The Full 2026/27 SASSA Payment Calendar, and How to Read It

Millions of South Africans receive a SASSA grant each month. Knowing the exact payment date helps with budgeting and planning. SASSA and the Department of Social Development publish an official payment schedule once a year. This article explains what is in that schedule, how to read it, and what it does not cover.

What the schedule covers

The Department of Social Development publishes a payment calendar for the financial year April 2026 to March 2027. The schedule lists payment dates for three groups of permanent grants:

• Older Persons Grant
• Disability Grant
• Children’s Grants (which includes the Child Support Grant, the Foster Care Grant, and the Care Dependency Grant)

These grants are approved annually. SASSA knows who is receiving them, so it can plan payment runs months in advance. That is why a calendar is possible for permanent grants.

The 2026/27 payment calendar

The table below follows the structure published by the Department of Social Development. Older Persons are paid first, then Disability, then Children’s Grants. Each group is typically paid over two to three consecutive working days.

Month	Older Persons	Disability	Children’s Grants
April 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
May 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
June 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
July 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
August 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
September 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
October 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
November 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
December 2026	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
January 2027	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
February 2027	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule
March 2027	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule	Check DSD schedule

Source: Department of Social Development payment schedule, 2026/27 financial year. Always verify current dates at the official SASSA website sassa.gov.za before acting on them.

How to read the schedule

Older Persons are paid first. This covers everyone on the Older Persons Grant. The standard amount is R2,400 a month. If you are 75 or older, you receive R2,420. Older Persons are paid on the first date listed for each month.

Disability follows. People on the Disability Grant receive R2,400 a month. They are paid on the second date, usually the next working day after Older Persons.

Children’s Grants are last. The Child Support Grant pays R580 per child per month. The Foster Care Grant and the Care Dependency Grant also fall in this group. They are paid on the third date in the schedule. In months with public holidays, the dates can shift by a day or two.

Your money does not expire. If you do not withdraw on the first day, your money stays in your account. You can collect at any SASSA-approved retailer or ATM on any working day after your payment date. You do not lose the payment by waiting.

Why families in the same house are often paid on different days

Many households receive more than one grant. An older person receives their payment on the first date. A grandchild on the Child Support Grant is paid two days later. A family member on the Disability Grant is paid in between.

This is normal. SASSA processes each grant category separately, on its own date. The dates cannot be combined or changed to match other household members.

This calendar does not cover SRD R370

This is the most important thing to understand about the schedule.

The SRD R370 grant is not in this calendar. There is no SRD column sitting next to the Older Persons and Disability columns. SASSA does not publish an SRD payment calendar.

The reason is that SRD is approved month by month. Every applicant is checked individually each month. The payment date for SRD only appears on the individual status result once SASSA has scheduled the payment run for that applicant’s batch.

Any website that adds an SRD column to this calendar, or shows predicted SRD dates alongside the official schedule, is publishing a guess. Do not plan around predicted SRD dates from third-party sources.

To see your own SRD payment date, check your individual status result. MySRD’s payment date guide shows you the result SASSA’s system returns for your ID number. MySRD is an independent information website and has no connection to SASSA or government.

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What can change the published dates

The Department of Social Development revises dates during the year when a scheduled date falls on a public holiday. When revisions happen, SASSA announces them through official channels.

Do not rely on a screenshot of the schedule shared on social media or in a WhatsApp group. Screenshots from earlier in the year may show dates that have already been revised. Always check the current version at sassa.gov.za.

December is the exception

December is paid earlier than usual every year. SASSA moves the December payment dates forward so that people receive their money before the holiday period begins. This applies to all permanent grant categories.

The earlier December dates are included in the official annual schedule. Check the schedule at the start of the year and mark the December dates separately, as they are often several days earlier than you might expect.

What to do if your payment does not arrive on the scheduled date

Wait until the end of the next working day before contacting SASSA. Payment processing sometimes runs a few hours behind schedule. If your money has still not arrived by the end of the following day, contact SASSA directly.

SASSA toll-free: 0800 60 10 11 SASSA WhatsApp: 082 046 8553

Do not assume your grant has been cancelled because of a late payment. A delay is usually a processing issue, not a problem with your grant status. SASSA can confirm which it is.