Grants and benefits
Find the help you need.
Choose a grant or benefit to see who it is for, what you may need and where to apply. The government office makes the final decision.
Municipal coverage
Municipal guides cover 14 municipalities.
30 checks are temporarily paused. Their pages still show where to ask for help, but we will not use unverified information to decide whether you qualify.
Which checks are paused?
- Buffalo City Indigent Support
- Cape Town Indigent Support
- Ekurhuleni Indigent Support
- eThekwini Indigent Support
- Johannesburg Expanded Social Package
- Polokwane indigent support
- Mangaung Indigent Support
- Mkhondo indigent support
- City of Mbombela indigent support
- Nelson Mandela Bay Assistance to the Poor
- Tshwane Indigent Support
- Stellenbosch indigent support
- Overstrand indigent support
- George indigent support
- Care Dependency Grant
- Child Support Grant
- Disability Grant
- Emergency Social Relief of Distress
- Foster Child Grant
- Grant-in-Aid
- Older Person's Grant
- Social Relief of Distress Grant
- War Veteran's Grant
- UIF Adoption Benefit
- UIF Dependants Benefit
- UIF Illness Benefit
- UIF Maternity Benefit
- UIF Parental Benefit
- UIF Reduced Work Time Benefit
- UIF Unemployment Benefit
Buffalo City, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Johannesburg, Mangaung, Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane, Polokwane, City of Mbombela, Mkhondo, George, Overstrand and Stellenbosch. If you live elsewhere, find your municipality's official support office and ask for indigent support or free basic services.
Studying or training?
NSFAS is not the only option.
Compare national bursaries, provincial government funding, the missing-middle student loan, postgraduate scholarships and all 21 SETAs.
SASSA grants and SRD
9 optionsCare Dependency Grant
What is the SASSA Care Dependency Grant?
Support for the caregiver of a child who requires permanent care because of disability.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalChild Support Grant
Who qualifies for the SASSA Child Support Grant?
Support for a qualifying primary caregiver of a child under 18.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalDisability Grant
Who qualifies for the SASSA Disability Grant?
Monthly support subject to a SASSA medical/functional assessment.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalEmergency Social Relief of Distress
SASSA emergency food parcel
Short-term food, voucher or possible cash help for a household in severe immediate need; this is separate from the monthly R370 SRD grant.
Information used from 2026-09-01See who may qualify NationalFoster Child Grant
Who qualifies for the SASSA Foster Child Grant?
Support where a child is placed with the caregiver by a valid court order.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalGrant-in-Aid
What is the SASSA Grant-in-Aid?
Additional support for a qualifying grant recipient who needs regular attendance.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalOlder Person's Grant
Who qualifies for the SASSA Older Person’s Grant?
Monthly income support for qualifying people aged 60 or older.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalSocial Relief of Distress Grant
Temporary R370 monthly relief screened through the official SRD system.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualify NationalWar Veteran's Grant
Monthly support for a qualifying Second World War or Korean War veteran.
Information used from 2026-04-01See who may qualifyUIF money
7 optionsUIF Adoption Benefit
Income replacement following a qualifying adoption order.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Dependants Benefit
A claim by qualifying dependants after a contributor's death.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Illness Benefit
Income replacement during a qualifying unpaid or partly paid illness absence.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Maternity Benefit
Income replacement during qualifying maternity leave.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Parental Benefit
Income replacement during qualifying parental leave.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Reduced Work Time Benefit
Partial income replacement after qualifying reduced work time.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualify NationalUIF Unemployment Benefit
Who can claim UIF unemployment benefits?
Income replacement after a qualifying involuntary loss of work.
Information used from 2022-01-01See who may qualifyHelp with municipal bills
14 optionsBuffalo City Indigent Support
Free basic services and municipal rebates for qualifying households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-CPTCape Town Indigent Support
Component-based municipal relief for qualifying households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-EKUEkurhuleni Indigent Support
Registered or deemed-indigent free basic services and relief.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-ETHeThekwini Indigent Support
Tiered free basic services and municipal relief.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-JHBJohannesburg Expanded Social Package
Possible help with water, electricity, rates and other municipal bills for low-income Johannesburg households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-LIM354Polokwane indigent support
Polokwane indigent support
Possible help with water, electricity, rates and service charges for qualifying low-income Polokwane households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-MANMangaung Indigent Support
Free basic services and municipal account relief.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-MP303Mkhondo indigent support
Mkhondo indigent support
Possible water, electricity and assessment-rates help for qualifying Mkhondo households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-MP326City of Mbombela indigent support
Mbombela indigent support
Possible free basic services and municipal rebates for qualifying City of Mbombela households.
Information used from 2022-07-01See who may qualify ZA-NMBNelson Mandela Bay Assistance to the Poor
Municipal free basic services subject to current City confirmation.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-TSHTshwane Indigent Support
Free basic services for registered or automatically classified households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-WC024Stellenbosch indigent support
Stellenbosch indigent support
Possible water, electricity, refuse, sewerage and service-charge help for qualifying Stellenbosch households.
Information used from 2025-07-01See who may qualify ZA-WC032Overstrand indigent support
Overstrand indigent support
Possible water, electricity, sewerage and service-charge help for qualifying Overstrand households.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify ZA-WC044George indigent support
George indigent support
Possible water, service-charge and rural electricity help for qualifying George households; the municipality must confirm the route and current tariff.
Information used from 2026-07-01See who may qualify