190,000 over the course of a child’s 18-year eligibility period adjusted for inflation).
If you can, the most important thing to do is to register your newborn child with Home Affairs as soon as possible. Sadly, none of the above makes the 3.4% increases any easier to take. Especially when you have kids to feed.
Less inflation in 2026
SASSA Children’s Grants for April 2026
Inflation has kept up with the 2026 increases. But the people who get the money are still unhappy.
In the end, the National Treasury links yearly SASSA grant increases to inflation. Last year, it went up by 4.8%, which was more than what was expected. You may remember that this was controversial because Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana also wanted to raise VAT.
Even though parliament threw out the budget, this increase was never taken back. 3.4% is a small number in comparison, but that’s because South Africa’s inflation stayed between 3.2% and 3.5% in 2026. In theory, this means that the prices of everyday things around the house won’t go up as much as they did last year.
How to get SASSA children’s grants in April 2026
Also, on a more positive note, Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe says that the April 2026 SASSA Children’s Grants can now be processed on the same day. The wait time used to be three months. But SASSA has posted on social media many times that you can now get approvals on the same day.
So, to get any Children’s Grant, you only need the following papers:
- Valid IDs and birth certificates for you, your child, and your spouse (if you are married). You need to get these from Home Affairs after you register your child.
- Proof of your marital status a marriage, birth, or death certificate for your spouse).
- Proof of income for both you and your spouse.
- Three-month bank statement that has been certified.
- Proof of address: a utility bill with your name on it that is no more than three months old.
Please keep in mind that Care Dependency and Foster Child have extra requirements to be eligible.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN CHILD SUPPORT SASSA Children’s Grants for April 2026
A household that gets SASSA Child Support until the child turns 18 years old gets about R190,000.
Child Support is, of course, the most common type of April 2026 SASSA Children’s Grant. There is a limit on income to be eligible:
- If you’re single, you can’t make more than R5,600 a month.
- If you’re married, you can’t make more than R11 191 a month.
This comes to R67,200 for a single person and R134,292 for a married couple each year.
